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Pat O'Neill*
Dear ShovelBums subscribers,
Jobs and good pay. Good pay and jobs.
Archaeology has always been a world of its own, when it comes to writing resumes, finding jobs, and working full time for three months, and then visiting the old Unemployment Office. Perhaps, some of the Unemployment Office people know you by sight. On the one hand, my comments are meant to be humorous, the kind of one sided jokes we pass on to each other, but yet try to keep from our parents and spouses because they wonder why we are in this. On the other hand, they are very serious, because that is life for many of the field workers as well as the permanent staff in archaeology.
Joe Brandon (do you know that R. Joe Brandon really goes by Joe?) has done an extraordinary job getting the word out about archaeology jobs for these past many years. I truly don't know how many of you would even be employed if it weren't for SHOVELBUMS. SHOVELBUMS is the one place that helps the archaeologist find work, without 1) passing judgment on companies, 2) passing judgment on bad workers, and 3) without passing judgment on bad clients.
SHOVELBUMS has helped you show your parents that your college education meant something.
SHOVELBUMS has helped you see the world (maybe more than you ever wanted to see!).
SHOVELBUMS has helped you get employment in a field that doesn't come to your college to seek you out with a permanent job and a huge starting salary.
SHOVELBUMS has helped you get a job by not leaving home or going to the local library on the Internet (thanks Al Gore) instead of making phone calls from a pay phone in Gila Bend, Arizona during your lunch break in 115F degree temperature.
SHOVELBUMS has helped you find long lasting friendships, and maybe even spouses (but it may have also broken a few of you up, too!).
SHOVELBUMS has also gone a long way to ensure that the archaeological record was saved by professionals!
So, I challenge all the archaeological field technicians, crew chiefs, field managers, full time and permanent archaeologists, CRM companies, museums, government agencies (including BLM, Smithsonian, etc... [and you know who you are!]), all of you out there that have ever used SHOVELBUMS, and have complained about how hard it is to get archaeology jobs, how hard it is to become a professional, how hard it is to get good pay, and how hard it is to get good crews for your projects, do this for me.
E-mail R. Joe Brandon and let him know that its okay to charge a fee for a years worth of SHOVEL BUMS to help him defray the costs of keeping the site going.
This is your chance to keep a great thing going and help out someone who has helped you in more ways that you will ever know.
If Joe even got word from everyone that knows me is still in archaeology that uses SHOVELBUMS, I'd be happy! So, those of you that know me, write him. Don't make me come to you house and starting singing Wizard of Oz songs or making you say Who's Your Buddy Who's Your Pal?!!!!
Thank you for your support!
Patrick O'Neill
Field Archaeologist 1983 to ?
*Pat is one of my oldest friends in the field and I credit him with being an early catalyst in the concept of Shovelbums, i.e. "share the knowledge of where the jobs are". When I was still a young pup in the field Pat gave our whole crew in North Dakota copies of an unparalleled collection of every CRM firm and potential hiring institution he could find from the Tohatchi Flats to Okeen Oklahoma. Pat had gathered this information from scraps of paper, the backs of clipboards, phone calls with friends some listings were no more than just a name and a number, some where so out of date the firm had not existed in years. But it helped hundreds of archaeologists and still many years later I would see copies of "Pat's List", many generations removed from the original. Like Shovelbums today that list did not create work but it facilitated employees and employers within the fields of finding each other.
Scott - Thanks for all the info over the last year or so. I have procured full time employment.
Madge - Shovelbums is a terrific service. It helps me keep in touch with what is happening in the CRM world. Hope your fundraising efforts keep the service going.
Robert - I've been a member since 1999 or so, and have gotten more jobs from Shovelbums than I have been able to take advantage of. Your April Fools Joke had sent a bolt of fear through me, so that worked :) Anyway congratulations and thanks for starting and keeping up a great service to the CRM community. Louis - Shovelbums got me my first 'real' job coming
out of undergrad. All told it worked out to a combined total
of about 24 months of high per diem, prevailing wage, Phase
III. The experience I gained has been invaluable to me since
and the pay funded a good portion of my graduate degree.
Thanks, R Joe
Ellen - I have never actually used Shovelbums to
get a job, but the listings have given me a good idea about
how much money is the going rate!! Thanks a lot!!
Trina for W. - Thanks for a wonderful service for archaeologists!
Scott - Shovelbums has taken me from Indiana to the Rocky
Mountains to the east coast to Alaska, and it's still hard
to believe I'm getting paid for it. You fuckin rock
the house R. Joe. Hope this twelve dollars helps you
folks out. Thanks.
Tim - Since going professional six years ago, Shovelbums.org
has helped me secure at least five or six separate gigs
before my current more or less permanent position. Thanks
R. Joe, and I still owe you a beer if the SAA's ever make
it down to Texas.
Kara - I am not a student anymore (earned a BA in anthro
at Purdue), but only 2 years from it. I got married
and have started a family so I am out of the loop for a
while, but I still use the service to feed the cravings
for lots of dirt and square holes. Thank you so much
for all of the work you do.
Pat -Your service has been invaluable in finding staff
for projects. This is my way of thanking you for all you
have done for the field.
Eric - ...after fiver years of doing CRM, I had to leave
(the girl wants me home more). Thanks for doing the list,
sorry this is all I can afford after my rice and beans :)
Jim - I just wanted to say thank you for all of
your hard work.
Tracey - Love Shovelbums!
Steven - R Joe, Thanks so much for your continued service.
you provide all you claim and more.
Gary - This is for my son a struggling field tech.
Sean - Congrats for all your years of work!
Seth - I'd just like to say thanks for job venue.
i'm currently working here in alaska doing pedestrian surveys.
I found this employment through Shovelbums. keep up
the good work as i'll be checking with you again come october
when this gig is over. the next few rounds are on
me. much appreciation.
Rachel - first "real" job (1 year now) gotten through
Shovelbums. Thanks!
Steven - ...pro for about ten years! this is the
first of two donations! that would be 10% of what
the "church of Shovelbums" has made me so far this year!
keep up the good work!
Heather - Specializing in Roman and Colonial America;
temporarily selling wine due to state budget cutbacks!
Megan - You are doing a great service.
Kelly - I am sorry that I am unable to make a contribution.
I know five dollars is not much, but unfortunately I am
feeling a horrible pinch on the pocket. I am just
a poor student trying to get through college, but I can
tell you that Shovelbums have offered me a lot. As being
a student you really do not get to see much of what is out
there, but as being apart of this mail string it gives me
an idea of the jobs available to archaeologists and what
is needed to obtain these jobs.
Steven - Joe, I hope the contributions helps this organization
grow to the point where there is enough support to grow
globally and post work opportunities from all over the world
daily like it keeps us abreast of the opportunities in the
States. Thanks.
Seth - ...Thanks for keeping it going
P - Hope to get into CRM after retirement from govt.
in a few years
Chris - Currently in South Korea teaching English, but
spent five years working in the South East and Mid-Atlantic
regions. I appreciate all your hard work Joe...Shovelbums
has been an invaluable resource. Keep up the good work!!!
M - thank you!
Shawne - Thanks for all your work!
Heather - I recently moved to the States from Scotland
and Shovelbums has helped me finding my first dig work here.
I am happy I can return some sort of favor - Thanks
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