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John Lowe - Episode 64
55 Plays7 years ago
Profiles in CRM features short interviews with CRM professionals from all experience levels and educational levels. I ask a standard list of questions and see how each person answers them based on their experience.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsor
00:00:00
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You are listening to the Archaeology Podcast Network. The Archaeology Podcast Network is sponsored by Codify, a California benefit corporation. Visit codify at www.codifi.com.
Podcast Format Overview
00:00:14
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This is John Lau at Archaeocore and you're listening to Profiles in CRM.
00:00:21
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Welcome to Profiles in CRM, Episode 64. I'm your host, Chris Webster. Profiles in CRM asks CRM professionals nine simple questions. The answers vary wildly depending on their experience and education.
Confidentiality in CRM
00:00:31
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Because of the nature of contract archaeology and how small this field really is, some people choose not to reveal their name or the company they work for. Stay to the end of the show to hear how you can have a chance to answer these same questions.
00:00:42
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We're here on profiles in the very noisy SHA, Fort Worth, Texas exhibit hall and here's the first question.
Guest Introduction: John D. Lau
00:00:50
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What is your name and who do you work for? My name is John D. Lau and I am an archaeologist for the wildlife division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. And what is the highest degree
John's Academic and Career Beginnings
00:01:00
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you've earned? I have my master's degree from University of Texas at Austin. It's technically in Latin American studies with a focus in archaeology.
00:01:07
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Nice. And how long have you been working in CRM? I've been working in CRM since let me add up the years. Yeah, I think since May 2004. So it was at almost 13 years now. And where have
Work Experience Across States
00:01:22
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you worked? Like what states have you worked in?
00:01:23
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Uh, mostly Texas. I've done a little bit of work in Louisiana, did a fair amount of work in Oklahoma, and a three week stint in Wyoming. That was really cool. Awesome. What is the position that you usually have in CRM, and what is the highest position
Career Progression in CRM
00:01:35
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you've ever held? Like field tech to... Yeah, I started out as a field tech, and then I worked my way up to crew chief and field director.
00:01:43
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I think those were my titles, and now I think I'm technically considered to be a PI level, but my technical title is Cultural Resources Specialist. But it's an archaeologist three or two position in the state, so it's pretty high up, I guess. I think as a side project, I'm going to collect all the terms people call the same job. I think I just got to make mine up pretty much.
00:02:07
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All right, so here's the fun
Exploring Texas and Its Histories
00:02:08
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questions. What is the best thing that's happened to you that's related to being an archaeologist, and that can be personal or professional? Well, you know, I hadn't seen a whole lot of Texas while I lived here 11 years almost before I started CRM, and we didn't really know a whole lot about the archaeology or the history. I just mostly stayed in my Austin bubble. And so just getting to get out and see all the different parts of the state and
00:02:30
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learn about all the various histories and just how different, you know, East Texas from South Texas from the Panhandle and all those places are. So I like the challenge of that, but also just like getting to go places I probably wouldn't have gone on my own and and see new things and avoid being in that bubble. I think it's good.
Safety Practices in CRM
00:02:46
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Right. Excellent. What is the biggest thing that you would change that would make being a serum archaeologist better? I'm sure everybody says to pay, but you know, I just.
00:02:57
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I don't know. I guess safety was always a big thing, you know, partly because of my own snake bite, but I just know I see a lot of people kind of put in unsafe positions or volunteering to do those kind of things to show off and to be macho, and I wish people would just take more care of themselves in the field and their co-workers.
00:03:21
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What is your career goal in CRM?
Retirement and Career Aspirations
00:03:23
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Where do you see yourself in 20 years question? In 20 years. I think my elbow is going to give out first. I dream of actually being retired in 20 years. I'll be 65 at that point and I will have met my state standards assuming I keep my state job. But what I'm doing now and if I feel like I eventually can't do it physically, I'd hope to get into the SHPO's office as a reviewer. I want to stay in the public sector I think.
00:03:49
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I enjoyed my time in private sector, but it was kind of wearing me down. The workload was pretty intense. I was uncomfortable with some of the clients we were working with eventually, just from a personal ethical standpoint. Okay, and final
Advice for Students and Conclusion
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question. If you could give an undergrad thinking about a career at CRM one piece of advice, what would it be?
00:04:12
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Just one, okay, I'm gonna do two. Because first of all, definitely take GIS because if you don't know how to use it, you can always fall back on that because you can get jobs outside of archeology with GIS training. And I would also say that follow your dream, but have a backup plan in terms of learn some local archeology too, because you may not end up being a professor of Egyptology, but you can always find a decent job and have a decent career doing CRM work.
00:04:44
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Show notes for this and all episodes can be found on the Archaeology Podcast Network website at www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/. At that page you'll also find a form that you can fill out so you can be interviewed on the show. Interviews take less than 30 minutes and you don't need any special equipment. Thanks for listening and I'll see you in the field.
00:05:06
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The show is produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle and was edited by Chris Webster. This has been a presentation of the Archaeology Podcast Network. Visit us on the web for show notes and other podcasts at www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Contact us at chrisatarchaeologypodcastnetwork.com