Early Careers

CIfA Early Careers Group logo
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Committee
Chair
Sakshi Surana
Secretary
Tabitha Lawrence
Vice Chair
Sarah Botfield
Committee member
Jessica Elleray
Committee member
Guillermo Diaz de Liano
Committee member
Roisin O'Toole
Committee member
Sophie Pearson
Committee member
Katie Sanderson
Committee member
George Ellison
Advisor
Megan Schlanker
Advisor
Michael D'Aprix
Advisor
Maisy Swift
Specialist competence matrix

No matrix available.

Three year plan

Your Profession, Your Future, Your Voice

This is the Group for anyone in the early stages of their career in archaeology, or for those who want to share their skills and experience with early career professionals. Are you excited (or worried!) about the journey ahead? Do you want a voice in shaping the profession? Then this is the Group for you!

Early Careers Group Annual General Meeting 2025

Our 2025 Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 23 April 2025 from 19:00 - 20:00 BST. We invite you to join us as we reflect on the achievements of the last year and and outline our goals for the year ahead.

If you haven’t already done so, please don’t forget to register your attendance here 

Additionally, we are accepting nominations to join the Early Careers committee for the roles of 

  • Chair
  • Ordinary committee member

We are really eager to recruit a Chair to the Group and would be interested in hearing from anyone who is interested. To be eligible you must be member of CIfA at PCIfA, ACIfA or MCIfA and have a keen interest in using their voice, skills and experience with early career professionals in shaping the profession.

For the ordinary committee member position we also welcome applications from Student or Affiliate members. You don't need to have experience on a committee, just a desire to get involved and enthusiasm to shape the next steps for the Group. If you are interested in joining the committee please complete this nomination form by 16 April 2025.

More information about the process and guidance about what is involved in being part of a CIfA Group committee is available on the CIfA Groups page. If you have any questions about what is involved please email groups@archaeologists.net

Background

The Early Careers Special Interest Group was founded as the New Generation Special Interest Group in 2012 following a series of discussions and debates by a group of Practitioner (PCIfA) grade members at the 2012 CIfA conference in Oxford. It became clear that there were many people within the Institute, in the early stages of their careers in archaeology, who wanted to be more involved with the Institute and play a greater role within the sector as a whole.

For several years, the name of the group was felt to be confusing and not representative of the scope of the group’s ambitions. After consultation, the name was changed to ‘Early Careers’ in 2020.

The Early Careers Special Interest Group (SIG) is for archaeologists in the early stages of their own career pathways to come together to support one another, share their experiences and amplify their own voices. Together, with the group’s committee, the group will work to ensure that our members are represented at Advisory Council and that the needs and concerns of early career members are heard. We also hope to provide a platform to share information and opportunities that will support early career professionals, students and those contemplating a career in archaeology and associated fields.

Who does the group represent and who can join?

The Early Careers Group aims to support those interested in a career in archaeology and those archaeologists in the early stages of their career working in all aspects of the sector. Everyone is welcome to join the group but it is specifically relevant to those interested in a career in archaeology and those archaeologists in the early stages of their career working.

View our constitution for more information:

Early Careers Group Constitution (PDF | 239.2 KB)

Aims

The aims of the group are:

  • Explore, research and offer practical support and advice on pathways into the profession and career development; including encouraging mentoring.
  • Highlight and showcase the contribution of early career archaeologists to the sector both in the present and in the future, online and at sector gatherings such as conferences, especially in providing show cases for group members.
  • Increase the role and representation of early career archaeologists within CIfA.
  • Engage and collaborate with other CIfA groups and with relevant outside agencies, such as Historic England and Council for British Archaeology.

Publications and resources

The Early Careers group has produced the following resources:

10 things diggers wished they'd known as new starters (PDF | 190.16 KB)

CIfA Early Careers Toolkit

See also the following links from other organisations that offer information and support to early career archaeologists.