From Academia to Self-Employment: An Archaeologist’s Journey of Reinvention in Austria
- Marta Srebrakowska
- Oct 27
- 9 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Alexandra has spent two decades uncovering the past and, in recent years, helping people reimagine their futures. After moving to Austria in October 2015, the pandemic disrupted her academic career and prompted a profound shift in direction. She transformed that challenge into an opportunity, building a portfolio business that supports archaeologists and mid-career professionals in transition.
Today, Alexandra works as a freelance archaeologist, career mentor and entrepreneur.She also organises and moderates community events, workshops, and meetups, and occasionally teaches, making archaeology accessible to everyone, not just academics. Her passion lies in connecting people through stories of the past while guiding professionals to find purpose and confidence in their next chapter.
Marta: How did your journey into archaeology begin?
Alexandra: My journey into archaeology happened completely by chance. People often tell me, “I always wanted to be an archaeologist,” and I laugh, because I never did. I was fascinated by history, mythology, and heritage, and I loved reading about the past, but I had never imagined myself digging in the ground or studying ancient artefacts. When I enrolled at the University of Bucharest, I wanted to specialise in medieval studies and archival work, especially Ottoman documents connected to the regions that later became modern Romania. My dream was to study the connections between Wallachia, Moldavia, and the Ottoman Empire.
At the end of my first year, we had to complete a field practice, and out of curiosity I signed up for an excavation. I had grown up in the city and rarely had the chance to be out in nature, so I thought it would be a unique experience. I ended up staying three weeks on that dig, then returning for another three, and eventually taking another excavation job near Bucharest. That was back in 2006, and it changed the entire direction of my life. There’s something indescribable about uncovering objects buried for centuries with your own hands, things that once belonged to people who lived, worked, and loved. It gives you a sense of power, but also responsibility: you’re bringing forgotten stories back to life. That feeling drew me in and never let me go.
Marta: What kinds of roles did you work in before becoming self-employed?
Alexandra: In archaeology, many of us are what I call “self-employed in denial.” Permanent positions are rare, so most archaeologists live from contract to contract. Even before I officially registered as self-employed, I had been working that way for years.
I followed the classic academic path: bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, and gradually took on more responsibility. In 2016, I became a field director in Turkey, responsible for an entire excavation site. Over the years, I’ve worked on excavations, conducted research, published articles in several languages, and worked in institutions like the Austrian Academy of Sciences or the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest. I’ve also taught at universities and done a lot of public outreach, teaching children, adults, and anyone curious about archaeology.
Like many people in the cultural sector, I had to supplement my income with other jobs. I’ve sold books, medical and dental equipment, cosmetics, jewellery, and clothes. I started working young - at around 13 or 14 - handing out flyers and doing summer jobs to earn my own pocket money. I grew up in Bucharest in a single-parent family during and after the communist period, and my mother worked several jobs to support us. That experience taught me the value of independence and hard work. It also taught me to deal with rejection and to communicate with people from all walks of life. Looking back, those lessons have helped me far beyond archaeology.
Marta: What motivated you to leave academia and start your own business?
Alexandra: It wasn’t a sudden decision. The warning signs had been there for a long time. When I finished university in 2008, the financial crisis hit, and cultural funding was one of the first things to be cut. It became harder and harder to build a stable career, but I kept trying: taking on more teaching, publishing more papers, applying for more projects. Then the pandemic arrived and everything stopped. My contracts ended, projects were cancelled, and every new job application came back with silence or rejection. Some said I was overqualified; others said I didn’t have the right kind of corporate experience. I was living abroad, in my mid-thirties, completely burnt out, though I didn’t want to admit it at the time.
After years of pushing and hoping, I realised I couldn’t do it anymore. I had given everything I could to academia, and it wasn’t giving anything back. So I decided to create my own path. If no one was going to hire me, I would hire myself. It wasn’t an easy decision, it came after a lot of frustration and even an identity crisis, but it was the right one. Becoming self-employed was a way of reclaiming control, of proving to myself that I could use my skills in a different way and still make an impact.
Marta: Tell us about your current work.
Alexandra: I still consider myself an archaeologist, but my focus has shifted. I now work mostly with people rather than artefacts. I realised that I wasn’t the only one struggling to navigate career transitions or burnout, especially during the pandemic. So I began offering mentoring and career support for others in similar situations: archaeologists and mid-career professionals who needed guidance and strategy.
I now mentor professionals in archaeology and other fields, helping them identify their transferable skills, gain clarity about their goals, and rebuild confidence. I coordinate several mentoring programs, such as the MOZAIC Reciprocal Mentoring Program with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and the mentoring program at the Professional Women’s Network in Vienna. I also co-founded PastForwardHub, a global platform created by archaeologists for archaeologists, aiming to make the field more sustainable and supportive. On top of that, I’m involved in developing an International School of Mentoring and contributing to projects that build mentoring systems for academics and leaders.
It’s been a huge transformation: from fieldwork and research to mentoring and community building, but it feels natural. Archaeology is still at the heart of it, because it’s about people and stories. I just shifted from studying ancient lives to supporting present ones.
Marta: What advice would you give to someone transitioning from academia to self-employment?
Alexandra: First, don’t be ashamed of wanting something different. Academia often makes people feel guilty for leaving, as if stepping away means failure. It doesn’t. You are not abandoning knowledge or integrity; you are redirecting your skills. Second, ask for help. You are not the first or last person to make this transition. There are programs, mentors, and communities that can support you.
And third, remember that stability, a decent income, and work-life balance are not luxuries. They’re your right. It’s okay to want a life that doesn’t revolve around survival or burnout. Transitioning won’t be easy . you’ll question yourself a lot - but it’s possible, and you’ll discover strengths you didn’t know you had.
Marta: What were the biggest challenges in understanding the self-employed world?
Alexandra: Everything was a challenge at the beginning. I had no background in finance or administration, and even in my native language, the terminology would have been confusing. In German, it was terrifying. I remember sitting in workshops at the Vienna Business Agency and the AMS, surrounded by charts and numbers, thinking, “What am I doing here?” But you learn, little by little, you learn.
Coming from Eastern Europe, I never expected bureaucracy to be easy, but doing it in another language made it even harder. Bureaucratic German is complicated even for native speakers, and for someone from the humanities, facing all those financial forms and legal terms felt overwhelming. When I first registered my business, I panicked several times, afraid of making a mistake.
What truly helped was finding the Self-Employed in Austria community. It was the first English-speaking space where I could ask questions and actually understand the answers. Suddenly, I wasn’t alone anymore. People shared their own experiences with invoicing, taxes, and registration. I learned how the SVS system works, how to plan contributions, and what an invoice should include. It took time, but I eventually figured it out, and having a community to turn to made the whole process far less lonely.
Austria does have great support systems if you know where to look. The AMS, the Vienna Business Agency, and the self-employed community all provided valuable guidance. The key is to ask for help and not try to handle everything by yourself. Over time, I learned to stay calm because panic never solves paperwork. Now, whenever I face new administrative challenges, I remind myself to breathe, ask questions, and trust that it will all work out.
Marta: How important was community in helping you settle into self-employment in Austria?
Alexandra: Community changed everything for me. I know the word “networking” can sound intimidating, but for me, it’s simply about connecting with people. I joined women’s entrepreneur groups, mentoring networks, and of course, the Self-Employed in Austria community. I also made friends who literally sat beside me to help fill out forms or register online when I didn’t understand the German. Those small gestures of kindness gave me confidence and made me feel less alone.
The key, I believe, is to stay curious and open. Talk to people, share your story, ask how they managed similar situations. Most people are happy to help because they’ve been there too. For me, those connections grew into friendships and lifelines that continue to support me today.
Marta: What have you gained from being part of the Self-Employed in Austria community?
Alexandra: So much. Knowledge, support, and a sense of belonging. I learned practical things - how to handle taxes, where to find official information - but also gained confidence. The monthly meetups are a highlight of my routine. They’re safe, supportive spaces where people share experiences and advice openly. I’ve also been happy to help organise some of the events, which gave me the chance to give back.
What I value most is the feeling that I don’t have to prove myself there. Everyone comes from different backgrounds, and we learn from one another. That’s the essence of community: not competition, but collaboration.
Marta: What helps you stay focused and motivated when working alone?
Alexandra: I’ve learned to listen to myself. If I catch myself procrastinating, I ask why. Am I tired? Am I anxious about something? Self-awareness is essential. I also alternate tasks throughout the day so I don’t get stuck in monotony. Some days I focus on mentoring, others on writing or planning.
I keep a journal and have accountability partners, and I also have my own mentor who supports me in my business growth. I try to stay connected with communities where I can share ideas and challenges.
But the biggest secret to staying motivated is not isolating myself completely. I take regular walks, go hiking, and exercise (almost) daily. Movement clears my mind. And I make time for things that have nothing to do with work: reading, podcasts, small joys. When you work from home, boundaries can blur, so it’s vital to disconnect sometimes. That balance keeps me grounded and creative.
Marta: It’s time for our regular question that I ask everyone: What tools and apps make self-employment easier?
Alexandra: The biggest change was moving everything online. I store my documents in Google Drive, which makes collaboration and backups simple. I also use Canva a lot, it’s an incredible tool for creating content, presentations, and materials for my business. I learned a surprising amount about marketing and visual storytelling just by using it.
For brainstorming and planning, I love Miro - it’s perfect for visualising projects and ideas. I don’t use a specific invoicing app, but I have a clear template and checklist for every invoice. The most important tool, though, is structure: keeping my tasks organised and my priorities clear.
What stands out to me about Alexandra is how naturally she has carried her academic mindset into her self-employed life. The discipline, precision, and curiosity that shaped her years in archaeology are still present in everything she does today. She brings the same depth and sense of purpose that define a researcher, applying them to mentoring, community building, and entrepreneurship. Watching her build bridges between science, creativity, and personal growth has been inspiring.
Alexandra approaches her work with quiet confidence, transforming challenges into learning experiences and uncertainty into opportunity. She shows that self-employment, when guided by integrity and curiosity, can be just as intellectually rich and socially meaningful as any academic pursuit. Her story reminds me that self-employment is not just about changing careers but about continuing one’s purpose in a new and deeply meaningful way. Even when circumstances change, her journey proves that it is possible to rebuild with the same dedication and curiosity that once led her to uncover the past.
If you’d like to learn more from Alexandra, check out her work:
Website: https://www.alexandradolea.com/
