Senior History/Poli Sci major here. History degrees today are often looked at as "general skills degrees".

The amount of research, reading, writing, presentations, and critical thinking involved in earning a History degree is insane. It is actually very typical for historians to be hired in sales, management, marketing, government positions or any number of business fields. By earning a degree in History, you aren't necessarily dooming yourself to working in museums alone. No matter what you do after you graduate, you're going to have to write well.

In studying History, writing and critical thinking are focused on almost as much as the content itself. There are classes dedicated entirely to proper historiography and concise writing style. When looking for employees, one of the most important things to employers is the ability to communicate and understand what to do.

Studying History also teaches you to be less reactionary. You will rarely be surprised. It'll take two or three semesters for you to learn that you don't actually know anything about History. You'll earn your degree and have totally blank disciplines of History where you're totally lost in conversation. I know almost nothing about the ancient Mediterranean, I'm an American Historian.

Don't let people scare you out of studying History. It has been invaluable in my development as a person and as a potential employee. Business majors, marketers, accountants, etc. have no idea how to write or communicate with management. Though they'll enter the workforce with more of a grasp on business jargon, finance, and the like- you'll often blow them out of the water with your grasp on the real world. People aren't going to write you off.

Also, Historians read and write more than probably any other field of study. I hope you love books.

I received a bachelor's in history and then a masters in public administration. I've done a lot of audit work and it's incredible to meet all the accountants in the field that cannot communicate. It's embarrassing, really.

History can be a great degree choice, but you may have to work a little to show people how your skills translate to jobs.

I was in the military before and after earning my BA in History. My studies focused on the Middle East and I found them to be incredibly valuable.

The military definitely isn't for everyone; but if you have an interest in public service I'd recommend looking at the State Department, or if not from the U.S. whatever your country's foreign service is. The skills and knowledge that history gives would be valuable there, and there's a chance of working in a part of the world that you have a passion for.