vocational grumble

[archaeomom8]

I have recently come to realize because I am busting my ass working part time at two jobs (getting ready to talk to someone about a 3rd), raising a family, and trying to make an impossible mortgage that I am not able to join my profession's hoo-haw organization. I guess I'm among the ranks that may call themselves RPA-eligible. They've approved me

Comments

[egretplume]

I empathized with this post. There are a lot of assumptions about finances in academia, including the assumption that everyone can afford subscriptions, memberships, conference fees, airplanes to conferences, suits to wear to interviews, mailing and forms duplication fees, etc.
You might send them an email and ask if they have any discounted rates for "independent" or "unaffiliated" archaeologists. I know some English conferences have sliding scales for academics employed less than full-time (as academics).

[archaeomom8]

You're so right about all of this

[serrana]

Yeah, I've explained to people for the last few years that although I've been RPA in the past, I am not doing enough business to make it worthwhile to keep the cert current.

If I needed it to get a job, I'd pay for it and work it into the job budget, but otherwise? It's a LOT of money each year for an organization that pretty much just puts out a phone list.

[archaeomom8]

That's a really good idea - to work it into a job budget if needed. I haven't branched out on my own; I work for a small company that can't pay for my membership and the owners aren't particularly interested in paying for their own, not anymore. The jobs come in when they do, regardless. I have been talking to someone recently who needs the occasional archaeologist on call and that may open some new doors for me. Three jobs sounds daunting, but the archy stuff is so part-timey that I can lump all my consulting into one part time job, I'd say.

It is a lot of money for what they give in return. Another set of letters after our names.

[morningloryblue]

Please, I encourage you, get a Ph.D..you're brilliant and the world deserves your intelligence and energy in higher education..it's all way too political and conservative in the ivory tower now...we NEED someone like you to shake things up! But, I also say, get ready for a long, tiresome, but rewarding journey...I worked on my Ph.D. for 8 long years....for many of those years, I could not see any light at the end of any tunnel...but it did arrive and I am still tired, but wow, I'm honored and I'm proud!

[archaeomom8]

Thank you, such nice things to say. You're being too good to my ego again. ;) I am so very seriously considering it. I'm a little scared to veer away from archaeology but the master's in archy allows me to do the things I enjoy most about archaeology (introducing students at a local college, training people in the field, messing with things at museums, and trying to put together some kind of "big picture" of a little under-studied region). I don't have the right kind of patience for the paper chase of a PhD in anthropology. Although it's all anthro to me, so no big difference.

I've got a few ideas, none fully-baked (sounds much better than half-baked, don't you think?!) that would require interdisciplinarity (is there a real word for that?).

[archaeomom8]

And while I'm thinking about it - you DESERVE to be proud! I'm proud for you!