Careers in history
Where does history lead?
Virtually all jobs stress the need to study, assess and analyse, to communicate, to write reports and to make presentations. The study of history provides the opportunity to acquire these skills.
History graduates work in a variety of activities including:
- teaching at all levels
- work in archives, libraries, and museums
- as professional consultants in the expanding field of public history
- the communications industry (journalism, publishing, public relations, advertising)
- administration (civil service and corporate agencies, especially planning and policy units)
- the finance and service industries
In the modern work force, education does not end upon graduation. It continues with specialist training and the development of skills throughout one's working life. The value of history is that it lays a foundation for further study and training that is broad and more durable than a narrowly focussed vocational first degree.
Careers
Arts graduates with a training in history often pursue careers in the following areas:
- government
- administration
- planning and policy
- law
- communications
- journalism and publishing
- public relations
- advertising
- education at all levels
- archives, libraries, museums
History skills
A major in history will give you the capacity to:
- abstract knowledge out of a mass of information
- distinguish relevant from irrelevant information
- identify unstated assumptions
- determine the strength of an argument
- define areas of inquiry and methods of research
- form judgements from conflicting evidence
- contextualise judgements
- communicate knowledge intelligibly and economically
- know the limits of your understanding