The Rest is History: Careers for History Majors

Before you throw history into the pile of “useless college majors,” consider that, in fact, history majors are qualified for an interesting and varied cross-section of careers. A history major is not, contrary to popular belief, relegated to a life of teaching history to disinterested teens. From advertising to journalism, the list of potential careers is lengthy. Below, we highlight some possibilities for the student interested in history.

Writing, Editing, and Communicating
As a staple of the humanities, history as a field of study yields much more than just a knowledge of historical dates and names. For the student, studying history means becoming skilled in all forms of communication, particularly writing. According to the American Historical Association, many history majors find careers as writers, editors, or even producers of multimedia such as television programs, websites, and documentaries. Studying history also fosters the ability to use a variety of sources, to understand the necessity of verification, to think analytically, and to write clearly, all skills that are vitally important in the writing, journalism, and communications fields. Famous writers who majored in history include Ayn Rand, Annie Proulx, and Tony Horowitz.
Key Schools: College of William and Mary, Northwestern University

A Career in Advocacy
History majors are well-versed in law, which may lead to numerous career paths, from advocating within a foundation or non-profit organization to being a lawyer, paralegal, or case researcher offering litigation support. These experts in the field of law often end up working on major cases involving civil rights and litigation, which have far-reaching societal effects. Additionally, the footprint left by history majors can extend into government, policymaking, foreign-service, and even working for and with congressman and senators. Among the lawmakers who studied history are Senators Bill Bradley, Orrin Hatch, and the late U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Key Schools: University of Dayton (pre-law program), DeSales University (history pre-law track), Philadelphia University (law and society degree)

Historians in Business
Though it sounds counterintuitive, history and business actually work well together. Many history majors find their educational backgrounds and skills applicable to marketing, information resource management, legal affairs, finance and control, administration, human resources, and operations. Indeed, most major corporations need archivists and records managers as well as human resources representatives who understand different cultures and sociological histories. Many companies also seek talented writers to research and write histories for anniversaries or milestone events. As in writing and communication, the strong analytical and language skills honed in history majors are much desired by corporations. Chrysler C.E.O. Lee Iacocca, Hewlett-Packard C.E.O. Carly Fiorina, and Martha Stewart, who all studied history in college, have a combined net worth of nearly 700 million dollars.

Education
One of the more obvious career paths for history majors is education. What we fail to realize sometimes, however, is that history teachers are invaluable at every level, not just in high schools. Elementary schools, for instance, need teachers who know geography, anthropology, and sociology in order to help young students understand the implications of history and culture. In high schools and colleges, teachers and professors who possess a deep understanding of history are in demand to teach courses about Western Civilization, world history, military history, and more.
Key Schools: For both business and education, you may consider a double major or minoring in either business or education while majoring in history, or vice versa. Be sure to let your counselor or college coach know that your interest lies in multiple areas of study so that he or she can help you find a school that’s best for you.

Do not write off the value of a history major. A diverse, interesting, and far-reaching career may await you!

Written by Phil Lane

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