What can I do with my history degree?
This degree can provide you with skills that will open doors to a variety of different career paths. History graduates have strong analytical and communication skills, which are great to have for a career in the likes of law, marketing, business and HR. Popular career choices that are directly linked to a history degree include working in a museum or art gallery or in academia or education.
Career options
Natural career paths following an events management degree:
- Academic researcher
- Archivist
- Heritage manager
- Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
- Museum education officer
- Museum/gallery curator
- Museum/gallery exhibitions officer
- Secondary school teacher
Career paths (transferable skills):
- Academic librarian
- Archaeologist
- Broadcast journalist
- Civil Service administrator
- Editorial Assistant
- Human resources officer
- Information officer
- Marketing Executive
- Policy officer
- Politician’s assistant
- Solicitor
- Talent agent
Many employers will accept applications from students that have studied various degrees.
Work experience
Those wanting to find a career within the museums and heritage sector should investigate doing an industry placement, pre-entry work is valued highly. Your careers department at your university should be able to help you identify these. You can also see whether there are any voluntary or part-time roles in your local area. You can reach out to your local museums directly to query this. Having pre-entry work will show that you are passionate and committed to a career in the sector. Previous work experience will enable your application to stand out amongst your competition. It will also provide you with the opportunity to network and build a list of contacts who may become useful in the future.
Typical employers
The skills of a historian will be in demand and valued by many employers and organisations such as heritage organisations, museums and libraries. However, if you want to branch out beyond this, there will also be a number of opportunities that will require your skill set in the following sectors:
- Accountancy firms
- Archive and records offices
- Banks
- Charities
- Higher education institutions (HEIs)
- International development organisations
- Law firms
- Management consultancies
- Publishing companies
- Retailers
- Schools
- Television and radio broadcasters.
How to enhance your CV
Through your degree, you will have learnt specialised skills in communication, critical thinking and gathering, investigating and assessing material. However, you will have also developed additional skills which will be transferable.
Make sure the following skills are highlighted on your CV:
- Skills for thinking critically and analysing information, including problem-solving and creative thinking abilities.
- Intellectual rigour and independence, including the ability to conduct thorough research.
- Ability to construct and present persuasive arguments verbally and in writing.
- Capability to work independently, manage time efficiently, and set priorities.
- Ability to participate in group discussions, negotiate, question, and summarise ideas.
- Capacity to think objectively and approach problems and new situations with an open mind.
- Understanding the various factors that influence the actions of individuals and groups in society.
Further study
Many graduates do decide to continue to study for a Masters degree if they are interested in becoming specialised in a particular field that they are passionate about. Other graduates may decide that they would like to study for a different postgraduate course, such as accountancy, journalism, law or teaching. These courses will teach you the basic vocational training for particular occupations – so make sure you do your research and are certain before you commit.
What are history graduates doing?
The most popular career path amongst history graduates is within the public sector, according to a survey conducted by Cibyl. Besides that, the top 5 jobs amongst this cohort 15 months after graduation includes teaching, sales, marketing, business and research and administrative roles.
Related Courses
UWS’s BA Journalism will teach you everything you need to know to become a savvy, multimedia-skilled journalist and reporter. Learn the skills to drop the latest breaking news story. Underpinned by theoretical insight into ethical and effective journalism, you’ll study news reporting, develop interview techniques, and hone your writing skills to meet the practical demands of today’s fast-paced news environment. You’ll also have the option to specialise in either Sports or Magazine Journalism as you progress through the programme.
Launch your career in business with the University of the West of Scotland’s BA Business degree programme. Developed in partnership with business and industry leaders at the forefront of their profession, this programme will equip you with the skills and attitude to meet the challenges of a stimulating career in business. You can also tailor this programme to suit your interests and career goals, with a number of optional modules available throughout the course of your study.
The BA (Hons) Law covers a wide range of legal subjects so that you are skilled in advising organisations on how to comply with their legal obligations and prepares you for success in legal or law-related settings.
This degree will equip you with a solid understanding of how laws and regulations shape our society, enabling you to embark on a career in a wide variety of sectors that use law. You’ll also learn the knowledge and skills sought after by employers in law-related and business sectors.
