Skip to main content

Career Networking Group

At this past year's annual meeting in Washington, D.C., the Career Planning and Development committee met as usual to discuss various questions and projects regarding the classics and archaeological job market. The changing nature of the Placement Service took center stage for a good portion of the meeting, particularly the recommendation to cease job interviews at the annual meeting in the next couple of years .

What followed, however, was an equally important discussion: what can we build in place of scheduling and providing space for academic job interviews? The SCS has had a long journey in reconciling its identity as a classics organization with engaging its membership in the world outside of academia, a world that can (and has) immensely benefited from the work ethic, research, and effort of classicists. Support for these efforts has come from both the graduate students on the market as well as the highest levels of SCS administration and governance. Direct methods of assisting classicists with career planning in its broadest sense, however, have proven difficult to develop. Our Career Networking Event, at the annual meeting, facilitated by John Paulas, has been one of our more substantial and effective initiatives.

Career Networking Group

It was with that success in mind that the Committee decided to extend this successful program into something more permanent and sustained. Enter the Career Networking for Ancient and Classical Studies LinkedIn group, a place for classics graduates both in and out of academia to connect with one another and offer advice on the job market outside of the academy. This group is moderated by the SCS Placement Office to ensure the same ethical considerations as the rest of our initiatives.

LinkedIn remains one of the more open and communicative social media platforms, but it is not always clear what the proper procedure is for reaching out to others, especially if you are not a regular user of LinkedIn. Here below, then, are a few quick notes on how to get the most out of this group.

  • Post a little bit about yourself - You can do this by commenting on posts that already exist for introductions or post something yourself. Letting people know who you are, what you do, and what you want to be doing gives them the opportunity to reach out to you first, a great boon if you're someone who is uncomfortable networking actively.
  • Peruse what's there - Periodic posts and comments from other members offer a great starting place to get a feel for the purpose of the group and what folks are doing there.
  • Explore the member list - The member list is the main function of this resource. It allows you to see classicists at work doing other things, get an idea of what's available, and, when you're ready...
  • Message someone new - Everyone who has joined this group has done so either to serve as a resource for others or to be actively connected to new people. Since LinkedIn doesn't allow messages from absolute strangers, Groups exist to make that connection easier, and you should feel free and comfortable sending a short note to someone who is doing work you can see yourself doing; they'll be happy to hear from you!
  • Build up your own page - Seeing how other classicists market themselves is extremely valuable. While you're waiting on a reply from that new connection you messaged perhaps go to their page, see their skills, download their resume, and consider how you could update your own
  • Reach back to help others - Whether you find a job using this resource or not, be sure to let your other academic friends know about this. We are all strengthened by each others’ company, and there is no upper limit to how much we can support one another

We hope you'll find this new resource useful in pursuing the career of your dreams. Classicists have so much to offer the world, and it is imperative to the SCS that we facilitate that good work as best we can. Thank you to John Paulas, Ariane Schwartz, and the entire AIA/SCS Career Planning and Development Committee. Please, as always, feel free to reach out to Erik Shell (erik.shell@nyu.edu) for any further questions or comments about this initiative.

Image