I walk into an office, sit in a stiff but cushioned chair, and make eye contact with the interviewer across from me. I know what’s coming. They are going to ask about that most out-there thing on my resume: Archaeological Work in Türkiye. They, of course, will gravitate to such a unique experience like flies to a carcass (too dark of a metaphor?) I am ready to answer any questions about it. I am excited to talk about what I learned during the experience, how I developed my skills, and who I had the privilege of working with. I start to rapid-fire recite my answers in my head before the interviewer even has a chance to speak.
I learned a lot about taking things slowly and carefully so as to keep an eye out for minute changes in the contexts we were working in. Throughout my time working on the excavation of a unit my patience and attention to detail really developed into a skill I can’t turn off. That same attention to detail served me well when I began to learn from the ceramicist the different ways to identify the types of pottery or ceramic from just a few small shards. I worked with a variety of people from all different backgrounds who all imparted small (or sometimes grand) pieces of wisdom. Learning from them and learning about them and/or their culture opened me up to a lot of different perspectives. The most important ones that I took away from the experience were community, communication and cultural heritage. The Turkish workers and archaeologists place a great importance on community, they spend their breaks together instead of going off and doing their own things. They joke around with one another while they work harder that any other people I’ve met. Even with a dense language barrier between us, they still managed to make jokes at our expense and make us laugh about it. Much of the communication could come in the form of hand signals (some telling us how to use a tool, move a thing, or call us crazy) or single word responses, “Problem” was a common one when they were joking with us. Additionally by seeing the people who are living in the area be so invested in the cultural importance of an ancient site is something I hope to keep with me as I continue to interact with others who are different from me. I really enjoyed learning about what they valued most about the site. Overall, the experience really helped me further develop my interpersonal communication, methodological practices, and cultural understanding.
I am so ready for the interviewer to ask me about it. It’s the coolest thing I have ever done. They will definitely ask about that first.
“So,” the interviewer begins. “What’s your major?”
I deflate in my seat. I double check the resume I turned in. It was the one from last year. I didn’t submit my most recent resume. I am a fool… but at least I had to opportunity to bring up my experience later in the interview. Note to self: always apply with your most recent, up-to-date resume.