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Career?

What career do you plan for your history degree to lead you into?

Personally, i have no idea. I don't know what i want to do, so i thought the sensible thing was to do what i enjoy most, and that's history. I keep getting "But what job will you do with that? Museum worker?". Of course the choices are much broader than that.

Do you know what you want to use your degree for?

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Reply 1

Hullite

Half of the historian's craft is just research: knowing how and where to find information, and what to do with it when you do find it. Studying history teaches you (or should) about treating sources critically, boiling masses of evidence down to key points and constructing an argument on the basis thereof. Those are skills that are useful in a great many walks of life.

I had no idea what I wanted to do with my history degree when I started university, and I didn't really form any ideas until my third year, at which point I decided I wanted to continue studying in more depth. So I did a masters ... and five years later ended up with a PhD and working as a postdoctoral fellow. I've ended up making an academic career out of history, but other people I studied with at undergrad and MA level have gone into all sorts of fields - journalism, accountancy, heritage management ... In the end, it's up to you what you make of it.

Reply 2

fake plastic love

To be honest, I'm really not bothered. It annoys me when people say, "Oh, so what job do you want to do with that?". University, in my mind, isn't a place to be molded into a specific job role - I just wanted to pick what I was most interested in. A degree is still a degree, and I know it'll help me get a good job whatever I decide to do.

But since you asked, at the moment I think I'm most likely to go into teacher training and be a primary school teacher. But I'm only 19, so who knows!

Reply 3

FadeToBlackout

Personally, and ideally, I would love to go into academia. It is dependant on a lot of factors, though, like how I do in my Finals which could well influence how I get funding. Other than that, possibly a teacher (secondary school or preferably sixth form college History).

Journalism.

Either academia or government.

Or be like Mr. Wilson and do both.

edit: Now I've decided to go to culinary school in New York upon completion of my History B.A.

Reply 6

Consie

Law. Or, If I get my grades for Oxford and get a Geoff Hurst there, I might stay on.

Reply 7

forpolarbears

Scratch what I said about culinary school. I almost choked on licorice. furthermore, I don't know why I'm eating licorice at 6 am.

For those of you who said academia, any specific university you'd like to teach at?

For me, Stanford.

Reply 8

Lottie

I really have no idea what I want to do after university (or, rather, I have too many ideas). I'd like to work for an organisation such as Liberty or, perhaps, the government or the UN/EU. What I want to do -- as opposed to the type of organisation I want to work for -- is another matter. I've (mostly idly) considered things as diverse as law and medicine. I think I could have quite an enjoyable time as an academic though!

Reply 9

forpolarbears

Same, I know where I want to work, but not what I want to do exactly.

I mean, I'm applying right now for a job (that I qualify for under technicality) as a curator's assistant at a small art museum. Curator at the Getty Villa would be one of my complete dream jobs, but so would a bunch of others. My indecision is probably why I like to plan extending my academic career as long as possible.

Reply 10

shady lane

megxers

Yay Stanford :biggrin:

Has a great history department as well.

Reply 11

*River

My parents worry about what I'm going to do when I graduate... I think they have this image of me going mad and reading books all day in the name of academia!

Personally, I really don't know what I want to do when I leave university, I just want to do a degree that I'll enjoy while I'm there!

Reply 12

Lottie

heninacoop

My parents worry about what I'm going to do when I graduate... I think they have this image of me going mad and reading books all day in the name of academia!

My parents think I'm going to be a professional student.

Reply 13

Consie

Yeah, a professional student. You'd have to do some serious training for all the annual freshers week circuit.

Reply 14

apotoftea

At this current moment - professional student!

Would like to go into lecturing - one my lecturers actually advised doing it - one of the best jobs you can get etc!

But at the moment, I'm just concentrating on graduating with the best degree result I can get

Reply 15

Ossie1701

Teaching would be interesting - but I fear re-living something that occurs in Bennett's 'The History Boys' - a middle aged teacher banging his head against a desk saying 'Why have I wasted my life doing this...' - scary (and after witnessing a science teacher stating this first hand :redface:

).

Journalism would be more interesting ... but only after a masters and Ph.D.

Reply 16

forpolarbears

I do have a definite job that would be my absolute dream, but I love books and school too much to completely leave academia. Its like my safety net/blanket.