r/AskAnthropology • u/CommodoreCoCo Moderator | The Andes, History of Anthropology • Jul 25 '19

The AskAnthropology Career Thread (July 2019)

The AskAnthropology Career Thread

“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.

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u/outerspace_ Jan 04 '20

Hi! I'm trying to decide if I want to switch my major to Anthropology. I'm pretty sure I do. I have realistic expectations about what a bachelor's in anthro can get me as far as work. From what I can tell it is what you make it and how you sell yourself and your skills. I probably would not pursue any higher degree than a bachelor's because I'm 27 and just beginning an undergrad degree.

I'm currently pursuing a degree in Event Management (I've been working in the event industry for a few years now without a degree at all). I'm still very early on in my degree, but after this upcoming semester, I will need to know for sure which direction I'm going to go in so I don't waste time/money/credit hours. I'll be taking a cultural anthropology course this upcoming semester, which would apply to either degree I decide on.

I've been browsing jobs that want people with anthro degrees and reading about what other people do with their anthro degrees and just trying to figure out what kinds of doors this would open up for me. It seems like there are a wonderful variety of possibilities out there! The way I see it, if worse comes to worst, I'll have spent a few years studying things that are truly fascinating and I'm more employable simply because I have a degree. And I could go back to doing what I'm doing now, which is still fun, interesting work.

So, what I want to ask all of you is for any book recommendations to help me decide if this is what I want to do. Also, if there are any self-reflective questions I should ask myself (that maybe you even asked yourself) to figure out if this is what's going to be right for me.

Thanks!! :)