What makes a History major valuable? [source]
There are a variety of skills you acquire as a history student that prepare you to be successful in almost any career after graduation. These include:
- Effective writing skills–vital to any job for which a college degree is a necessity, effective writing means the ability to successfully and precisely communicate one’s ideas in text.
- Critical analysis skills–vital to the decision-making process for any job, critical analysis means the ability to analyze a situation and come up with creative and practical solutions.
- Research skills–vital to any job, research skills mean the ability to understand past practices and policies and to trace the roots of any issue, to find new information which bears on that issue, and to incorporate that information into one’s analysis of an issue.
- Interdisciplinary thinking and training–vital to any position, interdisciplinary thinking and training means the ability to think about a problem in a multitude of ways, to analyze it using multiple tools, and to provide solutions which draw from different traditions of thought.
- Curiosity and inquisitiveness–vital to any position, curiosity and inquisitiveness mean the desire to learn more and to continue learning, to examine reasons beneath issues, and to come to understand them as part of a continual, life-long, education process.
American Historical Association Guide to Careers for History Majors
Career Services
Career Services offers a variety of services and programs designed to assist students with career planning. The career planning process begins early in a student’s undergraduate career. A staff of professional career counselors provide individual counseling sessions designed to assist students in identifying their interests, skills, and values. This initial self-assessment helps students choose appropriate academic majors and identify career options. Students are encouraged to explore career options, develop professional skills, and are assisted in securing internships, externships, and summer employment. A comprehensive placement program assists graduating seniors in finding employment. Students may also receive assistance in planning for graduate study.