Customer Support Analysts, UX Researchers, and Directors of Storytelling: A Systematic Analysis of Job Advertisements for Anthropologists

ABSTRACT Anthropology graduates increasingly enter public and private practicing jobs. A decade ago, Brondo and Bennett argued that a disciplinary sea change was in motion that acknowledged applied work. Despite this recognition, the anthropological canon does not always address applied career tracks, and practicing work still encounters disciplinary stigma. Given the steep decline of academic jobs, however, we face a critical juncture, requiring a revisitation of the value of anthropological ways of knowing to careers outside the academy. To better understand how anthropological training fits into the job market, this paper presents findings from a systematic analysis of more than 300 nonacademic job advertisements directed at anthropology graduates of all levels. Results show that job ads for anthropologists include preferred technical, qualitative, and quantitative skills, yet also that epistemological approaches unique to anthropology, such as ethnographic research design and data collection and the ability to problem‐solve and translate results, are paramount. Based on these findings, we argue that anthropological training is highly valued in the practicing job market. A better understanding of nonacademic, practicing jobs for anthropologists, how to train students for these jobs, and how employers make hiring decisions deserves our attention as we consider the future relevance of anthropology.