Introduction
For many history graduates, the question “What can you do with a history degree?” is a common one. With a degree in history, it may seem like there are limited career opportunities, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, a history degree can provide you with a wide range of skills and knowledge that are highly valued across multiple industries. This article aims to provide insight, guidance, and inspiration for history graduates who are figuring out what career path to take.
Career Opportunities for History Graduates
A history degree opens up many career opportunities across various industries, including academia, museums, libraries, government, and non-profit organizations. Here are some examples:
Historian
A historian researcher work primarily in academia, research centers, and think tanks. They study and analyze historical events, theories, and trends. It includes reviewing original documents, interpreting ancient texts, and researching archives.
Museum Curator
A museum curator is responsible for the care, preservation, and display of collections in museums. The curators’ duties include researching the objects’ history, selecting items for an exhibition, and managing the museum’s archives.
Archivist
Archivist work mainly in libraries, museums, and historical societies, preserving records and documents. They organize, catalog, maintain and make copies of important historical documents. They also collaborate with researchers to find resources for their research.
Teacher
A history degree can also lead to a career as a teacher—an excellent opportunity to share insights with others through education. Teachers work in primary, secondary, or post-secondary education levels.
Other Career Paths
History graduates can also pursue other careers, including journalism, law, politics, business, and writing, all of which require particular skills and knowledge that come with a history degree.
Transferable Skills Gained from a History Degree
Studying history provides graduates with invaluable skills, making them highly sought after in various job markets. These transferable skills include:
Critical Thinking
History students learn to think critically, sort information, figure out context, evaluate complexity, and gauge perspectives. Critical thinking is useful in business, journalism, policymaking, and other fields.
Research and Analysis
History graduates gain experience in evaluating sources, exploring primary sources, and studying historical events. Their highly developed research skills mean that they can dig deep into information and separate fact from fiction across industries.
Communication
History graduates must learn how to write, present, and communicate effectively. These skills are highly transferable and make history graduates highly sought after in fields such as law, public relations, journalism, and teaching.
Applying Transferable Skills in Different Industries
History Graduates can apply their skills in various industries, including journalism, business, law, government, and teaching, among others. For instance, the legal field needs people with an understanding of constitutional law, and the government requires skilled communicators for policymaking. History graduates can lend their skills to these areas, among others that require elements of historical research and critical thinking.
Examples of Successful Professionals
Many successful professionals have history degrees, including well-known figures like George W. Bush and Clint Eastwood. They have leveraged their skills into positions of power, making significant contributions in their environments. Others have transitioned into other industries, such as award-winning journalist Andrea Mitchell, investment banker Karen Kessler, and international lawyer Philippe Sands.
Further Education Opportunities for History Graduates
A history degree can act as the starting point for more educational opportunities such as a Masters or PhD in History. Further education can open up job opportunities that are not available with just a Bachelor of Arts degree. In some cases, advanced degrees can also lead to higher salaries, increased job stability, and career advancement.
Benefits of Pursuing Further Education
Advanced degrees lead to more extensive knowledge of history and the development of highly useful skills. They are also valuable to teaching positions at the post-secondary level, as they allow the holder to specialize in particular historical subjects.
Career Opportunities with Advanced Degrees
Advanced degree holders can go beyond headline careers and pursue numerous career paths, including professors, researchers and analysts, curators, and archivists. They are also equipped to take up executive-level roles in government or non-profit organizations.
Profiles of Successful History Graduates
History graduates have become highly successful across different industries. Below are some stories of history graduates whose degrees have contributed to their success.
Profiles
Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet ever in the United States, has a history degree and used her skills to research and analyze significant events for her poetry.
Regina King, a director and award-winning actress, has a degree in history from the University of Southern California and cited it as helping her develop critical thinking skills in creating and managing stories.
Lloyd Blankfein, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, turned towards management and finance after obtaining his history degree.
Advice for History Graduates
Based on the experiences of successful professionals, history graduates must be confident about their degree and not let others discourage them. Instead, challenging yourself to explore other industries by adding more skills creates a more comprehensive range of options for you.
Create new experiences by branching out, networking, and gaining more knowledge. Doing this continually keeps ideas fresh and provides new perspectives.
The Relevance of History in Modern Times
History, in contrast to its connotation as the field of memory and the past, is immensely relevant in modern times. By studying history, one can gain some perspective on modern issues.
Examples of Historical Significance in Today’s World
Historical events such as the Holocaust, apartheid, and civil rights movements have ramifications on modern society. Understanding them better can provide insights that we can carry forward, leading to advancements in social justice, immigration, national identity, and others.
Role of Historical Perspectives in Addressing Modern Problems
Understanding complex issues, especially complex social issues, requires deep understanding and research. By studying history, we gain insight into similar situations in the past and learn from them. Historical study provides insight into the present, perspective on the present, and a view of the future that can be informed by the past.
Addressing Common Misconceptions
There are various misconceptions about history degrees. One of them is that it is not a practical or useful degree. However, history degrees have transferable skills that are useful in other fields. Others view history degrees as just the study of the past, while others see it as irrelevant or unimportant.
However, it is imperative to understand that history provides context, perspective, and insight into the past, present, and future. It also develops a broad range of useful skills, like critical thinking, research, communication, and analysis. They can be used in a wide range of fields and career paths.
Conclusion
A history degree provides graduates with a wide range of knowledge, skills, and insights that can shape their careers and lives in numerous ways. There are vast career paths available, from education, museums, law, and journalism, among others. Pursuing advanced degrees or further education leads to more career opportunities such as research, professor positions, and executive-level roles in non-profit organizations or government. And finally, understanding history’s relevance and its role in modern times provides insights on complex issues, societal events, and personal lives.
History graduates must take pride in their degrees and seek knowledge, grow their skills, and never stop learning.
