Is there a need for historians?

Question

I am a senior in high school, and I need some info on possible careers. I absolutely love history, but I just want to know realistically if it is a good choice or not.

Answer 1

Honestly, I don't know what the market is like or what the calling for historians is.

But it makes me happy to hear that some highschoolers still like history. The fact of the matter is, not enough people do anymore, and it's a shame. So stick with it.

You could definitely get a job in a museum with a degree in history, and possibly move up to curator (would probably take some time).

Or you could major in history and minor in something to go with it. (ie, archaeology, anthropology.... i personally despise the latter). Major in something more job-marketable and minor in history for fun.

But honestly, the best plan would be to get a teaching degree in history, and start instilling the same passion for the subject that you have into the minds of future generations. Teach them in a way that they will grasp it and  enjoy it. Besides, we need more passionate teachers that actually give a d**n. Also, you would be able to keep working on it while you teach and eventually work towards a Ph.D.

But definitely stick with it, no matter what course you choose.

Answer 2

Without historians, who is going to collect the history of our times? And to be able to put it in context. If future generations viewed Entertainment Tonight, or read some of the trash papers that abound these days and center themselves on the antics of Paris and Britney etc.etc. they'd have a pretty strange notion of what life was like. Historians help provide a balanced view of a society.

Answer 3

Do what you're interested in now and see where it takes you, you'll have 3/4 years doing what you enjoy, then you can decide to go on to postgrad or whatever; regardless, you'll find something, and therell are a lot of differentoptions open to you on where to go next with a degree in something like history.

Answer 4

If you decide to major in history in college, and then go on to graduate school to get your advanced degrees, most of your job opportunities will be in teaching -- probably at the high school level if you earn a Master's degree, or at the college level if you get a Ph.D.  (There are other job options.  For example, some historians work in the publishing business, writing and editing history books or magazines.  Some work for museums or government agencies.  But most professional historians are teachers.)

Answer 5

Yes, all the jobs mentioned above, and also the diplomatic service, though it helps to have some money in the family background too for that one.

Answer 6

Look,  go ahead, get a major in History, whatever kind  of History you want. It will lead you to something you want to do. Forget about career and the emphasis of money. With a History degree. you can be a specialist in something, while being a bartender, a cab driver, a World traveler or or an interesting person. With a degree in History, you can eventually get a job where you want. The World needs folks with History objectives to progress. Your goal should eventually be specific, in a a field that  ultimately interests you, and you should try to be a pundit in that field.

Answer 7

There is definitely an interest in history, but I don't think that there is a demand for people who majors in history. If you decide to major in history, there are only few jobs. However, the most common for a person majoring in history is a teaching job. Here are a list of jobs and other jobs that involve history as a minor.

Historians for national parks, official historic sites

Teachers

Museum Curator

If you decide to major in law school, learning history is very important

public history or historic perservation

if you decide to major in communications or government, learning history is very important

writer- writing historical books

if you decide to major in art, learning history is very important

Answer 8

As most of the others have noted, a career in history either means teaching or working at a museum ... for the most part.  However, if you enjoy history and aren't sure what to do, study it anyway.

I was a double-major history/English in college and ended up with a teaching degree.  I decided that I didn't want to teach, and after a long road, ended up in sales.

Okay, so if you would have told me I would end up in sales when I was your age, I probably would have laughed at the idea.  That said, I have a huge leg-up on my sales counterparts based on my history education.  

When you study history in college, you learn to analyze past events to predict future outcomes.  You look at a myriad of details and synthesize these events/activities.  As a salesperson, my job is to find the best product to meet a client's needs.  That means looking at their past experience, and determining a successful solution to a problem.  My business major counterparts may have a stronger understanding of the dollars flowing through the business, but they don't know how to position our products based on past experiences.  This has truly allowed me to set myself apart.

I am now an amateur historian.  I enjoy reading history books and watching T.V. shows about historical events I find interesting.  But, I wouldn't trade my history degree for a business one if you paid me.

So, study history.  Get your degree.  It's a ticket into many professions.  Don't listen to the folks who tell you that history is a one-way path.  If you teach or become a museum archivist, great!  If not, know that your history teachings will give you strong skills that will be applicable to so many careers!