Polly digs… Internships

Welcome to our blog series ‘Polly digs…’ , in which we chart the highs and lows of DigVentures’ own social media and community intern on her mission to find a job in archaeology!

Hi there! My name is Polly, and I am DigVentures’ communities and social media intern. I’m currently wading through archaeological career paths with Joe Flatman’s book Becoming an Archaeologist as my bible! I intend to keep track of all the experiences I’m going to face looking for life after university here in the Site Hut. Wish me luck!

June 17th 2013: the stats

2 new jobs!!

What a month! So we have finished our dig at Leiston Abbey, the Saints & Secrets project was a huge success and didn’t we have fun along the way!

Now DigVentures is starting to look towards the future – new plans, new digs and new Venturers! And, alas, it is also time for me to move on. As all you folk who read my blog know, I have been lucky enough to land two new jobs – so I will soon be leaving DigVentures to enter the world of paid employment and work for English Heritage as well as start a trial at Current World Archaeology magazine. I am very excited about the next stage of my career, but I will be very sad to leave DigVentures because I have had such an amazing time.

I have to admit, at the beginning I had no idea where this internship was going to take me. I started with a lot of enthusiasm and an open mind, but I couldn’t have guessed where I would be just six months down the line. I have spent a fantastic few months digging on the Thames, helping create the crowdfunding campaign for Saints & Secrets, blogging, tweeting and then digging again in the Suffolk sunshine. It has been a busy time and I am really pleased that I was given responsibilities that I could learn from and that taught me real skills that I can bring to future jobs.

The most important thing I have taken from this internship is a sense of direction. I feel like I am on the right path and have chosen a job I love. I have been taught, overseen and supported throughout the whole process by Lisa and the team, while at the same time, allowed to experiment and find my own voice. I have gone from using social media as a tool to connect with new people, to writing confidently in my blog and overseeing the whole social media process in the Saints & Secrets dig. It has been a major journey for me – one that has happily lead to paid employment as well as life-long friends and fantastic memories. Not only that, but I have so much more insight now into how processes like DigVentures work from the very beginning. I have learned the importance of connecting with a community and getting people involved and excited about this process – which really is ground breaking work (excuse the pun).

The next, and final, stage of my internship is for me to find my own replacement. That’s right folks – I’m hiring! I’ve been tasked with finding exactly the right person to take on the opportunity that I’ve had, and bring it to the next level as DigVentures moves into a new phase of exciting work. I am determined to pass the mantle onto someone with a real passion for archaeology, someone creative who is going to really enjoy learning new skills and connecting with all our Venturers out there in the world. I will oversee the application process to find someone who will fill my size six digging boots and bring new and exciting ideas to the team. I can’t wait for someone new to have all the experiences I have had over the last six months.

So… the job application process is now officially open: DigVentures are seeking a new Social Media and Communities Intern. Those seeking a few months of eye-opening archaeology, fresh ideas and creative thinking, please apply!

Click here to see the Job Description and find out how to apply!

Follow Polly on twitter: @ArchPolly

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