What
can you do with a History Major?
The
answer to this frequently asked question is "nothing
and everything." Like other liberal arts majors, History
does not directly prepare you for a career with a particular
job description. Rather, it broadens the scope of your knowledge.
It helps you expand your understanding of how we humans
have acted and could act, of how we made decisions in different
situations, and how we can interpret the same event in different
ways. This type of understanding helps you become a flexible
problem solver. The major also helps to develop communication
skills, both written and oral, and the ability to write
a logical, persuasive argument. All of these skills and
ways of thinking will help you in whatever career you choose.
But
what career paths do Miami History majors take?
Some of our alumni go on to careers related to history -
graduate school in History aiming to teach at the college
level, graduate school in Education in order to teach history
in high school or to younger children, graduate programs
for training to work in archives, in museums or in the growing
field of historical film. Other majors go on for Masters
in Library Science and many go to law school. Still others
will use their love of research in jobs not directly related
to history - newspapers, government offices, business. The
answer to the question - they take all paths. The History
major might not train you for a specific job, but it does
not limit you. In fact, training for one specific kind of
job may not make sense in the 21st century. In future years,
many Americans will change their ways of earning a living
more than once, moving to jobs which don't even exist now.
The person with the skills described above will have the
adaptability sought by employers.
How
do you locate the right path?
It's never too early to think about how your interests could
translate into a career. Internships, study abroad, class
research projects, summer jobs and extracurricular activities
can help you to understand how you might want to apply your
history major later on. But we wouldn't be historians if
we didn't suggest that you do some research. If you're interested
in graduate school in History and related fields, speak
to your professors! But don't forget Miami's Career Services
Office. Their counselors will help you identify the skills
you've developed and how to use them in your search. They
constantly update their website with links to sites of interest
to history majors. Their library also has books about jobs
available by area of the country or world that you might
want to live in (e.g. How to Get a Job in Denver
and Jobs for People Who Love to Travel) and types
of jobs (e.g. Museum Careers, Teaching English
Abroad, The U.S. Government Manual), as well
as books which specifically address us (e.g. Great Jobs
for History Majors). The websites give you a variety
of direct connections for internships and careers. The American Historical Association offers information about jobs and careers for history majors on their website. You're
not alone in this - talk to your professors, and link up
to Arts
and Science Advising and the Career
Services Office in your junior year!
Alumnus
Rob Slee, '80, reflects on the value of the major in his
"Ode
to the History Major."
Sampling
of links available on the Career
Services website:
Alliance for Justice
American Historical Association
AmeriCorps
The Black Collegian
Online
The
Brookings Institution
Careers in
Government
Corporation for National and Community Service
Equal Opportunity Publications,
Inc.
GuideStar
IMDiversity.com
Peace Corps
Project America
Quintessential
Careers
Smithsonian Institution
The Society for Historical
Archaeology
State of Ohio Home Page
WorldTeach
INTERNSHIPS
Idealist.org
Studentjobs.gov
Studyabroad.com
Intern Abroad
United Nations Human Resources
Management
U.S.
Department of State Internships Index
Resources
for Jobs Outside Academia
(compiled by the American Historical Association)
