What does a Historian do?

Question

If you're a Historian - what are some jobs you could get paid to do? What are you qualified for?

Answer 1

Well an actual historian is someone who writes history, but that doesn't mean he has any sort of qualifications. If you're asking what a historian does, that's the answer. If you're asking what you can do with a Bachelor of Arts with a specialization in history, there are lots of other jobs you're qualified for. You can teach, either history or something else (teachers colleges or a B.Ed would teach you what you need to know, but you'd probably need a B.A. first (at least here in Ontario you do, in fact you need an honours B.A. and a B.Ed to teach. With your degree you could do a lot of jobs, but if you were interested in history you could work for archives, libraries, museums, teach, or write. Usually writers are teachers (i.e. tenured professors).

Answer 2

In reality young historians spend a lot of time looking for jobs because history professors in their 60s and 70s refuse to retire.

Answer 3

Historians (specifically those that have obtained a degree) are perfect for research-intensive careers. In addition to those mentioned above, historians are perfectly suited for law, as they should be able to conduct thorough research (a huge plus in the field of law).

Answer 4

Some people get a History degree for the same reason they get other good Arts or Science degrees – to be well educated people who understand the world better. Many take a History degree not just for the information about the past that they learn but even more for the skills they acquire. Skills in reading, research, analysis and writing, which form the core of a training in History, are skills demanded in many lines of work. So you could take a History degree and become a mutual funds salesperson, or a literacy counsellor or work in your family's business.
History is also an excellent first degree for those intending to go on to more advanced education in a number of fields. For many students this means a Bachelor of Education degree and a career in teaching, either at the elementary or secondary level. Others choose professional training in journalism, business or law. Masters level graduate work in library and information science, archival studies or museology is also available to History graduates. Others go on to post-graduate work in History at universities and become professional Historians
Where do those with a full professional training in history work? Some are professors of history at colleges and universities. Others work in the public sector in settings as diverse as the Parks service or Defense. Some work as writers, researchers and consultants in areas such as heritage policy, historical preservation and genealogy. Many are employed in public and private archives and museums.

So, what do you do with a History degree? Whatever you want to do with it!

Answer 5

if you have a masters degree you can teach at any university, tho most schools want teachers w a phd, can be a curator at a museum or historical society, or like me you can work at a stock broker company