Is being a historian a realistic career goal?

Question

Are there any professional historians out there? I just love history, and I'd love to be a historian, but my teacher tells me there aren't very many jobs. I know I'd need to go to school for a long time, but is it possible? Where can you work? Is it just at Universities?

Answer 1

Being a historian is a passion. The jobs for historians are many. If you want to be a professor or teacher, then jobs may be limited. However, being a good historian means you know how to read, write well and most importantly know how to research. The corporate sectors are always looking for historians who can research data files, company histories, lawsuits and write company policies. I am a historian, however I own my own janitorial business. Its more than just sweeping and mopping. I must write company policy, review OHSA standards, research guidlines and read tons of chemical reviews and equipment manuals. Being a Historian will unlock countless job opportunities if you know the top 3 requisites, reading, writting, and research

Answer 2

Historian Careers

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is being a historian a realistic career goal?
Are there any professional historians out there? I just love history, and I'd love to be a historian, but my teacher tells me there aren't very many jobs. I know I'd need to go to school for a long time, but is it possible? Where can you work? Is it just at Universities?

Answer 4

Being a historian is a very realistic goal. I personally am the Executive Director of a large local history museum in Michigan. The museum industry will have great opportunities for advancement in the next few years as the baby-boomers retire.

Your best bet at making history a career is to attend the Cooperstown Museum Studies program in Cooperstown, NY (it has a nearly 100% placement rate for historians). It is extremely competitive. But if you plan early it should be very achievable. Study history and/or preservation at whatever college you attend. While you are in school volunteer at one or more local history museums. Volunteer to help with everything and anything. Get your hands dirty and make sure that you try all aspects of the museum world. The more you do, the better your resume for when you apply to Cooperstown. Make sure your grades are at least a 3.5.

Good luck...we need more young professionals in this career field.

By the way, I had a choice to make in my career. I could either on to get my masters and/or PhD or get job experience. I interned at Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum for two years. Eventually earned myself a full-time job in their exhibit design department. That led to a supervisor job and 7 years later to a directorship at only 35 years old. Half of my job is research and writing. The other half involves fundraising, exhibit design, lectures, supervision of interns/volunteers, the care and preservation of artifacts and archives, cleaning floors, etc. It's a great career.

Answer 5

As far as the "where can you work?", the major of Public History is becoming more popular as it's specifically geared towards working outside of the classroom. Public Historians manage historic sites, archives, compile oral histories, curate museums, etc.. Once again, the competition is stiff and the pay's not great for the amount of education you are required to have (though you don't starve either).

A few links:

Public History & Public History programs
http://www.publichistory.org/what_is/index.html

Occupational Outlook for historians
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos054.htm
(you may also want to check curators or other disciplines)

It is a noble calling, but not a lucrative one. OTOH, better a moderately paying job you love than a higher paying one you hate (I speak from experience).

A lot of people who major in history also have degrees in Library Science (like me), or Education (so they can teach in high schools- personally I'd rather go before the Inquisition wearing a 'The Pope is the AntiChrist' t-shirt), or other employable degrees.

Answer 6

Not just universities but also think tanks and archival societies....AND museums, too.

Yes, you would have to go to school for a long time in order to be a professional historian. You would first get your B.A. in history, then your M.A., and then your Ph.D. If you want to teach at a jr. college, then you only need your M.A. If you want to go further and teach at a university, then you would need to have a Ph.D. or be in the process of earning one. Plus, you would have to make stellar grades, too as well as discuss your career goals with a career counselor.

Your teacher is right that there aren't many jobs in academia but more and more older professors are retiring from their jobs.

Don't let that deter you, though. Just think realistically. Always have a backup plan in case something doesn't work out. In my case, I wanted to do the same thing as you. I got my bachelor's degree in history but I couldn't find a job that would allow me to pursue a master's degree (plus my grades weren't really that good) so I changed my grad. school major to library science. I might get my master's degree after that, depending on how I feel after 6 years of work.

I don't mean to say this but you also might want to look in the prospect of law school after you get your history degree (I thought about it, too but the mere idea of me being a lawyer made me sick to my stomach). However, other people seem to enjoy learning about the law and practicing it (I should know; I work for a law library).

What you could do is major in social science (depending upon what state you reside in) and teach middle school or high school history (or double major in both).

Whatever you do, do what makes you happy. Do what you feel God has called you to do in life. History, above all, is a fun major if you can really get into it. Just because I am planning on to be a librarian doesn't mean that I'm not a historian. Since I have a degree in history and training in historical research but no advanced degrees, I'd like to refer to myself as a "semi-professional historian." :)

Answer 7

I think it's very admirable for you to want a historian career. It's true that there aren't many jobs, but if you persevere, you can get almost anywhere. ;)

You can be creative about this, actually. Let's take JRR Tolkein for example. He was a history writer. His trilogy, Lord of the Rings, was about the World Wars and the ring represented power. [I just thought the idea was cool. :)) Sorry.]

Well, here's an outline of paths you can take:
- Educator
- Writer and Editor
- Information Manager
- Researcher
- Advocates
- Business People

If you want it more specific, check out my source.

Good luck! :)

Answer 8

The jobs are indeed not many, and most require a doctoral degree. Most historians out there teach, a few edit scholarly journals. Very few (who have secured financial support from grant-making organizations or private donors) do research full-time; the rest work on their research projects in their spare time.

Answer 9

Plan on getting a PhD and working at a university. Jobs would be very limited but if this is really what you want than you should go for it. At least you are being realistic and know what the job market is.

Answer 10

Schools, universities, research and writing.