“Where Do I Even Start?”: Exploring Resources for Anthropology Students’ College-to-Career Transitions

Abstract

This article explores the resources that are available, or should be made available, to support college-to-career transitions for undergraduate anthropology students. Using mixed methods, this research was conducted by undergraduate anthropology students at a small Christian college in Illinois and at a large public university in Kentucky, in conjunction with a wider project for the American Anthropological Association. Based on our two case studies, we argue that students, faculty, and career centers often do not effectively work together to provide and utilize career resources for anthropology majors. This lack of collaboration leads to students feeling underresourced and undersupported. This is partially due to student disinclination to use career center resources but also a result of the way career centers present themselves to students and faculty's inattention toward facilitating a connection between them. We end with recommendations for departments, career centers, and students to facilitate resource availability and use.