Hi guys!
I’ve just quit my soul destroying retail job, and I really want to try and make history my career. I have an undergrad arts degree with a history major, and I’m totally open to doing a masters or PhD. But I’m realizing more and more than I don’t really have a firm grip on what it is historians actually do, and how they make a living.
What different full-time, salaried roles are there? What do you do all day in those roles, and how did you land them?
Is there such a thing as a freelance historian? If so, how do you pay the bills?
I am also in a similar situation but there is work out there. The way I see it there are 3 major paths to go down as a historian.
Work for a museum. In my experience museums are looking for volunteers all the time but paying jobs are rare, and offer require a master's or PHD, years of experience and good connections. Good way to get experience an connections though volunteering. 1a. Conservation. Often associated with museums, but items like books, clothes and vehicles often require a ton of maintenance if they on public display. Learning the specific skills for maintaining these items is quite rewarding.
Academia. Continue studies and do research for universities, very dependant on where you are.
Site work. Most countries require achelogists and historians to check sites before any major excavation and building for historical and cultural relics. Very dependant on your country. 3a. Historical sites. There are occasionally calls for people to help with working on existing sites (I remember one for working on the Gothic Line in Italy). I am not sure of the details of these, and often require you to be able to move around the globe easily.
Source: personal experience and communication from colleagues in the field.