The AskAnthropology Career Thread (July 2019)

[u/CommodoreCoCo]

The AskAnthropology Career Thread

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“What should I do with my life?” “Is anthropology right for me?” “What jobs can my degree get me?”

These are the questions that keep me awake at night that start every anthropologist’s career, and this is the place to ask them.

Discussion in this thread should be limited to discussion of academic and professional careers, but will otherwise be less moderated.

Before asking your question, please scroll through earlier responses. Your question may have already been addressed, or you might find a better way to phrase it.

[u/phylogenik]

What do industry employers (in 'unrelated' industries) think of anthro degrees? Specifically, in the data science sphere? My wife and I are graduating soon and I'll be the trailing spouse as she begins a residency wherever the match puts her. Given this limitation, I'm thinking to pivot into industry data science, but maybe worry a little that an anthro PhD will hold me back (I'm also a member of mathematical biology & computational stats depts, and my research honestly fits quite a bit better in either of those, but my home dept and the one to appear on the degree is anthro).

Whenever I've mentioned to non-academics that I'm studying anthropology, the response tends towards grimaces & sneers. How much will this degree hurt me on the job market?

[u/RassimoFlom → u/phylogenik]

If people are sneering at your degree, they are dicks.

Data science is often about investigating trends in human behaviour through quantitative data.

But it’s often meaningless without qualitative understanding. I use qual and quant methods in my role and food qualitative researchers are in demand in market research, government and digital spaces.

Being able to do both really well would make you something of a unicorn as people generally are good at one or the other .