The 2019 American Anthropology
Master’s Career Survey
Research Debrief for the American Anthropological Association
Erica M. Hawvermale
Aperio Insights
e.hawvermale@live.com
Chairs
Survey Team
Shannon Cronin
United Way for Greater Austin
sbcronin12@gmail.com
Kayla Davis
Janice Byth
Brynn Torres
Gi Giamarqo
Sarah Stutts
Leyla Koyuncuoglu
Ky Burke
Career Survey History
2009
2019
Development & Distribution
Data collection from May – August 2019 850 valid surveys collected
Distribution
Universities
Professional Organizations
Demographics
83% White/Caucasian
76% Identified as female
64% Married/domestic partner
49% Between the ages of 30 and 39
59% Graduated with a master’s degree within the past decade
Education
Master’s Education
Top 4 reasons for pursuing a graduate degree:
Thought graduate degree would enhance my general career choices more than a BA
Was seeking education/training for a specific job or career
Motivated by a general interest in anthropology rather than a specific career goal
Hoped to combine degree with other education/training to pursue a particular job/career
88%
79%
60%
57%
Most Helpful Program Components
“Looking back, the most useful parts of graduate school were the non-coursework components. If I could have done anything different, it would be to develop those more (project management, design, and report writing, etc.).”
“
“More Important” Education Components
Research Design
& Methodology
Substantive/
Content Area
Workplace Preparation
& Application
Qualitative research skills in general
Observational skills
Quantitative research skills in general
71%
69%
60%
Ethics Competency Training
Policy / compliance foundations
60%
51%
Project design, development, and management
Proposal & grant writing
Presentation Skills
72%
67%
66%
“I can't overstate how helpful it would have been to have a stat class during my Master's.”
“
Applied vs Academic Needs
Satisfaction with Degree Program
Quality of education
Depth of skill set
Breadth of skill set
Relevance to career
Career advancement opportunities enabled by degree
83%
77%
74%
74%
62%
“While theory is great, if we are looking to help MA anthropologists, we need to focus on applied, transferable skills and internships/actual experience as the primary goal of these programs.”
“
Staying Connected
Methods for Staying Connected
stay in touch with other anthropologists in their field at least occasionally.
62%
stay in touch with graduates from their master’s program at least occasionally
45%
Careers
How Long Does it Take for Graduates to Find Work?
49% of graduates found jobs within 6 months after graduation
13% found jobs between 6 and 12 months
13% found jobs over 12 months after graduation
How do Graduates Find Employment?
40% Networking
28% Search Engine
21% Internal Promotion/Transfer
8% Non web-based job posting
2% Professional associations
Employment Status
Hold permanent positions
29%
Work full-time
67%
Types of Organizations
Domain of Current Employment
.
Current Employer
Corporations
Public Sector
Consulting Firms
Non-profit organizations
National Park Service
Bureau of Land Management
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
World Health Organization
Public health departments
State parks
State historic societies
LTG Associates
Aqua Terra Cultural Resource Consultants
Booz Allen
Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc.
Orbis Environmental Consulting
SWCA Environmental Consultants
Habitat for Humanity
Girls Empowerment Network
Gilcrease Orchard Foundation
Kauffman Foundation
Girl Scouts of the USA
Children’s Defense Fund
Amazon
Kaiser Permanente
Kohl’s Corporation
Walmart
Wiley Publishing Company
Role of Degree in professional work
Agree that their master’s degree was instrumental in their job offer
Agree that their degree plays a significant role in helping to understand their job and meeting job requirements
Agree that their degree plays a significant role in their overall career satisfaction
Identify professionally as an anthropologist most of the time
“My degree gave me the foundation of understanding and knowledge to enter the world of advertising/ marketing with a unique perspective. I’ve maintained my identity as an anthropologist and continue to use it as my "flavor" of strategy. However, most of what I do on a day-to-day basis I learned on the job itself.”
“
68%
73%
70%
59%
Professional Identity
Applied anthropologists identify as anthropologists less than academics do
Applied anthropologists identify themselves to others as their primary job role
Lack of recognition of what anthropology means
Identify as anthropologists personally, if not professionally
Career Pathways
90 Respondents continued into PhD programs
Pursuit of other master’s degrees to supplement anthropological training or garner more skills
Internships, fellowships, and public service opportunities
Many of the respondents did not stay in the same position or work for the same employer throughout their careers
Create or customize ideal position through their experience and training
“I was hired to work with a behavioral health agency doing program evaluation work, at about the three-month mark postgraduation. My ~4.5yrs of work there overlapped with an ethnographic study of LGBT youth populations in CA’s Central Valley. I utilized my interviewing skills and communication capacities to gain buy in for the programs/entities I was evaluating. My work with the behavioral health agency called upon additional quantitative capabilities, including the use of SPSS and data visualization, both of which I was able to bolster on-the-job.”
“
Skills and Training
86% Agree that skills learned outside of anthropology are significant to their current position
Skills needed for Professional Development
“The main thing that I feel was lacking in my graduate education, especially as I now work outside of academia was professional soft skills, like networking (esp. effective use of professional social media eg LinkedIn and Twitter) and interpersonal aspects of project management.
I find these tend to be treated as inherent traits that people are 'good at,' or they just don't have, but they are skills that can and should be developed.”
“
Professional Organizations
Meeting Needs
Networking
Attending meetings & presenting
Interests don’t match up well with the organizations’
Cost of dues too high; employers won’t cover
Don’t get enough value for cost
Membership is tailored to academics and lacks useful resources for those in applied settings.
37%
Feel professional organizations fully meet their needs.
Networking is the #1 reason why individuals would join a professional organization.
Relevance of Professional Organizations
“In transactional terms, I get very little return on my investment in NAPA and SfAA. I am a member because I believe in their missions. It is difficult to put on price on that value.”
“
Relevance of Professional Organizations
“We need to shift how we define anthropologists because right now it mostly means professor or academic.”
“
Respondent Attitudes Towards AAA
Opportunities for networking and information exchange through AAA are important.
AAA recognizes the needs of practicing and applied anthropologists.
Career and professional development services provided by the AAA are helpful
As a practitioner, I would like to see more services included in my membership
The annual AAA meetings is worth the registration price
47%
32%
62%
20%
29%
Recommendations
Recommendations: Students & Alumni
2009
2019
Recommendations: Anth Departments
2009
Recommendations: Anth Departments
2019
Recommendations: Anth Organizations
2009
2019
Recommendations: American Anthropological Association