A CAREER IN PRACTICEFIRST STEPS FOR

ANTHROPOLOGISTSRiall W. Nolan

Purdue UniversityFebruary 2014

WHY THIS WEBINAR?• There are more opportunities for anthropologist

practitioners than ever before.• Practice is the largest and fastest-growing sector of

anthropology, and demand is increasing.• At the same time, training in anthropology does

not usually emphasize the practice option• As a result, some of our best anthropologists are

not well prepared for the demands of practice.

HOW OUR DISCIPLINE IS STRUCTURED

Inside the University Outside the University

Applied Anthropologists Practicing

AnthropologistsAcademic

Anthropologists

It isn’t just what you know, it’s what you can do with what you know

Commitment to, and acceptance of, social science as a mechanism for change and improvement

Orientation toward client problems and opportunities

Willingness and ability to work with diverse others toward solutions

PRACTITIONERS THINK A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY FROM ACADEMICS

HOW PRACTICE IS STRUCTURED

Main Practice Options

orBases

Freelancer

Business Head

Private-sector employee

Public-sector employee

Non-profit employee

University Employee

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF PRACTICE• Orientation to change

and improvement• Primarily client-focused• Collaboration with

others• New learning/new

specializations• More than just

research

• Work inside organizations

• Work as a series of projects

• Significant problems, real consequences

• Responsibility for results

RESULTS MEANS “GETTING THINGS DONE”

• Solving problems

• Producing results

• Getting along with people

• Helping them to get along with each other

• Generating and using resources efficiently

• Finding new and better ways to do things

THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO GETTING HIRED

1. Get on the List

2. Stay on the List

3. Get Chosen

• Visioning• Networking• Info. Interviewing

• SWOT Analysis• Portfolio Prep.• More Networking• More Info. Interviewing

• Interviewing• Negotiating

Sector

Setting

Function

Base

STARTING POINTS: YOUR CAREER VISION

What general area do you want to work in?

Where do you want to be located?

What do you see yourself doing?

Who are you working for? What type of organization is it?

Your Values• What things do you feel

strongly about?• How do you strive to live?• What do you respect in

others?

Your Interests• What do you like to do?• What do you already know

a lot about?• What would you like to

know more about?

Your Skills• What can you do that is useful

in several different areas?• What things do you think

you’re particularly good at doing?

COMPONENTS OF A PRACTITIONER’S JOB

Base:

GovernmentCorporateNon-ProfitFreelance/Sole proprietorshipSmall businessUniversity

Sector:

Social servicesPublic administrationAgricultureEnvironmentInt’l developmentManufacturingEducationMarketingPlanning

Function:

ManagementProduction/implementationDesignEvaluation/assessmentData collection/analysisNeeds assessmentAdvocacyPolicy formulation

ANTHROPOLOGICAL SKILLS IN THE JOB QUEST

• You know how to quickly find relevant data and extract its significance.

• You can pick up the salient points of “local culture” in a setting or organization.

• You are not daunted by difference. Instead, you’re curious about it.

• You are skilled at asking good questions.

• You are comfortable with ambiguity.

• You can modify your frameworks as you learn.

• You’re not just interested in answers. You’re also interested in what the questions are.

NETWORKING TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES

Networking provides connections, information, advice, and access:

Introduces you to role models and mentors Provides guidance as you search for organizations

and opportunities Allows you to safely test your assumptions and

expectations against reality Can provide an entrée into specific agencies

ANTHROPOLOGICAL METHODS YOU’LL FIND USEFUL IN THE JOB HUNT

• Domain Analysis: figuring out how grad programs are defined, structured, and arranged, and identifying the values and concepts which drive them.

• Informational Interviewing: figuring out what the right questions to ask are, and how to ask them. And then figuring out what the answers mean.

• Life Histories: looking at the “career arcs” of students in the program, and afterwards.

RESEARCHING ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH INFORMATIONAL

INTERVIEWING• What does this organization do and how

does it do it?• What are working conditions like here?• What qualifications do you need to work

here?• How do they make hiring decisions?

DOING A SWOT SCAN

INTERNAL FACTORS

EXTERNAL FACTORS

Threats

Opportunities

Strengths Weaknesses

Comparative Advantage

Investment/

DivestmentDamage Control

Mobilization

PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR RESUME

• A resume is not a CV• It is a brief account of your skills and

accomplishments• It has only one purpose: to get you an

interview• It is not about you: it is about you in relation

to someone else and their needs

CREATING YOUR RESUME The best predictor of future performance is past

performance Therefore, stress what you have accomplished,

not just what you know Of particular value:

– Presentation and communication skills– Project and team management experience– Creative leadership and problem-solving– A range of research skills– The ability to “get things done”

INTERVIEWS: WHAT THEY WILL ASK YOU

Why are you here?

What do you bring?

What are you like?

What will it cost us?

Why did you come to us specifically? What are you seeking from us? What do you already know about us?

What makes you stand out? What are your key strengths, and how do these relate to what we do and what we need?

What’s it going to be like to work with you? How will you fit in with who’s already here? Is there anything about you we need to know?

Apart from the money, what else will we need to provide, or change, if we bring you on board? Do you have particular needs or preferences?

EXPLAINING YOURSELF IN THE INTERVIEW

• Pick 3-6 of your best accomplishments. Include difficult or “challenging” situations. For each:– Outline the problem, tasks, issues or opportunities– Describe your strategy or approach – Explain the skills and abilities you used– Emphasize the anthropology in what you did– Describe the outcomes you achieved

• Your actions are central to the story, but be sure to acknowledge the work of others.

• Connect your examples to your listeners’ needs.

WHAT DO ANTHROPOLOGISTS CONTRIBUTE?

• Social knowledge – we put culture into the picture• Contextualization and integration– we look

further, for broader connections• Synergy – we work well with other disciplines:

e.g., engineering, medicine• Versatility -- we don’t just do “research” – we

plan, design, and manage.• Innovative -- we often find things that others miss.• Social -- we are very good at working with people.

FURTHER RESOURCES• AAA Career Center: http://www.aaanet.org/profdev/• and http://www.aaanet.org/resources/practitioners• CoPAPIA Report• Nolan, Anthropology in Practice• Nolan (ed), Handbook of Practicing Anthropology• Briller• Kedia, Domains of Practice• etc