The Student Room Group

Possible Careers with a History degree

Hi,
I was just wondering what careers other future historians are considering entering with their history degree? Working in a museum can't be the only option... :rolleyes:

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Reply 1
My sister is an estate agent
Reply 2
You could work for the government or as a lawyer. Maybe art galleries...
Was told by an LSE careers advisor that a history degree was the most popular subject for accountants.
Reply 4
I wanna move into the business world, probably as a manager or a buyer for a large company such as tescos.
Reply 5
My friend now works for the achrives...achriving things...
Reply 6
Nick R
My friend now works for the achrives...achriving things...


Does that pay well? Or better yet, is it exciting or mind-numbingly boring?:redface:
Reply 7
Law seems like a good follow on. I know many mates doing History who plan to do the conversion course for Law. pussys cant hack a three year law course :p:
Reply 8
Teaching is a popular route as well as accountancy.....but there's loads to do. Civil service, journalism, law....you can do anything more or less (except become a dentist or a psychiatrist or an engineer). You can do anything that doesn't require a specific degree to do it as you get all these lovely transferrable skills that employers like.
Just make sure that you do your degree at a top class institution, and you're sorted.
Reply 10
^^ Doesn't have to be top class, just somewhere that is considered good and/or has a good history department.
Well if you want a good job, it'll have to be a top class institution.
Reply 12
No it doesn't, a 3rd from Oxford will get you nowhere. Its the degree class and the personality and intellect (in terms of analysis, initiative and intuition)of the person applying for the job, which is what matters. You can have someone from Essex applying for jobs who projects themselves in such a way that they are more desirable to employ than someone from Bristol, for example.

The reputation of the university doesn't necessary reflect the reputation of the person holding the degree. There are many graduates from top universities who are still jobless a year after they've graduated because they can't find a job.

One of the best teachers at my school has a degree from Stirling for example and some of the worst have degrees from Cambridge and Bristol.
Reply 13
Hear Hear.....love it.
Museum (if you do modules in History of Art/double major/minor/intern/etc)), academia (member of a history factory, teacher, etc), research/archival, Hollywood movie consultant/history documentary specialist, author, Law, politics/government/foreign policy.

I've been bothered by this question many a time..
belle_27
No it doesn't, a 3rd from Oxford will get you nowhere. Its the degree class and the personality and intellect (in terms of analysis, initiative and intuition)of the person applying for the degree, which is what matters. You can have someone from Essex applying for jobs who projects themselves in such a way that they are more desirable to employ than someone from Bristol, for example.

The reputation of the university doesn't necessary reflect the reputation of the person holding the degree. There are many graduates from top universities who are still jobless a year after they've graduated because they can't find a job.

One of the best teachers at my school has a degree from Stirling for example and some of the worst have degrees from Cambridge and Bristol.


Yes this is true to some extent. But in reality, where you studied and your degree class are the most important factors when applying to graduate jobs. However after 5 years or so out of uni, your work experience will start to overshadow where you went and what you studied.

So yes, if you want a job with a major company that will pay you £25,000+ out of university, doing your history degree at a top university is generally necessary.
Backstreet doctor/abortionist - no training necessary.
Reply 17
Originally posted by JohnStuartMill
Backstreet doctor/abortionist - no training necessary.


Good to know. But where should my degree come from if I wish to pursue those careers?
Reply 18
Originally posted by shady lane
So yes, if you want a job with a major company that will pay you £25,000+ out of university, doing your history degree at a top university is generally necessary.


Not true, I know someone who worked as an accountant for Ernest and Young, one of the Big 4 for Professional Services (the others are Deloitte, PwC and KPMG), earning £25,000+ who had a degree from Leeds.
belle_27
Not true, I know someone who worked as an accountant for Ernest and Young, one of the Big 4 for Professional Services (the others are Deloitte, PwC and KPMG), earning £25,000+ who had a degree from Leeds.


I don't know if Leeds is good or bad, I'm not British :redface: Also was it a history degree?

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