I have just started my first year of sixth form and i'm studying History, Geography and English language. I love all my other lessons but I have a real passion for history and I'm wondering if anyone who has a history degree In the UK could tell me how useful it's been for them particularly regarding employment? I also have a passion for writing and would love a career in journalism or a similar field yet I'm not sure if history would be a valuable choice for such things. UK history graduates, where do you work now? Are there jobs available that aren't the traditional teacher or librarian roles the degree would usually open? many thanks :)
I hope this link may help some questions. Also hope a UK grad will chime in. I think the US has a vastly different job market.
I'm based in the UK, and my BA and MA are actually in literature (though the MA is in Early Modern Literature specifically). I'm now pursuing a PhD which falls somewhere between history and literature. My experience is not quite the same as what you are describing, but I think it falls close enough to be of use.
My first decent graduate jobs were actually in sales, and for reasonably technical products. I was good at reading, understanding, assimilating, and then parroting back information and that goes a long way in that kind of environment. History is an equally good fit for those kinds of skills, and having a degree - any degree really - will open up access to certain kinds of desk-based jobs. My husband, who also studied literature, has gone on to work in finance. So while technically a history degree only really specifically qualifies you to be a historian, arts degree of this kind can open some surprising doors.
As others have pointed out, humanities are also often a stepping stone into the teaching profession. That has never been my interest so I don't know what steps you would need to take to follow that career path, but perhaps others on here can provide greater insight.
If you are taking this degree because it's what you love, and at the end of that three years you continue to love it, staying in academia is another option. It's not necessarily a good option right now - the job market here is a total mess right now - but it is an option. Without going into why these jobs are so few and far between, I can describe the two main paths for academic work post doctorate. You can throw yourself straight into teaching roles (with the expectation that you will continue to sustain your research profile at the same time) or a more research-heavy role where you attach yourself to a pre-established research group with a funded project that you would take part in. You will still in all likelihood do some teaching as part of your work there.
I hope this answers some of your questions, but please feel free to follow up if there's anything else you want to ask!