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  • Considering Careers in International Nonprofit, Nongovernmental, and Related Private Sectors
  • Christopher A. Tuttle

A significant variety of alternative career paths exist for holders of higher degrees in the humanities and social science disciplines. Often overlooked for consideration during job searches are the different types of prospects that can be found in the diverse institutions, organizations, and companies in the international nonprofit, nongovernmental (NGO), and other related private sectors. Many jobs in these sectors can offer a surprising range of opportunities that can align well with your own personal goals for getting higher education training and degrees. The range of possible options is largely limited only by factors determined by the applicants themselves; the keys to finding and benefiting (even thriving) from [End Page 258] such opportunities lie in your own creativity, planning, and personal discipline. This section of the Forum will examine through the lens of personal experience some of the factors that should be considered when pursuing employment in these sectors.

The most important step in considering alternative career paths is to define first your own reasons, desires, and goals with respect to why you embarked on earning a higher degree in your chosen field. A moment will come as you near the completion of your program when you will have to think about not only why you are obtaining your degree, but also what it is that you want to achieve with your education and skills. For example: did you choose the MA/PhD route because you love teaching and want to be in the Academy specifically? Did you just “fall into” your program as a natural evolution of your college experience? Did you get the degree because you love your subject and the material foremost—leaving you less wedded to a specific career path? The answers to these types of questions are essential in determining whether any alternative career trajectories are right for you.


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Fig 1.

The author in front of the ed-Deir (the Monastery) facade in Petra during a documentary shoot.

(Photo by L.-A. Bedal.)

This moment came early for me, when I was in my first year of all-but-dissertation (ABD) status. I was just beginning in earnest my dissertation research and writing while on a residence fellowship at the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR) in Amman, Jordan (Fig. 1). The center was undergoing a major directorial change at the time and the position of assistant director opened up while I was on my fellowship tenure. Many of my mentors, colleagues, and friends encouraged me to apply for [End Page 259] the position. I was reticent at first; although certainly an exciting prospect, I knew that taking such a position might pull me from the “Academy” path which, at the time, is where I thought I wanted to be. So, I had to confront seriously for the first time the questions outlined above. In parsing these questions I realized that I’d chosen to earn a doctorate in archaeology for primarily personal reasons: it was the pursuit of a lifelong dream that was driven first and foremost by a passion for the subject matter itself and the desire to be trained in the necessary skills to understand it fully. This realization was liberating. I discovered that my personal reasons, desires, and goals for getting the degree could (and would) be fulfilled by considering this alternate career path. I applied, was hired, and subsequently worked at the center for nearly nine years. The experience gained from that job


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Fig 2.

The author with Senator Patrick Leahy during CAORC advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill.

(Courtesy of the Office of Senator Patrick Leahy [D-VT].)

[End Page 260]

prepared me for the next tier of my chosen career path, as embodied in my current position (Fig. 2). Throughout my journey on this alternative path it has still been possible to contribute to the global knowledge base in my discipline through research, fieldwork, lectures, and publications.

I am often asked about the viability of being able to produce scholarship while not working in the Academy. My answer is always the same...

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