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What kind of jobs could I do with a history background?
I'm very interested in history and studying it in college but I don't know about many jobs that have to do with History. I want to know what I would be able to do with a history degree. #criminal-justice
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Desiree’s Answer
Many lawyers & politicians have history undergraduate degrees. For example, President Joe Biden; former Presidents Geo W Bush, Geo HW Bush, Nixon and Kennedy; Chief Justice John Roberts; Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, (the late) Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy all have/had BA's in History.
On the other hand, so do many comedians (see Sacha Baron Cohen, Conan O'Brien, Janeane Garofalo, Larry David, and Steve Carell).
And others, too - like singer Lauryn Hill and pro athletes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Grant Hill.
Research careers that require history degrees. Look at the websites for university history departments for ideas or search on-line.
Research people (famous and otherwise) with history degrees and how they have made their careers
Talk to your history teachers about what their career path was and ask about what their friends and peers from university are doing with their history degrees.
On the other hand, so do many comedians (see Sacha Baron Cohen, Conan O'Brien, Janeane Garofalo, Larry David, and Steve Carell).
And others, too - like singer Lauryn Hill and pro athletes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Grant Hill.
Desiree recommends the following next steps:
Thanks a lot this was really informative and helpful
Armany
Good luck, Armany! (Please do not think teaching - a very noble career! - is your only option with a history degree.)
Desiree Giler Mann
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
With a history degree, you'll most likely be teaching in some capacity, either in grade school, or in college. You'd probably want to get an education degree mixed into your plans if you want to do grade school. There are a lot of people with Masters/PhDs floating around looking for jobs, so be warned that a job as a professor is far from guaranteed, so I'd be careful about that route unless you have a deep passion for it. I'd advise getting at least a minor in a separate field to balance out the degree if possible. I'd also recommend networking with your professors and faculty who will be writing the recommendations for any graduate level degrees you will be pursuing. When you become a professor, they are likely to remain in your long-term professional network.
Thanks for your response I really appreciate it and it has given me a lot to think about.
Armany
Updated
Anthony’s Answer
Hey Armany,
Some options for a career with a history background include:
High school history teacher
Community college history lecturer
College or university history professor
Government historian
Historical consultant
Political advisor
Museum curator
Archivist - usually working in a library
Some options for a career with a history background include:
High school history teacher
Community college history lecturer
College or university history professor
Government historian
Historical consultant
Political advisor
Museum curator
Archivist - usually working in a library
Thank you for this I had never heard of some of these jobs and they sound very interesting and now I look forward to looking more into them.
Armany
My pleasure Armando. Look them up online and see what you find. Wishing you all the best.
Anthony Sharp - The Edutainer (HE He/Him/His)