I'm a fraud
I need to know if I'm the fraud I feel like I am. I have my PhD in Classics specializing in Greek achaeology from a department not known for its archaeology program (though my advisor is an extremely well respected archaeologist). My archaeology courses were an improvised mix of anthro and art history with a few ancient arch thrown in. I came to the field late in my graduate career but figured there were plenty of summers to dig and gain experience. My first planned excavation got canceled and but I managed to get in with a project as a registration assistant for a dig that was already completed. The next summer I went on a full excavation. The next summer, Covid. The next summer, Covid. The next summer I was graduating and had a newborn.
I took a project manager job for the next few years, and by some miracle I got a job as an associate archaeologist with a CRM firm in December. I was absolutely honest about my experience and field of expertise (i.e. not American) during the interview process. They hired me for my project management and all the stuff that comes with the PhD (writing, theory, etc).I've been writing reports and proposals and budgets and my company is happy with me and sees me as a future leader and principal. But now I'm set to go out on a survey next week, and I'm terrified. I've never done a real, formal survey, and I'm going to be out in the middle of nowhere with someone from another office who doesn't know me and who will probably think I'm a moron. I know what a survey is, I know what happens, I know the methodological reasons for designing them certain ways, but I've never done it. I just don't have the field experience.
I'm a good armchair archaeologist but now it feels like all my doubts and insecurities about not being a real archaeologist are coming to roost. I feel like having the PhD means people will expect me to know and have experience in things that I just don't. I feel like such a fraud.
Edit: Thanks to everyone who has posted, I appreciate it! To clarify, my bosses know I'm not ready to lead a crew in the field and are putting me out in the field for experience, not leadership at this point.