Elizabeth L. Knox
Were there any particular personal or professional attributes that you think made you stand out from other job applicants, such as professional affiliations, language skills, leadership experience, lecturing/tutoring experience, number of papers published, and hobbies?
My current role was created when MOLA became the principal archaeology contactor for Crossrail (Elizabeth Line), the largest infrastructure project taken on in the UK and Europe at the time. We were to excavate the New Churchyard burial ground at Liverpool St. Station. This required two new Osteoarchaeologist with degrees (post-grad desirable) in osteoarchaeology or alike and experience in working and digging for a commercial archaeology company.
Around 100 people applied for the two positions offered, what made me stand out was that I had at least a years’ worth of experience digging as an archaeologist with commercial companies in the UK and had excavated several burial grounds in London. Most people applying for the jobs had PhD’s but no practical experience which was valuable for understanding the industry and working on active building sites with time constrictions and media attention.
During my interview, having a good understanding of current legislation relating to burial practice, repatriation and human tissue was invaluable, and being able to lay out a skeleton anatomically while being watched by the judging panel didn’t hurt either.
Did you experience rejection letters/phone calls after job applications, if so how did you deal with that? Did you have to apply for many jobs before you were successful? What channels did you use to apply for jobs?
Of course! Rejection is always going to happen (most times you don’t even hear back from anyone) the key is to pick up and try again. I experienced one rejection for a biological anthropologist role at the Natural History Museum (London), which was actually a really good experience. I was the backup candidate being offered the job if one other person didn’t take it, which for an institution like the NHM was amazing. The reason I didn’t get the job was based on the fact that although I knew the issues surrounding legislation such as repatriation in museums and could discuss it at length, I was unfamiliar with the actual sections of specific acts in the UK. After I contacted the NHM and discussed what legislation would pertain to the role I was applying for I made sure to become very familiar (my Kindle was full of legal papers). This ended up being a key factor in getting my current job.
There is no better way to approach getting a vacant position than talking to those you will be working with/ for. Just a simple phone call can give insight into the role which is not evident in the job advert. Museum jobs especially require communication before applying.
Do you maintain a social media presence? How important are sites such as Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter etc. to networking and maintaining a presence in the academic/research world?
Social media is more important than ever. I have a presence on LinkedIn and a new one on Academia which I try to keep up-to-date, as well as a personal Facebook and Instagram account. Academia is great for me as it gives you access to journal articles from colleagues and peers which usually you would have to pay for. However my presence at the moment is not very strong as my work in the commercial sector is mostly grey literature reports for clients, but I do have papers and book chapters in the pipeline.
MOLA attracts a lot of media attention as we work on some of the largest archaeological sites in London and the UK. As a company we have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blog which is updated daily as well as our website. I have written some posts for our Osteo Wednesday Facebook page and have done interviews for Channel 9 News in Australia.
Is there any advice from your supervisors (or anyone else) that you either wished you had really listened to…or not taken?
I have been very lucky with the supervisors I have had both in Australia and the UK. I have maintained good relationships with them and as a result have made further contacts in the industry, even when you don’t agree with what they say, it’s a good thing to remember that they know people that can help you later on down the road, so try not to burn bridges.
I actually moved to the UK for my MSc after meeting a lecturer from Bournemouth University (BU) who was invited to present on human rights tribunals by my Honours supervisor at ANU. Later my MSc supervisor at BU got me in touch with him again and they both helped me get my first paid commercial archaeology job in the UK.
Did you have a break after finishing your thesis before finding work, if so was this beneficial in anyway?
I was already working full time at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) in Exhibitions when I completed my Hons and the degree helped me move into curatorial where I worked on exhibits relating to the Australian landscape and environment. Working in this job helped me realize that what I wanted at that point in my life was to be digging and conducting research rather than exhibiting other peoples. This motivated me to look at what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go with my career. My dream was to continue what I had learned during Hons and work with human remains which is a niche field all over the world, and in Australia difficult to gain experience in. I spoke to those in the field and made the decision to uproot and chase my dream job.
Having continuous employment was beneficial to me but I think it depends on what it is. I worked in a similar environment with the same kinds of people, structures and databases I use today. I made the choice to go back and do my MSc with a clear goal in mind, and I think that’s why I was successful. But gaining experience doesn’t have to come from work, if you can travel see the world and get experience that way either on digs or through self-discovery that can be equally as beneficial.
Tell us a little about your current work, for instance what has been the most rewarding/surprising thing that you have experienced so far, and is the job what you had expected?
I am a Human Osteologist with MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), we are a private company/ charity that primarily works in the commercial sector. My role involves the identification, assessment, analysis, and interpretation of human bone as well as the excavation, on site consultation and production of specialist reports on inhumation and cremation burials. I have worked on some of the largest excavations in London and contributed to a number of osteological reports for sites including St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Fruit and Wool Exchange and Crossrail (Broadgate ticket hall) to name a couple. Most recently I contributed to the Crossrail publication series on the New Churchyard burial ground, focusing on osteological indicators for diet and lifestyle in 16-18th century London.
I have recently started teaching primary aged school children about what we do as Osteologists with the MOLA Time Truck, a portable class room aimed to educate young people and the public and inspire a new generation of archaeologists.
The biggest surprise to me is the domestic and international media attention many of our sites attract. After 2.5 years this is still a learning experience for me, knowing how to put your best professional foot forward as well as being accessible to the general public.
I love my job, it is more than I expected! I get to work with human remains on a daily basis, and conduct historic research into the lives of the people in London and the UK. The opportunities available include teaching, forensic aid, media appearances, and contributing to MOLA publications and working with scientific partners around the world. I work with great people who all have a similar goal but come from a variety of backgrounds. These people inspire me every day and give me something to aim for and are helping me become a better specialist.
Do you have any wonderful advice that you would like to pass on to students?
I can’t regret anything as I am where I wanted to be. However more experience in different countries and landscapes would have been nice. I still would like to work on human right violations at some point in my career, I have read other peoples accounts and wish that I had sort out more practical opportunities in this area. But I am still at the early stage of my career and I don’t discount this in the future.
I wish I had started yoga earlier.
My current role was created when MOLA became the principal archaeology contactor for Crossrail (Elizabeth Line), the largest infrastructure project taken on in the UK and Europe at the time. We were to excavate the New Churchyard burial ground at Liverpool St. Station. This required two new Osteoarchaeologist with degrees (post-grad desirable) in osteoarchaeology or alike and experience in working and digging for a commercial archaeology company.
Around 100 people applied for the two positions offered, what made me stand out was that I had at least a years’ worth of experience digging as an archaeologist with commercial companies in the UK and had excavated several burial grounds in London. Most people applying for the jobs had PhD’s but no practical experience which was valuable for understanding the industry and working on active building sites with time constrictions and media attention.
During my interview, having a good understanding of current legislation relating to burial practice, repatriation and human tissue was invaluable, and being able to lay out a skeleton anatomically while being watched by the judging panel didn’t hurt either.
Did you experience rejection letters/phone calls after job applications, if so how did you deal with that? Did you have to apply for many jobs before you were successful? What channels did you use to apply for jobs?
Of course! Rejection is always going to happen (most times you don’t even hear back from anyone) the key is to pick up and try again. I experienced one rejection for a biological anthropologist role at the Natural History Museum (London), which was actually a really good experience. I was the backup candidate being offered the job if one other person didn’t take it, which for an institution like the NHM was amazing. The reason I didn’t get the job was based on the fact that although I knew the issues surrounding legislation such as repatriation in museums and could discuss it at length, I was unfamiliar with the actual sections of specific acts in the UK. After I contacted the NHM and discussed what legislation would pertain to the role I was applying for I made sure to become very familiar (my Kindle was full of legal papers). This ended up being a key factor in getting my current job.
There is no better way to approach getting a vacant position than talking to those you will be working with/ for. Just a simple phone call can give insight into the role which is not evident in the job advert. Museum jobs especially require communication before applying.
Do you maintain a social media presence? How important are sites such as Linked-in, Facebook, Twitter etc. to networking and maintaining a presence in the academic/research world?
Social media is more important than ever. I have a presence on LinkedIn and a new one on Academia which I try to keep up-to-date, as well as a personal Facebook and Instagram account. Academia is great for me as it gives you access to journal articles from colleagues and peers which usually you would have to pay for. However my presence at the moment is not very strong as my work in the commercial sector is mostly grey literature reports for clients, but I do have papers and book chapters in the pipeline.
MOLA attracts a lot of media attention as we work on some of the largest archaeological sites in London and the UK. As a company we have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and blog which is updated daily as well as our website. I have written some posts for our Osteo Wednesday Facebook page and have done interviews for Channel 9 News in Australia.
Is there any advice from your supervisors (or anyone else) that you either wished you had really listened to…or not taken?
I have been very lucky with the supervisors I have had both in Australia and the UK. I have maintained good relationships with them and as a result have made further contacts in the industry, even when you don’t agree with what they say, it’s a good thing to remember that they know people that can help you later on down the road, so try not to burn bridges.
I actually moved to the UK for my MSc after meeting a lecturer from Bournemouth University (BU) who was invited to present on human rights tribunals by my Honours supervisor at ANU. Later my MSc supervisor at BU got me in touch with him again and they both helped me get my first paid commercial archaeology job in the UK.
Did you have a break after finishing your thesis before finding work, if so was this beneficial in anyway?
I was already working full time at the National Museum of Australia (NMA) in Exhibitions when I completed my Hons and the degree helped me move into curatorial where I worked on exhibits relating to the Australian landscape and environment. Working in this job helped me realize that what I wanted at that point in my life was to be digging and conducting research rather than exhibiting other peoples. This motivated me to look at what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go with my career. My dream was to continue what I had learned during Hons and work with human remains which is a niche field all over the world, and in Australia difficult to gain experience in. I spoke to those in the field and made the decision to uproot and chase my dream job.
Having continuous employment was beneficial to me but I think it depends on what it is. I worked in a similar environment with the same kinds of people, structures and databases I use today. I made the choice to go back and do my MSc with a clear goal in mind, and I think that’s why I was successful. But gaining experience doesn’t have to come from work, if you can travel see the world and get experience that way either on digs or through self-discovery that can be equally as beneficial.
Tell us a little about your current work, for instance what has been the most rewarding/surprising thing that you have experienced so far, and is the job what you had expected?
I am a Human Osteologist with MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology), we are a private company/ charity that primarily works in the commercial sector. My role involves the identification, assessment, analysis, and interpretation of human bone as well as the excavation, on site consultation and production of specialist reports on inhumation and cremation burials. I have worked on some of the largest excavations in London and contributed to a number of osteological reports for sites including St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Fruit and Wool Exchange and Crossrail (Broadgate ticket hall) to name a couple. Most recently I contributed to the Crossrail publication series on the New Churchyard burial ground, focusing on osteological indicators for diet and lifestyle in 16-18th century London.
I have recently started teaching primary aged school children about what we do as Osteologists with the MOLA Time Truck, a portable class room aimed to educate young people and the public and inspire a new generation of archaeologists.
The biggest surprise to me is the domestic and international media attention many of our sites attract. After 2.5 years this is still a learning experience for me, knowing how to put your best professional foot forward as well as being accessible to the general public.
I love my job, it is more than I expected! I get to work with human remains on a daily basis, and conduct historic research into the lives of the people in London and the UK. The opportunities available include teaching, forensic aid, media appearances, and contributing to MOLA publications and working with scientific partners around the world. I work with great people who all have a similar goal but come from a variety of backgrounds. These people inspire me every day and give me something to aim for and are helping me become a better specialist.
Do you have any wonderful advice that you would like to pass on to students?
- FIELD EXPERIENCE!! If you are aiming for a job in archaeology or osteology nothing beats real practical experience. I was lucky to have been on field schools and digs in the Philippines before applying for jobs this gave me a leg up as I had experience in real excavations in a heritage setting not just mock set-ups.
- Know what you want and go for it but don’t be pushy, be friendly and approachable, try to engage potential employers and university staff on a social basis, NETWORK! I have met many fresh faced university students whose opening line is ‘I want your job’, it may be true but there are nicer ways to ease your way into people’s good graces, this is a competitive industry and none of us like the idea of someone coming after our jobs.
- Be open to all opportunities and be prepared to travel, you may have to excavate a lot of tree bulbs before you work on a burial ground. Don’t forget these are careers you do for love not money, be realistic in your expectations and do your homework on the industry.
I can’t regret anything as I am where I wanted to be. However more experience in different countries and landscapes would have been nice. I still would like to work on human right violations at some point in my career, I have read other peoples accounts and wish that I had sort out more practical opportunities in this area. But I am still at the early stage of my career and I don’t discount this in the future.
I wish I had started yoga earlier.