So what’s next on the horizon? Meet Tom Axtell and Jamie Purnell, both post-trainees at CAT. Together they went to inspire the next generation of archaeologists at Canterbury Christ Church University.
As members of the CAT field team and both alumni of Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), we made a return to our place of learning at the end of December. We had been invited to talk to current students about our employment and experiences in commercial archaeology since starting at CAT as trainees in 2021, and our subsequent employment as field archaeologists. The session was very well received, taking the form of a panel hosted by Lisa Duffy (CCCU). We were there to give the students an opportunity to ask us to relate our experiences in moving from an academic course to employment, to offer insights into commercial life, and to explain what we’ve found useful during our employment so far. A range of topics was discussed, ranging from what to put in a CV, and more general advice about working in the field. We were both very keen to emphasise the importance of teamwork and what we enjoy about the work, while also mentioning the challenges we face (such as the weather!). We both found it very enjoyable to discuss with the students our experience of working at CAT and in commercial archaeology, and hope that we’ve helped persuade at least some of them to work in field archaeology.
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