Your training in Anthropology provides skills, knowledge and sensibilities that are useful in pretty much any sector. Therefore, we have put together a list of top tips for recent graduates which include agencies to check out and books and podcasts to look into to help inspire your exciting journeys ahead.
General Student & Graduate Hubs to check out
CareerSPACE
Students and new alumni (for up to three years) have access to CareerSPACE at Goldsmiths University, where you can receive professional career advice, networking opportunities and access to jobs listings. Students and alumni can create an account here.
Milkround
Milkround have an extensive database of graduate jobs, internships and graduate schemes that you can apply for. If you are unsure of what industry to you would like to go into, Milkround can also help in providing advice.
Employment sectors we recommend looking at
Third Sector
Flow Caritas’s main aim is to find new talent and build careers in the UK not for profit Sector. If you are looking to take on a new challenge, Harris Hill can help you find your ideal charity job. Charity People are recruiters who work with some of the biggest and smallest charities in and outside of the UK. Prospectus recruit for roles across every entry point exclusively with the not for profit sector.
Creative Industries, Art and Heritage
If you are looking to apply your anthropology knowledge and set of transferable skills within the creative industry, Creative Skillset work closely with UK based creative industries within varies environment. Join The Dots to be part of a network of ‘Makers Doers, Fixers and Dreamers’. You can upload your own portfolio of work, whether this be a film reel or PDF, you can share your work for future employers or potential collaborators to discover your work! Sign up with Arts Jobs for alerts on the most recent job opportunities within the arts and culture sector with a wide range of job roles. Specifically for Museums, Galleries, Libraries and Archives, do check out Museum Jobs or Heritage Jobs for the latest jobs in the independent heritage sector and beyond.
If you are looking to break into documentary film making, formerly known as Film & TV Pro, Mandy Crew helps you find the best crew jobs in pre-production, production and post-production for films & tv. More than 12,000 film and tv production companies post jobs and search our database to crew their next project
London is full of exciting museums, galleries and educational spaces such at, The Horniman Museum, The Photographers Gallery, South London Gallery, The Natural History Museum, Tate, The National Gallery, The British Museum, The British Library, Imperial War Museum, Barbican, The V&A, Southbank Centre and so many more! For current work opportunities check out their websites.
Health Sector
TPP are a UK based IT company whoes mission is to transform healthcare by improving access and empowering patients. Check out their jobs page for current vacancies and internship opportunities. Eden Brown are a recruitment agency who specialise in finding jobs within the charity and not for profit sector.
UK Government & International
Are you looking to promote a wider knowledge of the UK internationally and make positive contributions in and outside of the UK. If so, we would advise checking out The British Council who work with over 100 countries across multiple sectors.
The Civil Service offer a graduate entry scheme to help fast track leadership roles within the Civil Service. The Government Social Research profession within The Civil Service supports the development, implementation, review and evaluation of government policy. The Foreign Commonwealth Office are responsible for protecting and promoting British interests around the world. To check out the most recent opportunities with the FCO you can visit their twitter page @fcocareers.
For local government opportunities check out Jobsgopublic in public and not for profit sectors.
Digital Communications
Looking to branch out into the communications sector, Only Digital Jobs are a niche UK jobs board dedicated to digital, web, social media and ecommerce.
Stay engaged!
Looking for new material on how you can apply your anthropological training to your future career? We highly recommend reading ‘What Anthropologists Do’ by Veronica Strange (Berg Publishers). In each chapter Strange explores a different employment sector, asking how anthropology can be applied Advocacy, Aid, Environment, Health, Art and other career sectors.
Additional books on applying anthropology to the world of work:
- Briller, S. H. and Goldmacher, A. (2009) Designing an Anthropology Career: professional development exercises, Lanham MD: AltaMira Press.
- Ervin, A. (2005) Applied Anthropology: tools and perspectives for contemporary practice, 2nd edition, Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
- Kedia, S. and Van Willigen, J. (eds) (2005) Applied Anthropology: domains of application, Santa Barbara CA: Praeger.
- Nolan, R. (ed.) (2013) A Handbook of Practicing Anthropology, Chichester; Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Nolan, R. (2017) Using Anthropology in the World: a guide to becoming an anthropologist Practitioner, New York; Abingdon New York: Routledge.
- Pink, S. (2006) Applications of Anthropology: professional anthropology in the 21st century, London; New York: Berghahn Books.
- Van Willigen, J. (2010) Applied Anthropology: an introduction, 4thedition, Westport CT: Greenwood Publishing.
- Wasson, C., Butler, M. O. and Copeland-Carson (2012) Applying Anthropology in the Global Village, Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press.
Listen to AnthroPod, a podcast created by the Society for Cultural Anthropology where each episode explores what anthropologists and anthropology can teach us about people and the world. A Story of Us was created by a group of anthropology graduates from The Ohio State University. The group explore who anthropologists are, what their role is and why it is important. The Story of Us is presented with the aim of increase the interest and understanding of anthropology.