Are you interested in humans and human interactions?
If you are prepared to work hard, you could turn your interest into a rewarding career. Working as an Anthropologist allows you to spend time exploring the rich field of human culture and development. This career boasts several different specializations that you can choose from. If you develop specialist skills, you could become an authority and travel the world sharing your knowledge.
So, let’s take a closer look at ’what does an Anthropologist do?’ and how to qualify for this interesting career.
Contents
The Four Branches Of Anthropology
This career comes with four subfields, each of which requires certain skills. Once you have decided that this is the career for you, it’s best to choose your subfield as soon as possible. Let’s take a look at the four main branches of anthropology and what they involve.
Archaeology
This subfield involves studying human culture by focusing on objects that past generations have created. Archeologists travel to different sites and use dedicated techniques to remove objects from the ground. They then use equipment to date the samples and analyze them.
Locations of interest include burial sites, trash pits, ancient homesteads, and places of worship. Human bones and teeth are analyzed to collect information on the diet of our ancestors. This helps to uncover information on how the diets, lifestyles, and habitats of humans have changed over time.
Biological Anthropology
This subfield focuses on how humans adapt to different environments, how they evolved from animals, and the causes of early death. They study both living and dead humans as well as primates and the surrounding environment. This helps determine how culture and biology work in partnership to shape societies.
Cultural Anthropology
This field is devoted to the exploration of how people in different areas relate to the world around them. One main area of focus is the development of beliefs and superstitions within certain societies. This includes the differences in how people dress, eat, speak, and relate to each other. Studying different viewpoints and voices helps to discover similarities between different cultures.
Linguistic Anthropology
If you have an interest in language and how it develops over time, this subfield could be for you. Linguistics includes all forms of verbal and non-verbal communication within different societies. This includes studying how the language we use shapes our identity and is used to share meaning.
The Work Environment
Most Anthropologists work full-time and are employed by a government agency or university. It may be necessary to spend time traveling around the world to different archeological sites. Alternatively, you may spend the majority of your time in a laboratory analyzing samples.
Generally speaking, your work environment will also be influenced by the sector you work in. While some roles are mainly research-based, others revolve around sharing knowledge. Let’s take a closer look at some of the main work environments that you can choose from.
Universities
Anthropologists who work for universities teach courses at all levels of the curriculum. It is necessary to design courses for students with set goals that focus on areas like cultural anthropology. Another major part of this type of role is conducting research with groups of undergraduate students.
Market Research Companies
This type of role mainly involves gathering insights through in-depth interviews and online community moderation. You would spend a lot of time finding similarities between interview subjects as well as writing reports to present your findings.
Advertising Agencies
These agencies use the insights of anthropologists to better determine the needs of their target sector. You need to be comfortable making presentations to fulfill this type of role. And spend a lot of time analyzing data from surveys and determining effective advertising techniques.
What Does An Anthropologist Do? – Key Skill And Attributes
This type of career is not for everyone, and you need to make sure you have the right skills. While the hard skills will be taught during your coursework, the soft skills relate to your personality. Here are the soft skills and attributes you need to develop to do this job well.
Perseverance
You are likely to spend years at a time working on specialist projects. Be able to focus on these projects and keep going when they become challenging. It is essential to have self-discipline and be motivated to complete projects in as much detail as possible.
Critical Thinking
When analyzing data, you need to think about how it interconnects and differs. This will help you to create insightful theories about human interactions and draw conclusions. You will need to determine the best tools to utilize and be able to adjust your methods on demand.
Verbal Communication
You must be able to express complicated anthropological ideas clearly and simply. Presenting your findings in lectures and other types of presentations. This includes finding ways to bring information from the past to life and entertain audiences.
Written Communication
You will often write reports and academic papers on certain anthropological subjects. Make sure that all the information you include is accurate and relevant to the subject. This includes finding ways to summarize dense information and condense it into brief reports.
Physical Stamina
When working in the field, you are likely to spend time hiking and climbing to remote locations. You need to be able to carry heavy equipment, often over rough terrain. It is essential to have the physical stamina to spend long periods bending, digging, walking, and lifting.
An Aptitude for Languages
You may decide that you want to learn how human language is formed and developed. Being fluent in more than one language will give you a significant advantage. This will also allow you to give lectures and write research papers in different languages.
Teamwork
You will often collaborate with people from different fields when conducting certain projects. Be comfortable sharing ideas and information to form a more cohesive picture of topics. It is important to work alongside people who have different focuses and opinions.
Education And Training
It can take several years to become fully qualified to do this type of work. Depending on your specialization, you may need to complete an additional training program. Here are the main steps you should take to obtain the skills and experience you need.
Education
You usually need to obtain a bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s degree in your field of specialization. If you are planning to teach at a university, you will also need to obtain a Ph.D. When choosing a specialization, make sure you consider all the options carefully and choose one that matches your interests.
Training and experience
In addition to in-class instruction, you will need to receive training in the field. This could involve working as a volunteer on archeological digs for a few summers. Giving you hands-on experience and the chance to learn more about different types of techniques and equipment.
If you are planning to work at a university, you can gain experience by working as a professor’s assistant. This will involve helping the professor create teaching materials and liaising with students. Working as an intern can help you gain insight into how collected data is used.
Professional Organizations
Trying to make connections and choose a specialization can be difficult. It is important to meet like-minded people who can provide guidance. Here are some of the professional organizations and associations that are open to members.
American Anthropological Association
This is one of the largest professional associations for anthropologists in the United States. The American Anthropological Association website boasts a job board where you can check out the latest professional vacancies. You can also find research and career resources and join the mentoring program.
Society for Applied Anthropology
This society was founded in 1941 to promote the principles of human behavior. Becoming a member gives you access to a wide range of networking opportunities. You will also be provided with advanced and exclusive research materials and receive career guidance.
Society for Linguistic Anthropology
Make sure you join this society if you are interested in specializing in the linguistic branch. The annual conference is the perfect time to make connections and find professionals to work with. The Society for Linguistics also offers volunteer opportunities to provide training and work experience.
Ace Your Interview The First Time!
Let’s help you best prepare for your big day by checking out how to answer questions such as How Would You Describe Yourself, What Are You Most Proud Of, how to Answer Why Best Candidate Position, or What Are Your Career Goals, and How Do You Handle Stress?
Next, take a look at my advice on Strengths And Weaknesses For Job Interviews, how to answer Why Do You Want To Work Here, along with How Do You Handle Conflict, Why We Should Hire You, and How To Answer What Are You Passionate About in 2023.
When it comes to your turn, prepare beforehand with the Best Questions To Ask In An Interview, including Unique Interview Questions To Ask Employers and the Best Questions To Ask A Recruiter Before An Interview.
What Does an Anthropologist Do? – Final Thoughts
While working as an anthropologist can be very rewarding, it is unlikely to make you rich. The average annual salary is $65,000, although some people can make up to $98,000 per year. Specializing in a particular field and becoming an authority in a niche is the best way to boost your income.
It is best to start working on your career path as early as possible. Try to identify an area of interest where you think you can have a real impact. Become comfortable speaking in public and learn how to promote yourself.
Enjoy your new career as an Anthropologist!
