graduate jobs in History

Graduate Jobs in History

How is a degree in History useful?

History degrees are very popular known for attracting some of the brightest and best academics. However, afterwards many history graduates wonder how they can use their degree in the professional world with regards to getting a job.

Graduate History jobs require the key skills that a history degree arms someone with. These include analytical, cross-referencing, writing and intense research skills. All of which can be very appealing to employers in a wide range of graduate careers but they want you to know that you have these skills and that they are useful to them so make sure you sell them in CVs, covering letters and in interviews.

What can I expect to be doing as a History graduate?

The jobs that require these skills range across many industries; from advertising and marketing to HR and business management, history's large requirement to plan, think analytically and to learn and retain facts is required. Neither is it unusual for history graduates to enter fields not so closely associated with the degree itself like accounting. Although, these usually contain a conversion course at the start of the job position and you must be able to show some kind of affinity for numeracy and maths.

Career Progression

How your future unfolds as a history graduate naturally relies heavily upon what career path you choose to follow. However, what you must be able to do, as does anyone with a non-vocational degree, is display an ability to learn and adapt quickly. Despite what some say, those with vocational degrees are not the only ones who are employable. However, when they enter a job that is appropriate to their degree they may have some knowledge and experience that you have yet to learn. You need to be able to prove that you can pick these kinds of things up quickly.

The Challenges

Again, due to it being a non-vocational degree there can be some resistance at first when applying for jobs that some applicants have a specific degree for. However, if you can demonstrate your skills having a history degree is by no means a hinderence in this regard. What is more so is actually other history graduates; it is a very popular degree to complete so you may have to go out of your way on the extra-curricular front to seperate yourself from the rest of the country's history graduates.

Expected Salary

Dependable upon industry. Most history graduates claim to earn around the £20,000 mark to begin with, increasing with promotions.

by Mark Towers graduate-jobs.com