John Dockall: Why I Went to Graduate School

My reasons for proceeding to graduate school through both MA and Ph.D programs were largely goal oriented. I knew that I wanted to pursue a more professional level of responsibility and either Museum or academic directed employment. To even begin to achieve either of these goals meant that I had to accept several years of graduate school, the haunting thought of minimal opportunities for employment in what I wanted to do, and the thought of increased competition for any positions that were available.

Alternatively, I also obtained quite a bit of CRM experience while in the graduate program and maintained an even level of interest in both CRM and more academic/institutional aspects of my profession. Fortunately, my current position allows me both aspects of archaeology, the museum and CRM/contract portion. I feel that maintaining an interest in both aspects of the discipline and gaining firsthand experience in both allowed me to achieve the employment opportunities that I had defined for myself initially. I have also found that acquiring a broad experience base in graduate school also helped immensely.