Via WAPA we recently received this request for contributions from Carol J. Ellick and Joe Watkins:

Joe Watkins and I are in the process of revising a manuscript for Left Coast Press and we need your help to broaden the perspective.  “The AnthropologyGraduate’s Guide: From Student to Career” is intended to provide practical steps that will assist students with the transition from student to a career in anthropology.  The stories, scenarios, and activities presented in the book assist the reader in learning how to plan for the next five years, write a letter of introduction, construct a resume and a CV, and how to best present the knowledge, skills, and abilities learned in class to prospective employers.  The products created through reading the book and completing the exercises are curated in a portfolio which at the completion of the book is ready for application to most any job.

The book is based on a class we taught at University of New Mexico.  Students in “Avenues to Professionalism” felt that this class was the most practical and useful of their educational career.  Our goal through the publication of this book is to bring that same benefit to other anthropology students, but we need your help in providing stories of others in how they obtained their career that utilizes their anthropology degree.  In class, we simply invited guest speakers in.  For the book, we would like to invite other practicing professionals to tell their stories.  We are both archaeologists.  We need the voice from the other disciplines/sub-fields.

Basically we need two things.
1) We need stories that describe how you transitioned from student to your career.  These stories should describe what you thought you would do, the types of jobs you held, and what you currently do.  It’s important to list the different employers you’ve had as you progressed through your career.  The description should be written in a conversational tone, as if you were talking to a student about your career path.

2) We need quotable quotes that we can use in various chapters.  They should say something about why you chose a career in an applied context, what you found to be the most useful from your anthropology degree, or words of advice to students interested in doing what you do.

In every case, it would be most useful to quote you directly so please include your name, the level of degree you obtained (BA, MA, PhD) and the sub-field you studied, your current title, and who you work for.  We will contact you prior to using your story or quote.

Please send your stories and quotes as soon as possible.  We realize that this is a short time frame, but we only need a couple of paragraphs, maximum.  We received the manuscript and comments back yesterday and the goal is to complete the revision by August 31.  IF we can do this, the book will be published and on the table at the AAA meetings, November 17-21, 2010, in New Orleans.  We will also make sure it is on the table at the SfAA meeting in Seattle!

Submissions or questions should be sent to Carol off-list: cjellick@sbcglobal.net. To see the book promo, go to the “What’s New” section on the Left Coast Press and select “Anthropology” link.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Joe & Carol

Carol J. Ellick holds a B.A. in anthropology from The Evergreen State College and an M.A. in education, with a specialization in curriculum and instruction, from Chapman University. Joe Watkins is currently the Director of the Native American Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma, as well as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the University’s Department of Anthropology.