Comments on: Around the Web Digest: Week of April 12

By: Rebecca Nelson

Rebecca Nelson — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 12:57:05 +0000

Thanks, Ryan! Much appreciated.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 07:51:12 +0000

Good luck with the defense!!!

By: johnmccreery

johnmccreery — Tue, 21 Apr 2015 07:29:39 +0000

Rebecca, to reinforce what I was saying, here is what Tom Kelley, one of the founders of IDEO, perhaps the hottest design firm in the universe today, has to say in his Ten Faces of Innovation. Note that he says nothing about academic qualifications. The Anthropologist is rarely stationary. Rather, this is the person who ventures into the field to observe how people interact with products, services, and experiences in order to come up with new innovations. The Anthropologist is extremely good at reframing a problem in a new way, humanizing the scientific method to apply it to daily life. Anthropologists share such distinguishing characteristics as the wisdom to observe with a truly open mind; empathy; intuition; the ability to "see" things that have gone unnoticed; a tendency to keep running lists of innovative concepts worth emulating and problems that need solving; and a way of seeking inspiration in unusual places.

By: Rebecca Nelson

Rebecca Nelson — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 19:12:37 +0000

John, thanks for what sounds like excellent advice… I was only half joking in asking about the private sector and I suspect that private interviewers would be more (or at least differently) results-oriented than academic interviewers. Have any readers found work in one of these “desperate” companies? And thanks for reading, Margaret!

By: Margaret Mackenzie

Margaret Mackenzie — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 18:42:18 +0000

Good luck indeed for your defense, and thank you for the interesting post.

By: johnmccreery

johnmccreery — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 06:34:06 +0000

Rebecca, re your question “Where are these companies and why aren’t they stalking my LinkedIn profile?” Broadly speaking the companies in question are involved in consumer research, product design, or management consulting. Some anthropologists, I met a few in Korea this year, also work for heavy construction and resource extraction companies associated with their nation’s overseas development aid (ODA) projects. None are looking for anthropologists per se. They are looking for individuals with the talent, know-how and skills to address specific kinds of problems. The last time I was job hunting was more than two decades ago; but for what it is worth, here is my advice. Instead of trying to sell yourself as an anthropologist, use your anthropological skills to study potential employers and identify problems where you have something specific to contribute. Read their industry trade press, become familiar with the current buzz. You will sound much smarter and much more professional than most of your competitors for the same job.