How to Navigate the Job Market: Careers for Historians.

So, you have a history degree, and maybe you’ve heard the old story: “That basically means you’ll be a teacher or a professor, right?” Let me tell you, that narrative is as old as, well, history itself. While teaching and academic research are definitely important jobs, the skills you pick up as a historian – thinking critically, researching meticulously, arguing convincingly, and understanding context like nobody’s business – they’re not just useful; they’re essential in today’s super complex, data-filled world. I’m going to cut through all the noise and give you some real, actionable ways for historians to find awesome and impactful careers outside the traditional academic path.

The Secret Weapon: Your Historian’s Skillset

Before we jump into specific jobs, let’s break down the core things that make a historian uniquely valuable in the job market right now. Understanding these strengths is the first step to really selling yourself.

• You’re a Research and Information Whiz: Historians don’t just find information; you vet it, cross-reference sources, and pull seemingly unrelated dots together into a clear story. This is gold for things like market research, intelligence analysis, or even data journalism. Imagine a market researcher trying to figure out what’s new in beauty trends. A historian doesn’t just look at sales numbers; you trace the history of beauty standards, the ebb and flow of ingredients, and the social and cultural forces that shape buying habits. That kind of deep understanding gives you predictive power, not just a description of what’s happening now.

• You’re a Critical Thinker and Problem-Solver: Spotting bias, taking apart arguments, and understanding how things cause other things – that’s your daily grind as a historian. This translates directly to solving problems in business, government, and non-profits. Think about a management consultant advising a company that’s struggling. A historian doesn’t just look at the balance sheet; you analyze the company’s past decisions, how its structure has changed, and external market shifts to get to the root of the problem and come up with solutions that consider the long-term impact.

• You’re a Communication and Storytelling Master: From ancient texts to modern books, historians are expert storytellers, turning complicated info into engaging and easy-to-understand narratives. This skill is like gold in marketing, public relations, content creation, and even grant writing. Think about a content manager for a tech company. Instead of just listing features, you, as a history graduate, can frame the product’s evolution as a journey, highlighting milestones and hinting at future impact, really connecting with customers on both an emotional and intellectual level.

• You Understand Context and Have Empathy: A historian knows that nothing happens in a vacuum. This ability to see how things are connected and appreciate different perspectives is crucial in roles where you need to work with many different people, develop policies, or communicate across cultures. For a diplomat or a non-profit program manager, understanding the historical grievances or cultural nuances of a community is absolutely essential for effective work and lasting solutions.

• You’re Great at Project Management and Organization: Doing massive research, managing sources, hitting deadlines, and structuring a comprehensive thesis – these are all serious project management skills. This often-overlooked ability makes historians excellent candidates for jobs that need careful planning and execution. Imagine designing a museum exhibit. The whole process – from the initial idea to putting it all together – is a huge project that requires historical accuracy, coordinating logistics, and leading a team.

Now, let’s explore some real job opportunities.

Beyond Academia: Your Diverse Career Paths Await

The following sections aren’t every single job out there, but they show you some significant and growing areas where your skills as a historian are incredibly valuable. For each, I’ll give you specific roles and explain how your unique perspective adds value.

1. Data, Information, and Archives Management

The digital world is creating an unimaginable amount of information. Organizations are drowning in data but desperately need insights. Historians are perfectly positioned to bring order, context, and meaning to this chaos.

• Archivist: This is probably the most direct historical application outside of academia. Archivists preserve and manage historical records, making sure they’re available for research and for future generations. This isn’t just about traditional libraries; think corporate archives, government agencies (like the National Archives), and non-profits.
  • Your Edge: You deeply understand where things come from, how valuable they are, and their historical importance. You don’t just file; you interpret and give context.
  • What You Can Do: Volunteer at local archives or historical societies. Look into certifications in archival studies, which library science programs often offer.
• Records Manager: Similar to archivists, but you’re focused on an organization’s current records, making sure they comply with laws, are easy to find, and are properly disposed of when no longer needed. Think healthcare, finance, or law firms.
  • Your Edge: You appreciate the long-term value of information, understand legal frameworks, and can categorize complex data. You prevent future historical headaches!
  • What You Can Do: Look into ARMA International (Association of Records Managers and Administrators) for certifications and industry best practices.
• Knowledge Manager: In big companies, knowledge managers help share and use organizational knowledge, often involving internal wikis, training materials, and best practice repositories.
  • Your Edge: You’re good at structuring information, finding key stories, and understanding how knowledge evolves and is shared within a “corporate culture.” You build internal histories to help a company perform better in the future.
  • What You Can Do: Get strong technical skills in content management systems (CMS) and collaborative platforms (like SharePoint, Confluence).
• Data Curator/Librarian: In scientific, research, or large data-driven organizations, data curators make sure data sets are well-documented, easy to find, and useful for future analysis.
  • Your Edge: You pay meticulous attention to metadata, understand version control, and appreciate the “historical record” of how data was created and changed. You ensure data integrity for its future “researchers.”
  • What You Can Do: Explore courses in data management, database systems, and information science. Get familiar with standard data formats.

2. Research, Analysis, and Intelligence

Historians are natural analysts. This makes you perfect for roles that need careful investigation, spotting patterns, and insightful reporting.

• Market Researcher/Consumer Insights Analyst: Companies need to grasp their target audiences, market trends, and what their competitors are doing. Historians excel at deep dives.
  • Your Edge: You can trace the historical evolution of consumer behavior, cultural shifts affecting markets, and the long-term paths of industries. You don’t just see the what; you understand the why from a long-term perspective.
  • A Real Example: A historian working for a sneaker company could research the social and economic factors that led to the rise of sneaker culture, find historical parallels in fashion trends, and predict future shifts based on this deep contextual understanding, not just recent sales data.
  • What You Can Do: Develop quantitative skills (statistics, Excel, R/Python for data analysis). Get familiar with market research methods (surveys, focus groups, competitive intelligence).
• Policy Analyst/Researcher (Government & Think Tanks): Non-profits, government agencies, and think tanks need rigorous research to inform policy decisions.
  • Your Edge: You can analyze past policy successes and failures, understand long-term societal impacts, and anticipate unintended consequences. You bring historical foresight to future policy.
  • A Real Example: A historian at a think tank looking at climate change policy wouldn’t just analyze current emissions data. You’d research the history of energy policy, international climate negotiations, past industrial revolutions, and the social movements that shaped environmental awareness, offering a richer, more nuanced policy recommendation.
  • What You Can Do: Follow relevant government agencies, think tanks, and policy organizations. Network with people in these fields. Strong writing and presentation skills are absolutely critical.
• Intelligence Analyst (Government & Private Sector): Roles in intelligence agencies (like the CIA, NSA, FBI, Department of Defense) or private security firms involve collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing information to inform decision-makers on national security, global shifts, or corporate security.
  • Your Edge: You have an exceptional ability to link disconnected pieces of information, identify patterns, understand cultural contexts, and anticipate future paths based on historical precedents. You understand the historical forces shaping current events.
  • What You Can Do: Be aware of strict background checks. Consider internships. Develop strong analytical and foreign language skills. Understand the global political landscape.
• Due Diligence Analyst: In finance or corporate mergers/acquisitions, analysts do extensive research to assess risks and opportunities related to potential investments or partnerships.
  • Your Edge: You have meticulous research skills, the ability to uncover “hidden histories” of companies or individuals, and can spot potential red flags by understanding past patterns of behavior (e.g., regulatory violations, ethical lapses). You reveal the historical skeletons in the closet.
  • What You Can Do: Get familiar with financial statements and corporate structures. Strong legal research skills are a bonus.

3. Communication, Content, and Storytelling

Your ability as a historian to create compelling stories from complex information is a highly valuable skill across many different industries.

• Content Writer/Strategist: Websites, blogs, marketing materials, and social media all need engaging, well-researched content.
  • Your Edge: You can do thorough research, structure information logically, craft compelling narratives, and adjust your tone for different audiences. You’re not just writing; you’re informing and engaging with historical depth.
  • A Real Example: A historian hired by an educational technology company could develop engaging historical content for interactive learning modules, making sure it’s not just factually accurate but also has a compelling story flow that grabs student interest.
  • What You Can Do: Build a strong portfolio of writing samples (blog posts, articles, web copy). Learn SEO best practices. Understand how to keep your target audience engaged.
• Marketing & Public Relations Specialist: PR professionals manage an organization’s public image, needing strong communication skills and an understanding of public perception.
  • Your Edge: You can understand historical public reactions, anticipate future responses based on past trends, and create messages that resonate culturally and historically. You can shape narratives with a sense of historical consequence.
  • A Real Example: During a company crisis, a historian in PR might research similar past crises, analyze how the public historically reacted to such events, and advise on communication strategies that acknowledge historical context and effectively rebuild trust.
  • What You Can Do: Take courses in marketing, public relations, and social media management. Internship experience is incredibly valuable.
• Grant Writer/Development Professional: Non-profits and educational institutions heavily rely on grant funding. This needs persuasive writing and a deep understanding of organizational goals and impact.
  • Your Edge: You can clearly articulate an organization’s history, mission, and impact in a compelling story, backed by rigorous research and clear arguments. You sell the historical significance and future impact of a cause.
  • What You Can Do: Volunteer for a non-profit to get experience. Study successful grant proposals. Develop strong persuasive writing skills.
• Technical Writer: Explaining complex technical information clearly and concisely (e.g., user manuals, software documentation).
  • Your Edge: Meticulous attention to detail, logical structuring of information, and the ability to break down complex processes into understandable steps. You document the “history” of a product’s functionality.
  • What You Can Do: Learn about industry standards for technical documentation. Get familiar with DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) or other content structuring methods.
• Journalist/Editor: Investigative journalism, historical features, and non-fiction publishing all rely heavily on historical research and storytelling skills.
  • Your Edge: Rigorous research methods, source evaluation, ability to build coherent arguments, and compelling storytelling. You go beyond the headlines to uncover the historical roots.
  • What You Can Do: Publish articles in student newspapers, online journals, or local publications. Develop strong interviewing and reporting skills.

4. Cultural Heritage and Museums

While somewhat academic, these roles offer unique chances for historians to directly engage with the public and preserve cultural memory.

• Curator/Exhibit Developer: Designing and creating museum exhibitions, which needs research, interpretation, and public engagement.
  • Your Edge: Deep subject matter expertise, ability to craft compelling stories from artifacts, and understanding how to make history accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. You bring history to life.
  • What You Can Do: Volunteer or intern at museums. Develop strong project management and visual communication skills.
• Collections Manager: You’re responsible for the care, documentation, and accessibility of museum collections.
  • Your Edge: Understanding of historical context, provenance, and the importance of artifacts, ensuring their proper preservation and interpretation. You are the guardian of historical objects.
  • What You Can Do: Get experience with collections database software. Learn about conservation best practices.
• Historic Preservationist: Working to protect and interpret built environments and landscapes that have historical significance.
  • Your Edge: Deep knowledge of architectural history, urban development, and the social and cultural forces that shaped historical spaces. You preserve the story embedded in structures.
  • What You Can Do: Explore graduate programs in historic preservation. Volunteer with local preservation societies.

5. Education and Training (Non-Academic)

Your ability to educate, synthesize, and present information is broadly useful outside of traditional K-12 or university settings.

• Training & Development Specialist: Designing and delivering training programs for corporate employees on various subjects (e.g., onboarding, skill development, compliance).
  • Your Edge: Ability to structure learning modules, present complex information clearly, and create engaging narratives that help people understand and retain what they learn. You make learning memorable through context.
  • What You Can Do: Research instructional design principles. Develop strong presentation and facilitation skills.
• Corporate Historian: Some large companies hire historians to document their own institutional history, often for branding, internal identity, or executive training.
  • Your Edge: Expertise in archival research, interviewing, and building narratives, applied to a company’s unique journey. You are the loremaster of a company’s past.
  • What You Can Do: Build a strong network. Get an understanding of business operations and corporate culture. Experience with oral history techniques is valuable.

How to Make the Leap: Strategic Career Transition Steps

Now that we’ve looked at potential paths, let’s talk about how to actually make the move. This isn’t about abandoning your historical identity; it’s about using it strategically.

1. Pinpoint Your Transferable Skills (And Explain Them Clearly)

This is the absolute foundation. Don’t just list your degree. Translate your academic achievements into measurable, marketable professional skills.

• Instead of: “Wrote a 100-page thesis on medieval urbanism.”
• Try: “Conducted extensive primary and secondary source research, synthesizing complex information into a comprehensive 100-page analytical report. Managed a multi-year independent research project from conception to completion, meeting rigorous deadlines and delivering a high-quality product.”

• Instead of: “Presented at academic conferences.”

• Try: “Delivered persuasive oral presentations to diverse audiences, effectively communicating complex research findings and engaging in critical Q&A sessions. Developed strong public speaking and presentation design skills.”

• Instead of: “Analyzed historical documents.”

• Try: “Performed critical analysis of disparate textual and visual data, identifying patterns, evaluating credibility, and constructing evidence-based arguments. Expert in qualitative data analysis and interpretation.”

2. Fill Skill Gaps Smartly

While your core historical skills are powerful, some industries need specific technical proficiencies. Don’t be afraid to learn.

• Quantitative Skills: Many analytical jobs (market research, data analysis, policy analysis) require at least basic statistics, spreadsheet skills (Excel), and often programming languages like R or Python for data manipulation. Free online courses (Coursera, edX, Khan Academy) are excellent places to start.
• Software Proficiency: Learn industry-standard software for the roles you’re aiming for (e.g., Salesforce for sales/CRM, Adobe Creative Suite for content/design, specific CMS platforms).
• Project Management Methods: Get familiar with agile, scrum, or waterfall methodologies. Certifications (e.g., CAPM, PMP) can be worth it.
• Digital Marketing/SEO: If you’re looking at content or marketing roles, understanding search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and analytics is crucial.

3. Build a Portfolio (Even Without Professional Experience)

Your academic work is part of your professional portfolio. But you can adapt it.

• Reimagine Research Papers: Turn a long academic paper into a series of blog posts, a concise executive summary, or a compelling infographic. This shows you can communicate complex ideas in different ways.
• Create “Spec Work”: If you want to be a content writer, write a blog post for a fictional company in an industry that interests you. If you want to be a policy analyst, draft a short policy memo on a current issue.
• Volunteer & Intern: This is invaluable. A three-month internship at a non-profit focusing on communications or research can be more impactful than another academic publication when trying to get a non-academic job. It shows practical application and a commitment to a different sector.
• Start a Niche Blog/Podcast: Apply your historical lens to current issues (e.g., “The History of AI,” “Public Health Through the Ages”). This showcases your expertise, communication skills, and ability to connect with a wider audience.

4. Network Like a Historian

Networking isn’t about collecting business cards; it’s about building relationships and understanding people’s stories.

• Informational Interviews: Reach out to people in roles or industries that interest you (find them on LinkedIn). Explain your background, express your interest, and ask for 20 minutes of their time to learn about their career path, the challenges of their job, and what they look for in new hires. This is research.
• Professional Associations: Join relevant professional groups (e.g., American Alliance of Museums, Public Relations Society of America, Special Libraries Association, ARMA International). Attend virtual or local meetings.
• Leverage Alumni Networks: Your university’s alumni office is an untapped resource. Many alumni, having been in your shoes, are eager to help.

5. Customize (and Translate) Your Job Applications

Generic applications send one message: “I didn’t try very hard.” Customizing is crucial.

• Dissect Job Descriptions: Analyze the keywords and required skills. Then, in your resume and cover letter, use that language explicitly, showing how your historical experience fits.
• Write a Compelling Cover Letter: This is your chance to tell your unique story. Explain why a historian is perfect for this specific role at this specific company. Connect your skills directly to their needs.
• Quantify Achievements: Instead of saying “managed research projects,” say “managed research projects, leading to X publications and Y presentations on Z topic.” Even for academic work, think in terms of scale and impact.
• Prepare for Behavioral Interviews: Be ready to give concrete examples of how you’ve demonstrated problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and adaptability – using your academic and non-academic experiences. The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is your best friend.

Crafting Your Future Narrative

Your history degree isn’t a limitation; it’s a profound strength. It has given you a unique way to understand the world, uncover patterns, and craft compelling narratives – skills that are in high demand across so many industries. The key is to recognize the inherent value of your historical training, strategically adjust how you present yourself, and actively go after opportunities.

Embrace the journey of continuous learning, be flexible in applying your skills to new situations, and confidently articulate the unparalleled value a historian brings to any professional endeavor. Your unique perspective, refined through years of dedicated inquiry, isn’t just intellectually enriching; it’s a powerful asset waiting to shape the future, not just analyze the past. Go forth and write your next chapter.