With my associate's degree in history, I am qualified to post reddit comments. But only in other subs, not here.

Oh hey, good question. I majored in History at UCLA because it was the thing that most interested me, and I was best at. Had ZERO idea what I was going to do with the degree. I got a nibble from one of my senior advisors who suggested I could continue my history education at Rice University, but I was 24 by then (long story, I spent three years just drinking beer and playing rugby), so didn't want to spend any more time in college, despite how much I loved it.

I sat myself down and did a self-realization test: what am I good at? (sales, talking to people). What sounds like a fun career? (advertising/marketing). What am I best at? (reading and writing)

Then I thumbed through a career book that kind of described a bunch of different jobs, and saw a heading for "Advertising Sales".

Hmmm.

I was working at the time as a headhunter to pay my way through college, and my boss knew I was going to move back to the Bay Area upon graduation, so we had a big meeting, where he asked what I wanted to do (he told me later that he didn't want me to go to work for any competitors of his).

I said, "Advertising sales," though I had very little idea what that meant and, tl;dr, he set me up with an interview with a legal publishing company and I wound up with a great job that truly fit what little talents I had. I sold a shitton of ads, made ridiculous money, and fell in love with publishing. So much so that I decided I wanted to BE a publisher, and all the best publishers had writing experience as well as ad sales experience, so when I got recruited by a PR firm, I took it to get writing experience.

That was in 1990, and I haven't left PR. I now own my own boutique agency that specializes in what I love doing (outdoor and endurance sports) and Bob's your Uncle.

But it all goes back to the History degree. It confers writing and reading excellence, critical thinking and a very open-ended career path, you know?

There are lots of lawyers in here.

I'm working on my MA in Library and Information Science, however I use my history degree most to win bar money at pub trivia(s) each week!

I'm not a historian but I work with them. I'm actually kind of surprised that nobody has mentioned it but Cultural Resource Management (CRM) is a pretty common field for historians, architectural historians, and archaeologists to go into in the US.

They're generally hired on the cultural resource side of environmental consulting, mainly Section 106 of the NHPA and Section 404 of the CWA. Historians do things like conduct deed research, genealogy, document cemeteries, conduct affiliation studies, perform literature reviews, and work with archaeologists on historic sites. It can also include things like designing/writing interpretative displays for historic sites or writing county and local histories. In the process, they spend a lot of time in county courthouses, historical societies, and SHPOs. It's also very common for historians to have some background in archaeology, generally with some fieldwork or lab experience, and/or some kind of familiarity with architectural history.

The job prospects with just a BA are pretty marginal. They're out there but the pay is poor, they're typically on a contract basis, and involve a lot of traveling to follow the work. If it's a field you want to go into, you really need to have a graduate degree if you want to do more than grunt work.

Tech Support, lol. I got my BA in History, then did about half of a teaching certification. When I got to the actual student teaching I suddenly remembered that I hated being in High School when I was a student, and re-examined why I wanted to go back.

I'm a numismatist! I work for one of the largest auction houses of ancient coins in the US, mostly doing cataloging, for which my history and archaeology degrees have served me quite well. It's a fascinating field, but I sometimes feel that my extreme specialization has left me with a somewhat shallow understanding of certain aspects of history.

I'm currently writing a dissertation on British history, specifically the differences in physical education between state schools and public schools in the years before WWI. However, I'm also a journalist and I'm thinking very seriously about pursuing that full time at the expense of a PhD. The job market is bleak.

Alrighty, so you are probably hoping to hear a story like this one. I will be upfront and honest that this job is truly one in a million, it is VERY rare and even harder to get into, not because you have to be some bad ass historian (although I would like to believe I am one) but rather because its all about right place right time. That said, this is a story of right place right time.

So what do I do? I am an historian for a video game company (who shall go unnamed) who focuses heavily on military history for its games. Basically I do research using primary and secondary sources-print, online, archives, and real time-to be able to write entertaining articles with real history behind it. I also fact check our publications, in game items, and in general historical information. I on occasion get the opportunity to travel abroad and assist in historical research, our VR team that does videos, archival/reconstruction teams. Oh and I am required to play video games, I play on average about 10 hours a week. This is truly a once in a lifetime job.

Now the question, how did I get the job? I got REALLY REALLY REALLY (yes three and yes all caps) lucky. I happened to meet my current boss at a gaming convention we talked about our love of games and history. When I discovered his position I stated I would love to work in such a field, he suggested that I send in my resume. Really it was a mixture of not being afraid to take the leap, being ready to say yes, and generally being polite to everyone (my father always told me, always be nice, you never know who the person you are talking to really is).

What was I doing before this? Like some have stated, a normal job. I worked in business as an account manager for a rather large student loan company. I loved my old job for the personal interaction but truly this is where my passion lies. If I could do it all again I would not take it back. My honest suggestion for anyone looking into this field; if you want a job that is honestly history you have three-four logical outcomes: 1) You yourself teach it, be it at a higher education level or a primary level at which you teach it. 2) You gain higher levels of education (masters, doctorates) to achieve the "dream jobs," read CIA, FBI, intelligence/analytics. 3) You do a "normal job" and this becomes your passion; history actually sets you up with a lot of skills that can allow you to do well in many fields you wouldnt think. 4) You luck out and get one of the cool things.

I was a History major and Political Science minor and ended up as a Broadcast Engineer.

All my life in bands and DJing set me up more to make good money rather than what I studied in school, although I never would have had the doors opened for me without the people I met in college.

If I had the time I'd go back and get graduate degrees because I love researching history that much.

I my first degree was a poli-sci/history blend, I worked for the government for four years pushing papers, got demoralized by all the red tape and left to get a second degree in computer science. Government work is stable and pays decently if you can hack it. It's like parks and rec and the office combined... but your lazy ass plays the part of Leslie Knope...so not nearly as fun or exciting.

History undergraduate. I'm now in an IT requirements capture job because I'm good at listening and asking questions about how we got to the conditions that led to asking for IT enhancements. Also I can write. During the interview I was told that sometimes out documents run to more than twenty pages. I was like, I have a degree in US and Soviet relations in the 20th century. I can't tell you what time it is in less than 10, your 5,000 word document does not scare me."

But it took 20 years to get to this point.

I have my undergrad in history and I work at a museum. I'm getting ready to start a similar job at a state historic site and I'm contemplating grad school.

Husband has a degree in history. He's in IT.

I got my undergraduate degree in history and then my masters in library and information science, with a concentration in archives. I'm currently working in a public library as a reference and youth services assistant, though.

I went to grad school.

I have yet to see evidence of light on the other side of the tunnel.

;)

Undergrad history degree. Straight off the bat, was lucky enough to get a job as a volunteer coordinator for a large charity for the elderly, as I had volunteered at the local main branch for my entire university career and at a different branch from 16-18. In this case, it was less the qualification- an undergrad degree in history is pretty much going to guarantee a basic level of education and some analytical skills but not much else- and more proven experience or dedication.

Two and a half years later, six months ago I moved into being a volunteer and enabling coordinator, same job, fancier title. This was also at a charity, for a community care service ngo, coordinating elderly care volunteers and volunteering services. Again, the qualification proved I could read, write and organise, but really the two years of the last job and previous volunteering experience was what got me the job more than anything- and luck, too.

Recently, I have applied to a number of social work programs, for a masters in social work, open to anyone with an undergraduate degree. I'm hoping to become a social worker, as I am particularly interested in geriatric mental health and child and adolescent mental health.

Do I do anything history related? Yes! I have coordinated a volunteer collection of oral history of a number of clients who have previously been involved in community care and the development of community care services, including nurses, former nursing home workers and secretaries who worked in the early years of the organisation. Although I am not directly taking oral history, I am involved in risk assessments, reviewing surveys taken by clients and coordinating the volunteers.

Really though, the history side of my life is probably Reddit, volunteering as a guide at a museum and just reading a ton of books. I do wish I'd continued on to a proper/further degree because an undergraduate degree, although probably a good start, doesn't allow you to go into theories, developing ideas and so on to any extent. Any posts on here are certainly going to be poorer because of that. I do like my current job, though.

Army officer. With a ROTC scholarship I had tuition paid for and a job guaranteed after school so I got to study what I was passionate about. All it cost me was my soul. I'm now using my TA to do online classes toward a MA in European history, mostly for funsies. I'll go to actual graduate school later on.

I am currently working on a big source edition publication project here in Germany. It is supposed to publish commented primary sources on the Holocaust in all German ruled territories and Germany itself. It's a lot of work and hard while simultaneously persuing a degree but I really like it.

I was a history major with a focus on modern Jewish history, and I am currently in my second year teaching. It is cool- I get to actually use the skills I acquired in my history classes in a historical context, day in, day out.

Phd in history. I live in my very rural hometown and teach for a couple online universities. Super cool deal.

Not out of school, but looks like consulting or government work at this point.

Videographer! Not directly related, but I have done some work for Ancient Aliens on the History Channel, so that's something.

Working for Canada Post, times are tough right now.

Cousin of mine has a degree in history and is an archivist in Belgium.

Got a degree in art history, currently work for a rare book dealer who specializes in art and visual culture material.

Clergy. Lots of history in my job.

I am a couple classes shy of bachelor's in history and master's in education. I planned on teaching high school and then got terribly ill, recovered, married, had kids, haven't gone back. I ended up in hospital finance administration but now I stay home with my kids and lead scouts and coach sports teams. It's all been very useful to raise my children, including scouts, in teaching them the world and a better way of analyzing information even on their levels. My kids pay attention to the news and compare it to past events and make reasonable predictions of possible outcomes.

Public sector/government work.

Double major with political science.

Technically my undergraduate degree is in anthropology, but my master's is in museum studies - and you can get one of those with a BA in history. Prospects in the museum field are very grim, though. Typically, you do internships while getting your MA, then an internship or two after you have your degree, then you start to get desperate and "pay your dues" by volunteering in a local museum^(1) before you get a job. If you made the right internship/research choices, know the person who's hiring, or luck into a job to apply for where barely anyone else qualified also applies, you may be able to skip the desperation stage. This really isn't a path to go down unless you will not be happy doing anything else.

1. Strangely, everyone in the museum field gets very upset about unpaid part-time internships but shrugs off volunteering for experience and a foot in the door as just being the way it works.

I hang drywall tape and plaster also cut grass Wanted to be an archivist but can't justify spending all that cash for a masters when job prospects and salary are so low. But I kick ass at Quizzo

Journalist. But I got that job by working in a bar while I was studying for my history degree. Older journo used to come in and get drunk. After four years serving him he got me an interview at the newspaper he worked at. I've been a journalist for 20 years now. Didn't need the degree. But I pull a good pint and am good at listening to drunk people.

I'm a history major. I work as an English teacher in Japan. My degree helped but connections were more important.

Paralegal here. Legal research utilizes a lot of the skills one learns as a history student :)

I have a bachelor's and a master's in history. After finishing my master's, I spent almost 15 years working for the US Government. Now I am just finishing the first semester of my PhD in military history.

I have a Bachelors in History from Fordham University. I then went and got a Masters degree from Columbia University.

I teach AP US History at a top (like top 5 in the state) high school in New York State, and when I can carve out the time, I write historical screenplays with a friend of mine, which has gotten us the attention of management companies in Los Angeles.

I got a degree in history double majoring with biology, and now I'm in medical school. History is a fun hobby for me, and to learn without being bogged down in medicine all the time.

I'm trying to break into the NPS to work as an interp ranger. I guess that is technically being a sort of teacher, of course :P

History and Classics here.

I'm in IT. Still haven't quite figured out what I want to do when I grow up but they keep giving me bigger toys.

I've got a BA in History and a postgraduate diploma in International Development. I currently work for ArcelorMittal as a steelworker. Yay.

Historical site supervisor here. The salary is really good, the conditions are awesome, the amount of suffering to get there was manageable and they are VERY few people that I know in my field who had/have a similar luck.

My Husband has a degree in History, he's a full time Blues Musician now - having spent a decade working in coffee shops.

He studied such diverse things on his degree he's not even really useful in a pub quiz.

I have an MFA in costume design, which isn't a history degree but I studied a heap of costume/fashion/textile history so I'm here. I'm currently a 'costumer' for a sci fi TV show which is a catch-all term meaning I do whatever they tell me to do for the costumes. Today I made a spooky skeleton mask. Yesterday I spent 12 hours shopping for snap setters.

Super fun. Super stressful and exhausting. Unionized. Great pay.

I have a BA in History and Economics, a horrible combination. You know that saying, "Ignorance is bliss?" Yeah, completely true.

I moved to Korea and started teaching English. I went to graduate school and got my MA in Applied Linguistics and I'm currently applying for a couple of Ph.D. programs.

The only reason I got my degree in history is because I loved doing it. When I was a kid, my friends went to New York or Disneyland or Six Flags for vacation. My parents took me to Fort Robinson, home of the Red Cloud Agency and the place where Crazy Horse was killed and German POW's were held. We stopped at every Historical Plaque on the highway, even going out of our way to see them. If it's a historical site in Nebraska/Iowa/South Dakota, I've probably been there.

Honestly, ANY liberal arts degree is worthless on its own. You have to make the decision on what to do with it. A degree in history will get you exactly what you put into it. You do an internship, you write an insightful thesis, you make connections, you could go somewhere with it. You coast through classes and make no efforts to do anything, people won't exactly be beating down your door to offer you a job.

The National Parks Service/USDA is always hiring Park Rangers, so if you want to be a historical tour guide/lawman, that's always an option. Of course, openings at Yosemite are a bit competitive, but if you want to work Samuel McKelvie National Forest and be stationed in Nenzel Nebraska, it's probably available.

History and political science double major.

I spent the first five years out of university working at various white collar jobs (finance, operations and for a short time, advertising). Hated it, so now I am an electrician.

I should note though, I had a job offer somewhat similar to my field in a foreign ministry. Turned it down for...ideological...reasons. It may have helped that I was fluent in that country language alongside English and moderate Russian, so yeah..

BS in History. Worked in community organizing, union organizing and now am a teacher.

I got a bachelors in History and somehow I work IT.

Finished my PhD thesis this summer, will defend in January. Interviewed for an incredible cool job as an editor in a publishing house a week after I had handed my thesis in, everything went well, started this November.

The PhD wasn't really a requirement, but it certainly helped. All of my colleagues come from the humanities, be it history, philosophy or literary studies. You have to read and organize a tremendous amount of information every day, quickly analyze everything and then put your thoughts clearly and succinctly on paper. So it makes sense that they're pretty much exclusively hiring folks from the humanities, because this is what we do.

But it really helps to have some extra in your background. Finance, IT, law... anything. I my case, they were looking for somebody who could read, write AND knew how to switch a computer on. If you only score 2/3 there, things get so much rougher on the job market.

I have a B. A. (magna cum laude, 2011) in both history and English from Texas A&M. Currently employed at a car wash.

Lawyer. History/Poli Sci major.

Two friends of mine both got history degrees from UC Santa Cruz. One is a tech writer/support/project manager for a software company. The other is a bankruptcy lawyer. Both say that their critical analysis and writing experience from their degrees helped them a lot when starting out.

I have a B.A. Worked in banking for a little over a year then packed my life up and began teaching English abroad. Really enjoying the experience and am hoping one day to find a gig teaching History at an international school. It's not a degree that many associate with a large salary and a vacation home in the Hamptons, but I don't regret studying History for a second. I am able to understand the world and the daily events that occur much better than I ever would have had I not studied History.

I have my bachelors degree in history. I went on to get a MA in museum studies and now I am the collections manager for a museum. I went into museum work because I didn't want to teach, but still wanted to work in a career that involves history.

I'm the director of technology operations for a financial services company in Atlanta and Boston. I went here straight from graduate school. Selling out for the win!

Junior High Math Teacher. Am I allowed to post this without a source?

I received a BA in history (and econ) from UofL in 2013. I considered continuing on to get my Masters there in Louisville but had to move for my partner's job. Ended up being fine though because now I'm a freelance writer! I do mostly short stories and flash fiction. My research skills and tons of writing practice has been great. I don't write historical fiction exclusively (sometimes though) but knowing history has helped me develop characters and make plausible plot lines. The most I do with history now is an online history book club.

I'm in management at a footwear manufacturer. I started in the shoe business right after graduation.

I teach three days a week at a small college, and then I work full-time doing research and sorting at a company that sells stamps and coins on ebay. Planning in going back for a PhD in a few years.

I've had health issues for a few years, so I'm now looking for a new job. I've worked in IT, education and did some research for private parties. The good part? You don't get a degree in history without acquiring a wide variety of interests and the ability to do your due diligence. The bad part? It's not always appreciated on the job market.

It's a shame because in theory the skills you learn through studying history should be very valuable in almost every job. You learn how to find and analyze patterns more efficiently and translate them to a wider audience. You learn how to solve complex problems with very limited resources. You learn how to open your mind to various points of view. You learn how to process a lot of information in a very short amount of time. Most importantly - atleast to me -, you learn a lot about how the world works.

I wouldn't do it any other way. I learned so much about a lot of different things through my studies. While this "general" nature might not always be appreciated by recruiters, it helped me understand the world more than I had expected. There might be some industries where they realize the value of a history degree, but I have yet to find them.

Do it if you want to learn more about the world and yourself, but don't do it for the job security.

EDIT : I know that peers of mine often end up in government or politics, but it seems very varied.

B.A. in history, 2013 graduate. Things I've done since then:

• Be a horrible person who worked in mortgage foreclosures. Got fired for not being a corporate drone.
• Worked in a glass factory for nearly two years. Hell on earth with nice people.
• Now I work in a homebrew store.

I'm actually in graduate school now, studying for my M.Ed. IN SCIENCE EDUCATION because I would like to have a career in the future.

However I got a great deal of experience from my degree. I learned how important hard work is (Greg Urwin, you are a harsh but fair taskmaster) and that discipline will get me somewhere in life. I also, of course, know how to read critically and am a go-to proofreader at work. Heh, and the workload in my graduate program is a joke compared to my senior capstone.

I got a BA in History and am now a lawyer. It's actually a pretty common undergraduate major for attorneys, and I would recommend it. Acquiring a degree in History (even at the undergraduate level) should teach you valuable skills in research, writing, and critical thinking.

I originally wanted to pursue a graduate degree in History, but realized I wasn't sufficiently fascinated with a particular topic/timeframe to justify specializing.

Edit: Urgh, should have read the thread before commenting.

Answering on behalf of my husband, who has a master's in American history. He's unemployed right now. His last gig was editing an academic journal, which he loved, but the pay was not great and it ultimately folded.

Received my degree last year. I've been bouncing around as overqualified labor and/or a driver. I think my most attractive quality is my lack of a DWI rather than my degree. I'm planning on continuing my education in law, History(education), or Radio.

Graduated in 1994 from a large Midwestern university with a degree (magna cum laude! Woo!) in history. Decided my options were: unemployment, grad school in history (followed by unemployment), or law school. Went to law school, have very fulfilling career as prosecuting attorney.

Nearly complete with my BSE in History, just have methods classes left next year and student teaching. Hoping to get a gig teaching history in high school right away, but I'm doing a broadfield minor which will license me to teach PolySci and Sociology as well.

Undergraduate arts degree majoring in political science and history. About 7 years after I graduated I went back to school to get my MBA. Worked for the past 10 years in various communications/writing roles, and now I'm a Senior Communications Adviser in the Australian Public Service.

Down the track (maybe 5 years?) I'm considering a PhD, looking at some crossover between my two interests of history and commerce.

... I'm a register nurse. I love history but I took the guaranteed jobs over the academics. I'm not alone. History Durant often pay well :(.

I taught world history and Latin American history for a few years at a private high school and then went to law school.

BA in History- now an Internal Auditor in the Financial industry. Student debt effectively kicked me off the fence of pursuing a PhD. I jumped around quite a bit in the job market, considered law school (which still doesn't look good from a stable job prospect perspective), and finally landed at a brokerage firm. Initially it was the company and pay that kept me coming back and through a series of twists and turns I ended up in audit. That being said, I really have come to love it. Every day I get to switch between Detective and Consultant. The research, analysis and critical thinking skills developed in my undergrad make sense for this type of gig. What I find separates my approach with that of my Finance/Accounting credentialed colleagues is the greater objectively strategic perspective that my academic background in History affords me. These strengths brought me into a department that sought intellectual diversity and has largely provided me opportunities as an agent of change.

There are many paths to get where you want to go, mine ended up putting me somewhere I never thought I was going.

Part of the education department at a museum.

BA, history; MA, European Studies* here

I work for a nonprofit, foreign policy institute that regularly hosts public programming pertaining to American foreign policy interests. Additionally, we conduct what is called Track 1.5 and 2 diplomacy which places interested parties in particular global conflicts in a room together to "fill in the gaps" within official dialogue.

My day-to-day largely consists of nonprofit operations because we are very, very small considering the scope of the work we do. That being said, I often take part in the conception and implementation of the various programs on which we work. We're a paid staff of four, so everybody gets to do a little bit of everything.

I love it.

*the degree sounds a bit vague, but I concentrated on 20th Century European diplomatic and political history. More specifically on the formation and function of the European Union (and its earlier iterations).

Stay at home dad and bartender. I hope that helps wink face emoji.

Started a tech company. Learning how to write well helps. Plus small talk is great in business. Sorry about all those dates I forgot.

BS and MS-T in History

I'm a systems analyst in IT

I received my undergrad in history. I was accepted in to an MA program or history as well, but decided to do my program in Higher Education Administration. I work for a university in admissions and hope to make a career out of that. But! I am continually reading and studying history. On road trips, I will drive two hours out of my way to see an old fort from the Indian Wars and love to be a part of that community. I know I will never be a professional historian, but love helping others reach that goal.

Middle School Teacher. World History and US History

Adult educator here. I have an Honours Degree combined in English and History. I also have a Bachelor of Education degree in the same, so I'm a certified High School teacher. Alas, where I live (Ontario, Canada) the ratio of teaching graduates to vacancies runs around 4:1. So, I teach in the private sector for an insurance company.

I have an MA in Native American History and now I'm an IT manager.

My career track was weird.

Marketing.

I have a BA and an MA in History. I currently work in professional sports.

working on my degree at Rutgers

I have a bachelor's in history - and I work as an Automation Engineer now. I'm working towards development, but didn't want to go back to school yet; so far it's awesome!

With my BA and MA in history, I run a small academic program at a large university. On the administrative side. I still do some research and they pay for me to attend and present at about 1-2 conferences a year, but 85% of my work is administrative. I'm pretty happy. I have a union job with health insurance and good job security, I don't have to deal with the politics of a tenure committee or the brutal job market for adjuncts. I get to stay connected to the intellectual life of the university, and I show up at the office every day feeling like I'm happy to be here. I really love my job. But, I do a LOT of paperwork. Paperwork is the lifeblood of the university. Paperwork and fundraising.

I work for a nation wide insurance compay. Definitely not what I hoped for when I got my degree.

Mostly a lurker but I'm an art historian. I work as a UX designer for a startup.

I got a BA in history from a small liberal arts college. The summer before my senior year, I took a career development class at the community college in my home town. There I got the notion in my head to get into urban planning. That, and comparing the mid-sized European city where I studied abroad to the suburbia where I grew up. Anyway, ended up moving to Ireland to pursue a Masters in Regional and Urban Planning, and now, six months after graduation, I am inching towards a job in the field. Much of the critical theory of urban planning uses the same language of history study, which is helpful.

Haha I work as a warehouse supervisor for a major home improvement company.

My mother earned a history degree and her career was as a real estate paralegal, which actually involved a lot of historical research, but not much application of her degree.

My Bachelors of History and Social Sciences has lead me to the most prestigious position of Law Student where I'll probably never use it again..... Yeah probably not what you wanted to hear.

I'm a grant writer/ development specialist for a nonprofit. Research, distillation of information, persuasive writing. I love it, my degree was useful, and I get to be everybody's favorite staff person!

BA in History here. I work for a software company as a Support Engineer. Previous job was systems administration.

BA in History.

Had no real prospects post grad, took the first crappy retail job I could land (CVS pharmacy), worked my way up to Lead Pharmacy Tech and Inventory specialist. Now I work as a medical communications specialist for a big pharmaceutical company.

I've been told my background in research comes in handy, I just die a little bit inside because I work in a call center. Looking at getting an MA in Library Science soon...

History BA, Education MA. I was a high school social studies teacher for a few years, but left when test-driven curriculum began. Started doing software testing and documentation about 8 years ago. Now I'm making triple what I was as a teacher. Oddly, the skill sets are quite similar: attention to detail, ability to explain complex ideas, project management, etc. Enjoy history, but try to gain other useful skills. Probably the best thing I got out of college was "learning to learn." The ability to pick up new skills pretty quick is valuable, both in work and life...

BA in History, finishing medical school in June

If you're interested in studying history it's important to understand that an undergraduate humanities degree isn't job training. Many employers will see history, economics, anthropology, and philosophy degrees as more or less interchangeable. A humanities degree gives you a broad range of analytic, communications, and reasoning skills that are valuable to employers, but just listing the degree on a resume won't signal that, so you have to demonstrate to potential employers that you have those skills. A humanities degree gives you a less defined career path, which some people find worrying, but the flip side is that you have a more open-ended career path that can lead you down some interesting paths you never considered before.

I majored in History and minored in Geography for my undergrad. I currently work as a clerk for a major Canadian non-profit organization. I planned on teaching, but it didn't pan out. I do volunteer with a youth program though in a teaching role.

I teach high school US History.

Archivist. It seemed like a natural transition into a field that is slightly less competitive and only requires a master degree to do. It's a really cool gig too. Although currently I'm working as an art librarian I love to Archive.

I'm currently a student in museum studies and hopefully soon at an institution somewhere....

Graduated with my bachelors degree in history I currently work in case management and am going back to school for nursing because a bachelors degree in history is fucking useless.

Honest advice if you come from money and can get a phD do it; if you're a broke SoB like me DONT go to school for something more directly job related

Got my history degree in 2010. My teaching credential in 2012. Realized I hate teaching to the test. Got a job with the boys and girls club and could not be happier. I use a lot of the skills believe it or not and the kids eat it up. For the future who knows. But for now I am happy

I'm working as an archivist with a little adjunct work on the side.

If you don't plan on pursuing a post-graduate degree, and aren't interested in a job where they don't care about what you majored in, make sure that you pair your undergrad degree with something else. That might mean pairing it with a joint major in education and then going into teaching k-12. Or it might mean pairing it with an extended or multiple internships/volunteer jobs in a public history institution.

There's lots of different directions you could go with it, but passively taking the courses offered and going through the motions won't get you very far.

If you're planning on moving on to graduate school, there's lots of different directions you can take. In addition to law, most humanities disciplines would take a student with a history degree, so long as the student's work was strong and the student's application indicated both a familiarity with the topic and a reasonable end career goal (for example, a history major might reasonably apply to an MA program in archeology if their coursework showed that they had a basic knowledge of ancient history, volunteer or internship experience in an archeological museum, and had realistic career goals in which the degree made logical sense). For example, there's few conservation programs that begin at the undergraduate level. In many cases, museum and archival conservationists start with an art or a history degree, and then go to grad school for conservation.

It's not a bad idea to major in history as an undergrad, but its a bad idea to major in history without a goal in mind and without taking active steps to build up your resume and professional connections while doing so. And its a VERY bad idea to continue majoring in history after graduation, just because you're not sure what else to do or because the idea of an MA or PhD seems neat.

I'm a business analyst for an asset manager manager (fortune 100). 2012 grad, been here 3.5 years. Walked into an opportunity. I'm the numbers guy now. If I could stomach quitting I'd be in grad school, which I turned down to try businesses.

I'm a reference librarian and an archivist at a college.

Currently in grad school studying for a masters in public history with an emphasis in cultural resource management. My hope is to work for the parks service or something similar. I'll check back in again in two years to confirm whether or not I actually go anywhere.

Got my bachelor's in history this May and I'm working part time at a children's museum currently.

Looking at teaching high school although I really want to keep going and get my master's and PhD even though I don't have super grades. So it may be really difficult or it may not work out but it's something that's been my dream for a long time. I'd rather try and fail instead of not trying at all.

Advice appreciated :p

Double major in history and religious studies, MA in the latter.

I'm a civil servant, working for the Canadian government.

I studied the history of Caribbean slavery and wrote my main senior paper on a slave revolt in Jamaica in the 1840's.

I'm a carpenter.

I got my BA in history/poly sci with a 4.0+ GPS in 1990. It led to a career as an armoured car guard.

I have a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, but I've taught History for fifteen years.

I joined the military.

BA in history 2012. Strongly considered getting a PhD, was given some good life advice by current doctoral students (go try the professional world first, then think about it some more). Taught elementary special education for 2.5 years, now work in a data services role for a large education nonprofit, on the path to a programming job and probably another degree in a more technical field.

I would echo the comments by others about what I learned from my degree - strong critical thinking, the ability to internalize and synthesize very large amounts of information, very good writing skills. These are critical to professional success, and are very good counterparts to the technical skills I started working on after college.

I got my B.A. in African and African American studies (double major in psych) and now I'm a probation officer.

I received my BA in history and political science.

I do policy research for a living. Mostly around economics and economic development.

After undergrad I briefly attended law school. It was not for me though and I dropped out. If you're going to go that route I would recommend taking a year or two between undergrad and law school to make sure it's what you really want to do.

I have a BA in History and a BA in Political Science. I'm hardly a historian, but it was a passion since I was a very young boy. In any case, I went into politics. I don't use my history degree directly, but my history background (both academically speaking and as a hobby) have come in handy in more ways than I can count.

If you want to do something in History maybe volunteer or narrow it down before you start. No one I know that got a history degree did anything with their history degree.

I got a BA in history. I'm currently managing facilities at a major hospital.

I got my BA in history and ended up working for a couple non-profits as a prospect researcher (fundraising support).

I teach High School Humanities. While my degree is a double major in History and Politics, I also teach Economics and Geography to the little turds...err...darlings too.

I did a masters in history, then a postgrad lin law on intellectual property, and have since launched a couple of startups in the news media.

The analytical abilities you learn from the study of history leave you prepared for a huge variety of careers.

History grad from the UK, 2 years out of uni and I find myself in senior management at Gatwick Airport.

Not where I thought I'd be but I do find a lot of the skills I learnt at Uni come in handy.

I did a history bachelor's and then a master's in art history. Then I came home and joined a publisher that specializes in art history,cultural history, architecture and so on. Fell in love with editing. Trying my hand at working in e-learning now (it's ok, publishing is way better). My only regret is that I would have loved to work for a collector or I'm cultural management. I just don't know if it is too late to start.

Graduated with History, a year later became an analyst for a digital marketing agency. The researching and analysing sources skills that I learnt in History has come in handy, except instead of written word sources - I'm using numbers instead. Also get to use my creative side when writing ad-copy etc.

I minored in history, so I'm pretty much only qualified to tell stories to people in sort of the Dan Carlin "fan of history" style.

I majored in journalism and work in radio though.

Bachelor in history with a minor in economics. Now I'm a case worker, helping people who receive state benefits transition into the workforce. Most of the people I work with have degrees in either psychology or social work. A lot of people with the same job title as me have Masters degrees. I like my field, and I don't think I'd go back and major in something different if I had a choice - being a history major taught me how to research like a boss, and how to distinguish reliable information from unreliable information. That's useful both in my current field and in life in general.

Currently working on a two year post-degree bachelor of management program. Realized teaching was not for me, however the analytical writing skills and research knowledge has transferred nicely into commerce. The writing abilities of my current peers aren't nearly as developed as I expected them to be (and I was no honours student)

Undergrad in US History and a MA in Public History. Got lucky and sold my soul to the government. Been crawling up the chain in various military related archives, libraries, and museums.

8th grade U.S. History teacher checking in.

This is second hand, but I know a girl who has an MA in history. She got her degree and I cheered her on and congratulated her, while kind of thinking "What in God's name are you going to do now?" Well, she started writing a column for the local newspaper covering different angles of local history, describing neighborhood by neighborhood, and people loved it. She just got taken on as a staff writer for the paper and I think she's writing a book. It kind of reaffirms my observation that nobody ever got anywhere by planning where they were going to be 10 years from now and taking all the right steps. All the successful people I know just kind of saw opportunities in the present and went somewhere they never planned on. Kind of wish I knew that at a younger age!

I'm a recruitment consultant.....

So yeah.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music History and Literature. I made a nice living in the classical and jazz music business for a long time until the entire industry melted down. Now I'm in the ice cream business, which is almost as much fun.

Tour guide in NYC, DC and Philly

I got my undergraduate in WWII history. I ended up getting my doctorate in psychology (PsyD) and medical doctorate (MD). It's a bit crazy but I wouldn't change it for anything.

FYI: I'll add my age as others have. I'm 27 and still making shit money as well as my crazy debt.

I have my undergrad in history. I work with a telephone history preservation group, but that's a hobby that I don't get paid for. I also do historical re-enactment in a group of people who portray scientists from the Victorian era. I portray Charles Wheatstone. Again, unpaid.

My paying job is building huge communications networks at a Fortune 50 company.

I studied History and Theology in my under grad. I am currently enrolled in a Seminary studying to get my Master's of Divinity. Studying History really helped how I study the Bible critically. I think studying History has a lot of benefits for Theologians and Pastors.

Before I decided to enter seminary, I was looking at trying to get a job as a National Park Ranger. That's one the degrees the National Park Service likes Rangers to have.

Bachelor in History, Associate in GIS. I currently work as an Operations Admin for a shipping company. I love it, not as much history as I would like but that's better as a hobby anyway.

High School history teacher - U.S History and Advanced Placement European History.

Im majoring in history as well and want to teach it. A lot of the comments here are making me want to turn back to nursing (my original major) dam.

Legal assistant, at the moment, while I save up to go back and get my PhD. I should start the PhD program abroad next year.

It looks like I have a job waiting for me at the main university in Cuba, but it's not 100%. I'll probably earn a living writing articles, translating, etc. But with the money I make from that I can live like a king there doing what I love (teaching/investigating).

LOL I'm a High School Math teacher. I knew enough math to pass the ridonculous test they give to non math majors to make sure no idiots get by to teach math.

Anyway, my history major wasn't very helpful in my getting my job, but just thought I'd share what I did with my degree :P

I have a BA in History and minor in Political Science and then stayed for an MBA.

Currently a sales rep. for a property and casualty insurance company.

I have a Bachelor of Arts with majors in History and Political Science and am now a Research and Medallic Entitlement Advisor in a military archive. Its hardly the most cerebral of jobs, and it took me a decade to finally start using my degree professionally, but it is relieving to finally justify my ridiculous student loan. To be fair I do enjoy the work.

BA General Arts with Major in History. Yeah, I'm a line cook in a restaurant... Many of the servers also have history and related degrees.

Just go into IT.

BA in history, I work as a registrar for a major auction house.

Pizza Delivery. I'm pretty sure I make more than adjunct professors.

Teach history at the high school level. Probably wouldn't have gotten hired if I didn't coach.

I graduate in December but it's looking like a software company or a game designer! Both promising and I'd love to do either.

I'm working on my BA in History and I plan on teaching High School history.

I graduated with an undergraduate degree in History and now I am a commercial real estate broker.

Don't let people make you believe that your degree will put you into a box. College degrees open doors, not close them. Contrary to what many people tried to tell me, you have more options than teacher or museum curator.

You will learn to think critically, draw logical conclusions, argue a point effectively and, if you are lucky, pickup a great deal of timeless wisdom and insights from our ancestors. All things which will serve you well in any field.

"History is philosophy teaching by examples." ~Thucydides, The History of the Peloponnesian War

Middle school History/Social Studies teacher.

Account Executive at an advertising firm.

BS in history

Commercial real estate finance. I'm the dishwasher who became a manager (after 20 years)

I run my 40 coworkers digital advertizing and campaigns agency.

Chef and caterer. I used to post in here a lot more with my specialties being mostly food and supermarket history. Unfortunately that account got mysteriously shadowbanned.

Anybody from India got any idea about careers here? Frankly I'm horrible at explaining stuff at teacher and I don't see anything else from my history degree.

I completed my Master's in Public History six months ago and I'm still desperately trying to find a museum-related job. Stuff's rough.

Bachelor's in History. Served in the intel community in the Navy after college. Got out in March, currently working on an MA in International Relations, looking into PhD programs.

To answer your question though...I suppose being a ringer at bar trivia nights is a career?

Information security lol

BA in History with a couple published papers & I'm an academic advisor.

I'm a physician assistant.

History is still my (other) passion though. I'm just fortunate enough that our country allowed me to rack up a stupid amount of student debt studying about my passion!

High school history teacher- currently 8th grade (school is 8-12 just recently)

In MA, you would be 1 applicant out of 200+ in some cases. Tough business to crack into- I'm sure it's similar in other states.

I think diversification is the key on this one. Be prepared to develop a particular set of skills... sorry, Taken moment. But seriously, selling your abilities is going to be key in the job market

Good luck

I will give you a serious answer if you like. I received my BA in history and poli sci in 1990. I have found it to be very useful, but not in any way that I expected. I have been able to enjoy a successful career in management (manufacturing).

The disciplines of history give you tools for understanding why events happen. I make a pretty good living because I ask "why" often and dig until I understand the answers. I did continue to educate myself (another skill that I developed as an undergraduate student) so my skills have grown.

The bottom line is you can learn how to learn. With that you have opportunities for your entire life.

Bachelors in ancient studies.

I used my second major in marketing to land a job.