“They didn’t teach us that in archaeology school” Career Skills for CRM

Session Hosting Format: 
in-person session
Organizer(s): 
  • Kurtis Blaikie, Canadian Cultural Resources Association
Contact Email: 
kblaikie@gmail.com
Session Description (300 word max): 

Many of us came into the CRM sector unprepared for the realities of the business world. Resumes, interviews, professional communication, collaboration, supervision, technical writing, time management, project management, budgeting, accounting, scheduling, hiring, personnel management, negotiation and leadership aren’t commonly seen on our class syllabi. We learn these, and then teach them, on the job.

This session is targeted at students and junior professionals embarking on a career in CRM. It will provide practical learnings on professional and business topics, and how they apply to archaeology. It will include several invited presentations and is also open to volunteered papers from professionals who want to share their experience with the next generation.

This session is organized by the Canadian Cultural Resources Association as part of the CRM Expo.
 

Presentations
"The Mid-Career Off Ramp" - Improving career paths in Alberta CRM ( Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt )
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Kurtis Blaikie-Birkigt - Blaikie Archaeological Consulting

The Canadian CRM sector is facing a capacity crisis driven by training gaps and poor retention. Research has indicated that both skills alignment and satisfaction increase with experience. I argue this is mainly due to survivorship bias. Workers unsatisfied with the industry’s structural flaws exit via a “mid-career off-ramp”, taking their experience with them.

We need to address both junior preparedness and senior retention. First, we need to ensure students have a clear picture of the CRM career path. Transparency about the business of regulatory compliance will recruit workers better suited for long-term consulting careers.

Second, we need to address the misalignment between the compliance business and a permitting system built for academic research. I propose a pair of policy changes that will help keep experience in the sector:

  • Revised Permitting Standards: Formally implement permitting based on regional and subject-matter expertise.
  • Structural Mentoring: Reduce direct field supervision requirements for senior staff in exchange for formal oversight roles.

These changes would increase the business value of experience to improve compensation and work-life balance, while building oversight and mentoring into the regulatory framework to support knowledge transfer, and keep expertise in the field when it matters.
From University to Field to Office: Building Essential CRM Skills with a Focus on Regulatory Submissions ( Alexandra Burchill )
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Alexandra Burchill - Archaeological Survey of Alberta

Cultural Resource Management (CRM) plays a critical role in protecting archaeological resources while enabling responsible development. As regulatory frameworks grow increasingly complex, students entering the field must develop a diverse skill set that extends beyond traditional archaeological training. This presentation explores practical strategies students and eligible permits holders can use to strengthen their competencies in CRM and produce higher-quality regulatory submissions to government agencies.

The talk highlights areas that are essential for effective CRM practice, specifically regulatory literacy, technical reporting, field documentation, data management, soil science, GIS skills, and professional communication. Emphasis is placed on understanding heritage legislation and compliance requirements, organizing and interpreting field data for regulatory review, and producing clear, defensible reports that meet government standards.

Headaches, Strategies, and a Frozen Swamp: Navigating Logistical Challenges in Consulting Archaeology ( Shane Teesdale )
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Shane Teesdale - Woodland Heritage Northwest

Time-sensitive and project-specific circumstances in the consulting industry can lead to excavations in suboptimal conditions, occasionally requiring unorthodox problem-solving to complete in a timely and professionally acceptable manner. At the heart of project planning in these less-than-ideal excavation conditions is the need to think creatively, react to changing situations on the ground, and have access to the technical know-how to improve ground conditions enough to retain site context and information. This presentation will primarily use a case study from a 2026 excavation in Northwest Ontario to highlight how reflexive strategy must sometimes be employed in consulting archaeology to prevent site conditions from deteriorating, while maintaining project timelines and proposed budgets. Technical know-how and “jack-of-all-trades” skills are frequently considered assets in the field but are rarely touched on in academic settings. While they can be learned on the job, they can also be incorporated into a company by hiring from a diverse set of backgrounds. This presentation aims to introduce young professionals to concepts of managing logistical challenges, as well as providing considerations for senior management when building archaeological teams.
Levelling the Field: Mentorship as a Response to the Skills Gap in CRM Archaeology ( Margarita de Guzman )
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Margarita de Guzman - The Fair Field Foundation + Circle CRM Group Inc.

Archaeology programs prepare graduates to excavate, analyze, and interpret the past. They rarely prepare them to negotiate a contract, manage a crew, supervise conflict, or navigate a workplace that wasn't designed with them in mind. CRM professionals learn these skills on the job. Or they don't, and they leave.

That gap doesn't fall equally. Women and marginalized professionals in CRM archaeology face compounding disadvantages: fewer senior role models, less access to informal networks, and an industry lifestyle that structurally disadvantages those who bear disproportionate domestic and caregiving responsibilities. The result is a retention problem the sector has long acknowledged and done little to solve.

The Fair Field Foundation was established to do something about it. This paper presents the Foundation's mentorship model, which pairs women and marginalized folks in archaeology with experienced mentors for structured, ongoing support, as a practical response to both the skills gap and the retention crisis. We reflect on what mentorship can and cannot fix, what the sector owes its junior professionals, and what building genuine community looks like when the industry itself keeps getting in the way.
Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Mental wellness, and Psychological Safety in CRM ( Katrina Friend )
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Katrina Friend - Kleanza Consulting Ltd.
  • Manda Palmer - Kleanza Consulting Ltd.

Archaeology training programs tend to emphasize field methods, theory, and analysis, yet they rarely address the personal and workplace skills needed to sustain a healthy, enjoyable, and long-term career in consulting archaeology. Proactively addressing mental wellness, disability accommodation and psychological health and safety in the workplace is essential for a sustainable career in CRM. Drawing on many years of experience in the CRM industry, this presentation reflects on the structural and cultural challenges that have historically shaped archaeological workplaces and influenced who has access to, and who can remain in, this profession. It will outline basic legislative rights and available resources related to psychological safety and neurodivergent accommodation in the workplace, along with practical approaches to self-advocacy. We will discuss encouraging shifts within the industry, many of them driven by newer generations of archaeologists advocating for healthier, more sustainable workplace practices. By sharing lessons learned and practical guidance, this presentation aims to empower early-career archaeologists to continue driving positive change, while also encouraging discussion about how CRM employers can better support the wellbeing and long-term success of their teams.
“This One Time, at Field School…” Student Perspectives on Archaeological Training ( Drenna  Lameg )
Presentation format: In-Person
Author(s):
  • Drenna  Lameg - University of Manitoba

Archaeological field schools play a pivotal role in preparing students for professional practice, yet they remain inaccessible to many. Financial, structural, and cultural barriers reflect the discipline’s colonial, ableist, and exclusionary foundations, shaping who participates in archaeology and whose voices influence the knowledge it produces.

This presentation draws on interviews with University of Manitoba anthropology students who have either attended or expressed interest in field training programs. It explores their experiences and perspectives on fieldwork, highlighting how accessibility, structural constraints, and disciplinary expectations affect participation, learning outcomes, and pathways into archaeology.

Initial findings reveal how these barriers influence students’ engagement with field training, including their motivations, challenges, and perceptions of the value of field experiences. By centering student voices, this work highlights the factors that shape participation and learning in archaeology, offering insights that can inform future iterations of field training programs.