History degree career prospects?

Hey everyone,
I'm very sorry if there are other threads like this and if this is the wrong place to post it, but I have to ask.
I am currently in my last year of GCSE's and I'm thinking about my A levels. History really intrests me and i'm planning on doing it at A level.
Right now, I'm considering doing History at University (Even though it seems like a long way off!), but I was wondering what my job prospects would be. I don't really want to become a teacher or work in a museum/ heritage industry. Has anyone on here done history at university and not gone into that line of work? If so, what did you do? And when did you decide what you wanted to do?
Also, if, lets say, I wanted to do a law conversion course at the end, would that put me at a disadvantage to those people who did a full law course??
Sorry if this is rather long, but I've really been worrying about this.
Thanks in advance,
1209ll

Reply 1

pinkbullets

Hi,

I'm in my last year of a history degree and I'm applying for jobs/graduate schemes now. You can do loads of stuff with a history degree - that's what attracted me to it. Right now I'm applying for a Social Work MA. You can basically apply for the majority of graduate schemes with a history degree (civil service, NHS, all the big supermarkets, intelligence work, charity sectors etc). Most jobs (within reason obviously) state that they just want a 2:1 degree in any subject.

As for the law thing, it doesn't disadvantage you at all, you just have to do the one year conversion course at the end. It's obviously more intense than a general 3 year law course but most employers don't care if you did straight law or not.

Reply 2

sydneybridge

History is one of the most 'usable' degrees - its one of the reason its so popular.

What can you do with a history degree? Anything and everything, as this 2010 report suggests - so teaching and 'working in a museum' are actually not what History grads do at all. As recent studies have shown, 'History graduates are found in disproportionate numbers on the boards of the UK's top 100 companies.' This means that the skills obtained reading history are highly valued in the 'real world' of corporate management - and a thousand other career areas.
A History degree gives you valuable skills that employers want. They are after the 'trained brain' not the specific subject knowledge. They value things like - analytical skills, research, writing, accuracy, reasoned arguments, presentation skills etc etc. The skills that people acquire when studying for a History degree can be used in all sorts of jobs and are much valued by mainstream employers.

What do History graduates do? from University of Kent and St Andrews

Reply 3

grassntai

Kentucky fried chicken? McDonalds? Burger King? There's an array of selection.

My friend studied History at UCL and currently washes plates for a living.

Reply 4

sydneybridge

Original post by grassntai

My friend studied History at UCL and currently washes plates for a living.

This tells you far more about the 'friend' than the University they attended.

Reply 5

Airmed

I'm planning to study History and Politics in September 2015 and my school have told me that I would likely end up in the civil service, which I don't mind as long as I can work my way up. :smile:

Stick with it! I've gotten into quite a few arguments over my decision to study History (and later added Politics to the mix) with quite a few people, but History degrees are so versatile, people are just silly not to admit that they are.

Reply 6

rickfloss

Do not do a history degree,

When you get to university, study history in your spare time and create a history society

For £9000 its an extreme, extreme waste of money

Reply 7

sydneybridge

Original post by rickfloss

Do not do a history degree.

WHY not?

PS. All Unis offering History will already have an active History Society.

Reply 8

rickfloss

Original post by sydneybridge

WHY not?

PS. All Unis offering History will already have an active History Society.

Employment prospects?

If OP wants to do a degree in history, OP should take a year out working part time and learning history via OU, if at the end of the year op likes it , then its a good bet

Also, dont study a non vocational degree if you recieve less than BBB