Preparing for a fulfilling job should begin early during your college years and involve nurturing ongoing connections with faculty, alumni and the Center for Vocation and Career.
If you hope to find a job after you graduate, it's a good idea to build your network starting in your freshman year. Chat with speakers who come to campus, pursue summer internships, and talk with faculty. Be sure to register with the Center for Vocation and Career and take advantage of the resources and networks they offer, too.
There are many opportunities for history majors to apply their skills in the marketplace. Here are just a few of the fields you might consider as you look for your first job.
Jobs Outside Academia
- Museums: Overview of the Career and The American Association of Museums
- Editing & Publishing: Overview of the Career
- Archives: Overview of the Career, Society of American Archivists, National Council on Public History, Society for History in the Federal Government
- Historic Preservation: Overview of the Career
- Government: Overview of the Career, Office of Personnel Management. (This site lists all available federal jobs, so seekers must search for relevant listings. Many are listed under GS-170 Historian.)
- Historical societies: The American Association for State and Local History
Teaching History
Have you considered teaching history in secondary schools? It's never too late to get certified, and earn an advanced degree in the process.
- The Wheaton College Graduate School offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree that is "designed to prepare educators to integrate faith and learning through graduate level experiences from a Christian perspective. The program is designed to enable educators to become producers as well as consumers of classroom research through internship and induction year experiences. It also provides opportunity for greater depth in one's discipline. These combined elements unite theory and practice to create Christian educators who are equipped for tomorrow's classrooms."
- Jobs in the classroom for historians