As part of our outreach policy at Rubicon Heritage Services we agree each year to accept a number of transition-year students for work placement in our offices. They generally spend between one and two weeks with us, learning about archaeological practice and how a commercial business operates.

Aged between 15 and 16, these students are at an early stage in deciding potential career paths and often want to discover whether the reality of professional archaeology matches their expectations. One such student was Ina Ruckstuhl, who came to Rubicon from Mount Mercy College in Cork and later went on to study archaeology and anthropology at the University of Oxford.

Rubicon Heritage's Office in Little Island, Co. Cork

Ina described how the placement exposed her to the wide variety of office-based archaeological specialisms: osteoarchaeology, faunal remains, archaeobotany, pollen analysis, pottery, digital mapping, finds processing and interpretation. Conversations with staff also helped her assess different university courses and understand the analytical skills expected in archaeology.

She noted that even simple exercises such as interpreting a trench photograph developed the sort of analytical thinking later required at university interviews. The placement showed that commercial archaeology is not only field excavation but a combination of technical, scientific and interpretive work.

Conchuir Hornibrook of Coláiste an Phiarsaigh, Glanmire, Co. Cork; one of Rubicon's 2011 Transition Year Students

For students considering a career not directly covered by the school curriculum, even a week in the midst of an expert archaeological team can provide a decisive and motivating insight into the profession.