I'm applying for university in 2 months (give or take a few days) and I must have a solid choice in mind for what I want to do for the rest of my life. I would like to be a history prof at a university, a historian or an archaeologist. I've been told that there are no jobs in this sector of work. Should I go through with what I want to do or do something that is hiring. If so, how is the field of work?
Bluntly, do something that is hiring. There is an oversupply of liberal arts majors and not enough jobs to go around. Tenured professors retain their positions until they die and Universities are not creating new tenure track jobs to replace the old sages with a new generation. Instead, adjunct professors are being churned out, who in my opinion are on equal footing with hourly employees when it comes to job security, wages, and chance for advancement.
That isn't to say you cannot add a history degree to your academic accomplishments. My primary major was business administration, but my love of history compelled me to be a double-major and complete my history degree. Just don't expect your history degree to be a path to the American middle class.
You don't need to decide what you do now.
My advice now, study computer science, minor or double major in history.
/u/yomoxu is right. It's tough out there and I'm looking to pull away from academia.
I trained as an archaeologist in the UK. I have worked both in commercial/contract archaeology and I'm now attempting to claw my way up the academic ladder.
I have mixed feelings on what advice to give. You could study a subject that will allow you to get a job that people actually pay a decent wage for and pursue archaeology/history as a hobby. That's one option.
You could also pursue your dream, and there's something to be said for that. The job market is tough as hell, and if you want to work in the field you will have to deal with pretty dire employment prospects, poor pay, little to no benefits, long hours, and a job that can physically break you. You will also likely spend at least a few years constantly on the move, jumping from job to job. That said, I may overstate my case here - I entered the profession at the height of the recession and jobs were beyond scarce back then. I think things are a little better nowadays.
If you decide to pursue the academic route, then you will have to pursue at least an undergraduate degree and a PhD (and probably a masters degree in between). Assuming you can even manage to get a job after spending years studying, you will be faced with equally poor wages, very long hours, and a lack of benefits as you try to climb the career ladder (and you'll be on temporary contracts until you can nail down a permanent position). There's a high dropout rate, and it takes real dedication to stick with it.
I'm providing a worst case scenario here, as I wouldn't want to mislead you. That said, the poor pay, excessive hours, and all the uncertainty that the job brings are the price you pay for spending your life doing something that you enjoy. You get to travel and maybe work in some totally unreal places. I wouldn't trade that for a more secure job.
If you decide to go for it, all I can say is that you have to be prepared to go far beyond the call of duty every day, as there's plenty of others who will do so. Good luck, whatever you decide to do!