CRM identifies any cultural resource within a given area that has been proposed for development. CRM firms negotiate with federal, state and/or local agencies to help the developer obtain the proper permits required for construction. These permits require a comprehensive study of both architectural history and archaeological sites that may be impacted by the proposed construction. Your job will be to identify all archaeological sites within a given project area and assess its potential for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Requirements

• BA in anthropology or a related degree (related degrees include Classics, History, Environmental Sciences and Architectural History)
• Archaeological Field School or previous experience in the field
• Willingness to travel: CRM requires you spending much of your time on the road depending on what type of firm you choose. Generally speaking smaller firms (aka Mom and Pops) work in smaller regions than larger firms. Small firms usually work in a few states such as NY, NH and VT and you will travel throughout that area depending on where they have contracts. Larger firms have contracts over much larger geographical areas such as the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, etc, and you are expected to travel throughout one and/or all of these regions.
• A sturdy nature: Archaeology is hard work. The holes need to be dug! You will be expected to dig, screen, and record all soils and artifacts you encounter. One major difference between CRM and academic archaeology is the pace of work. CRM jobs are on a strict budget, you have X amount of time and X amount of dollars to get the job done. You are also expected to work in harsh conditions. CRM is like the post office, neither rain nor sleet nor snow will stop you. You will encounter mosquitoes, black flies, ticks, spiders, poison ivy, green briar, cows, moose (in NH), and annoying locals who will ask you if you have found gold, dinosaurs or Jimmy Hoffa.

Where to look

• www.archaeologyfieldwork.com: Probably the best site on the net for archaeological employment, with postings for both the public and private sectors (State and Federal agencies and private firms).
• www.shovelbums.org: Another great site although most postings on shovelbums are also on archaeologyfieldwork.com.
• www.louisberger.com: Website for the Louis Berger Group, Inc. This is one of the largest companies in the US and has also completed projects abroad in Turkey, Ghana, Jordan, Iraq, Puerto Rico and Trinidad. They are always accepting resumes and will contact you if a job comes up. All you have to do is email them your resume. Also the website will give you additional information about what a CRM firm does and the kind of projects you can expect.

Benefits

• You will be paid a fair salary, usually starting at 11 to 15 dollars an hour depending on your experience, plus per diem while on projects that will cover you hotel and food expenses.
• You will gain valuable field experience in archaeology. You will learn how to identify different types of artifacts, how to read soils, how to use a total station and GPS, photography (digital and film), basic orienteering skills, etc. If you work for a CRM firm for a few years your CV will grow tremendously even if you only list the major projects you worked on.
• You will get experience with an array of different types or archaeological sites and how to properly excavate each. You will have an opportunity to excavate everything from Palaeoindian sites to early Colonial sites to 20^th century rural farmsteads.
• Apart from field methods and techniques you will see how to efficiently supervise a project and get insight into all the logistical difficulties that it may entail. Basically you will see how to properly run a project and how not to run a project since you will inevitably work on both.

Overview of the Profession

One of the best resources for those interested in learning about a career in scholarly publishing is provided by the Professional/Scholarly Publishing (PSP) Division of the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

Professional Organizations

There are a number of professional organizations for the scholarly publishing community. These sites are great resources and provide a wealth of information on current issues in publishing, listings of professional development workshops, and most importantly, each has a Job Bank where publishers can post job advertisements.

Check the Job Bank often, jobs and internships are posted regularly. Publishers and University Presses will also post job listings on their individual company websites, but the Job Banks of the professional organizations compile jobs from all over the country. Even if you are not actively looking for a job but are thinking of a career in publishing, check these listings often­—the job descriptions will provide you with an idea of what specifics publishers are looking for in a job candidate.

• AAP (Association of American Publishers)
• AAUP (Association of American University Presses)
• PSP (Professional/Scholarly Publishing)
• SSP (Society for Scholarly Publishing)
• Another useful resource is MediaBistro.com

The Importance of Networking

If you know that you are interested in working at a scholarly press or organization, one of the best steps you can take is to create a network of contacts. More than the job listings, this is one of the most sure-fire means to finding and being recommended for a position.

With a background in Classics, you are well suited to “cold call” the Acquisitions editor or Managing editors in charge of Classical content publications. A simple email explaining your background in Classics and interest in publishing can work wonders. You do not, however, want to ask for a job in this initial letter, but you do want to ask what it is that they look for in potential job candidates (skills, background, experience, etc.). This will allow you to tailor your own resume, but it will also place you on their radar. Networking takes persistence and can feel awkward at times, but it can lead to great gains. If it is within your means, consider attending the annual AIA/APA conference held each January in a different city across the US. One of the features of the AIA/APA conference is the exhibition hall where dozens of publishers and university presses set up booths to display and sell their latest titles. Often, the individual in charge of the booth is the head of the Classical Studies division at his/her press. They are usually more than happy to talk, and often even happier to give advice on looking for starting a career in academic publishing. Collect business cards and follow up with anyone you speak to. You never know when a job might open up with their company and they recall that ambitious young individual they spoke to who was interested in such an opening.

Professional development seminars are also a great means for meeting publishing professionals and soliciting advice. Both PSP and the SSP offer workshops on a regular basics. The Professional, Scholarly, and Academic Basic Books Boot Camp offered by AAP/PSP is a great one-day crash course on all aspects of publishing. Sessions are held periodically in Chicago and New York City. For more information, see: publishers.org/our-markets/professional-scholarly-publishing/psp-professional-scholarly-academic-books-basic-boot

In order to be a librarian, one must attend a graduate program that has been certified by the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA website will also provide useful information in picking a program and other necessary resources (such as job opportunities and average starting wage). Click on the link to Education and Careers for information on career paths, accredited programs salaries etc.

For those in Ohio, the closest grad programs are Kent State and University of Kentucky. One of the largest and most highly ranked programs in the region is the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences (GSLIS) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Usually the program is two years for the MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science), but it can be done in one year.

Within the masters program itself, there are several specializations

Most programs now offer online education. GSLIS has students from all over the world taking classes through their LEEP program.  Classes are offered online via audio lectures, chat rooms, and message boards. However, these classes do require a once a semester visit to the actual campus. These are usually held on the weekends and are like mini conferences.

The job market for future librarians: For the past ten years it has been announced that the job market was going to crack wide open due to many retiring librarians. However, due to the economy and other issues, most elder employees are hanging onto their positions and not retiring. Most well paying and interesting jobs usually require years of professional experience. Many graduates end up accepting jobs that don't pay as much as they should and are usually referred to as Information Technicians. The starting wage for librarians can be $40,000 to $45,000, but it depends on the type of library (e.g. public, university, art museum etc). Obtaining a Masters of Library and Information Science will drastically change your income potential.

Academic libraries like people with foreign language skills, so pick up as many as you can (ancient and modern).

For more information here are a few websites for employment in this area:

Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County- PLCH hires librarians with master's degrees for management and reference positions, but also is nearly always hiring Library Service Assistants, which is a great way to learn about the field of library science before obtaining a MLIS degree.

SWON- Southwest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries. This is actually the best site to see who is hiring in this area.  It covers all of the tri-state area including public (like Boone and Kenton in KY, some of Indiana, and most counties in OH), private, special libraries, and universities.

Some FYI in Choosing a Graduate Program:

• Do your research, check out the schools’ websites
• Dig around the program: requirements, classes, professor’s likes and specialties ** MA, PhD, either available [this varies by institution]
• Check out the facilities of the University/College at large, as a grad student, they are there for you too.
• Find out stats of town/city in which the school is located
• Local places & activities of interest
• Cost of living
• Best and safest places to live
• Arrange a visit the school &/or talk with current students in the program
• See if any faculty or students at your current institution have any affiliation with the programs or institutions to which are being applied.
• Pick programs and schools that interest and meet your needs. Don’t limit yourself to 1 or 2 choices, especially since those on site visits make or break many preconceived notions about the program.
• Also note, that the program wants the prospective students to also fit their agenda of study and research, which may not be obvious from the different websites. So don’t limit the number of choices and applications sent out.

Basic Components of Graduate School Process & Application

Letter of Intent

• Customize each letter to fit the application program, and do some research into the program and what it offers.
• A universal body to the letter can be adjusted to meet the prerequisites and personality of each program.
• This letter is your chance to sell yourself, so don’t be shy
• Have someone [or several people] proof read

Writing Sample

• Keep the sample to the # of pages requested, extra volume may be more of a detriment no matter the quality of the work.
• Senior thesis are usually not ready for this process, unless they are in their finally stages prior to November.
• Proof readers

Letters of Recommendation

2-4, depending on the program

• NEED to have relationship, several classes, to obtain a good letter
• Ask if the instructor is willing to write a recommendation
• Ask if they feel they can write a good recommendation
• Provide the envelopes, addressed to the proper institutions and stamped
• Also provide a list of the institutions to which you are applying, especially if your instructors have contacts there
• List of deadlines with the schools
• For programs with multi-tracts, consider letters from instructors in each discipline/tract of interest
• Most institutions require letters only from your last school, others may request letters from more than one, depending on your academic history

Reading List

• Materials translated – Ancient authors, specific selections
• Modern Languages – extent of study, proficiency

GRE

• Although some schools claim that they place little or no value on this test, it would be difficult to see an application which does not ask for your scores
• Check for mailing dates when register for the test in order to get the results to the institutions by the deadlines
• Be aware, the writing sample takes several weeks to process

Transcript

• Schools require that these be sent directly from all the institutions you have attended, even if for only one class.
• These forms also take up to several weeks to process. This time increases in November, since there is an influx in number of requests for transcripts.
• Check price, if any, per transcript
• If mailing in a transcript, check that the request was received.
• Check that the institutions from which the transcripts are being sent have the correct addresses.

Time Considerations and Follow Up

• The process takes quite some time, be sure to budget appropriately
• Many programs have individual sites on-line which allow the progress of the application to be reviewed by the prospective student, especially important, as those deadlines loom closer.
• Department administrative assistance/secretaries are a resource that will continue to be important, if not vital, to your graduate career. Make efforts early to develop a good rapport with these individuals, and many are also the contacts for checking on the status of your packet of application being complete.

Financial Considerations

• Keep in mind how much this process can cost – not inexpensive
• There are a lot of incidental costs, and depending on the number of copies being sent out: transcripts, additional GRE requests, the large scale mailing of the writing sample, postage on letters of recommendation, ect.
• Financial Aid – FAFSA
• Fill out in February for following scholastic year
• Make sure you include all the institutions that are receiving applications

Schedule

Sophomore/2^nd Year:

It is never too early to begin thinking about Graduate School.

This time in the process can be fun – take a close look at the classes that appeal and keep you interested. Think about what you like about classics: research, teaching, or both. Begin to look at what type of school would fulfill those needs and provide the best post-graduate opportunities.

Junior/3^rd Year:

Now is the time to think about what classes you may need to have in order to round out you transcript. Also, usually your writing sample will come from a project or paper written the last semester of your junior year – the first semester of the senior term. It is easier to work on a paper over the summer and finish the final draft during the fall prior to submissions, than to try and tackle a project from scratch during the semester.

• Reading List
• Courses
• Writing Sample [?] - summer
• GRE

During Summer:

Begin those graduate school application packets.

Senior/4^th Year:

Crunch time:

• Ask for those recommendations early, follow-up in case there any delays arise.
• GRE, if not already completed or retake
• Sending off the packets

Summer prior to Graduate School:

Begin or refresh your modern languages [French, German, Italian, Modern Greek]

www.graduateguide.com
www.gradschools.com
www.fafsa.ed.gov
www.takethegre.com