Career Options In History: Top 5 Exciting Career Opportunities for History Students

Introduction

Studying history lets, you understand the past better and your relationship with it. History opens the door for deep understanding and lets you preserve the past for the future generation.

History provides you with a multitude of career platforms to make it an interesting one. A degree in history sharpens your transferable skills as it lets you choose different career options where you can make use of historical facts and information.

Some of those subjects are law, media & journalism, literary world, politics, social activism, and many other subjects that you can pursue apart from the deemed options. A student can choose from various alternatives after he/she pursues a graduate or a postgraduate degree in history.

The discipline of history is essential in learning about the systems, ideologies, state machinery, and cultures that exist. History allows us to understand how far we have come, which good practices to adopt, which ones to do away with, etc.

History paves the way for learning about us as a society and aids in better innovation. There are plenty of career options for history students where they can apply their knowledge and skill sets to scale up their work. Some of the history group jobs list are mentioned below. 

Here Are Some Of The Career Options In History That You Can Opt

Let us now explore some of the career options in history and its pay scale in India that you can choose from after earning either a graduate or a postgraduate degree in history.

1. Historian

To focus on some of the specific areas of history and their specializations, you can choose to become a historian. Historians play a crucial role in synthesizing past events and making them significant for the future.

Historians find significance importance in today’s times. They are the reason for unveiling past events. The historians help understand the past culture, society, rights given to the people, and the kind of state that existed. 

There are various jobs in the history field in India that historians can procure for themselves. Historians can find good job opportunities in editing, publishing, education, journalism, etc.  It is considered one of the prestigious jobs in history field in India. 

What Is The Job Of A Historian ?

A historian finds the preserves of the past and puts them down in writing for further publishing of the material. He/she analyses the written records, artefacts and other evidence to complete their investigation.

Based on their research and findings, reports are prepared to serve modern society with discoveries and innovations.

For example, a historian in the editing industry would be responsible for researching and reviewing the work done on the content. They would also be responsible for giving a new perspective and adding insights to the piece of content. And most importantly, they are accountable for maintaining authenticity and ensuring that no tampering with the history happens.

History job opportunities in the publishing industry would result in maintaining the accuracy of historical data, researching extensively, reporting, publishing articles, proofreading, etc.

Similarly, opportunities in the education industry would open the doors to the world of academia. History educationists are responsible for imparting knowledge to the students. The history educators could also be indulged in diving deep into the subjects, writing article pieces or books. They would also be involved in conducting research and seminars.

History journalists would be responsible for making the public aware of the events. They are responsible for making the public aware of our past, which type of society existed, what our culture was, how the economy was, etc. 

A historian must possess certain skill sets which are helpful for their job roles, such as a curious mind, caliber for history, good written and communication skills, and most importantly, an analytical bent of mind.

2. Archaeologist

An archaeologist has to have sound knowledge of historical facts, human history, and prehistory as well.

Their major role is to excavate the historical sites and analyze them to further maintain the present architectural structures.

Archaeologists hold massive importance in society. They are responsible for unveiling past stories through artefacts, faunal analysis, etc. They can educate the public about their history with their efforts.

Through their efforts and discoveries, the archaeologists can make the public feel more connected to their culture and history and bring the heritage to notice.

Archaeologists have contributed immensely to understanding the history of religion, culture, society, fauna, human behavior, state, and many more. A career in history as an archaeologist is not only high paying but is also of value across the globe.

What Is The Job Of An Archaeologist ?

After pursuing an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree in archaeology, you become eligible to work on projects and overall work as an archaeologist.

They have to work in different settings, and most archaeologists these days prefer to work in cultural resource management (CRM). They could work as administrators or project managers.

Archaeologists not only “dig,” but do much more than that. They are responsible for protecting archaeological sites and usually work on historic sites, museums, or archaeological parks.

Some of the skills that an archaeologist requires are interest and knowledge of history, inquisitive nature, research aptitude, sociology, anthropology, critical thinking, collaboration, analytical skills, communication, report writing, written skills, etc.

3. Museologist

A museologist especially deals with the management of museums and their undertaking. He/she examines and preserves the historical and art objects.

These curators’ main job is to identify and organize the artefacts in the museum.

The museologist is important as they are responsible for preserving the history and artefacts that are precious. The museologists maintain and exhibit the articles for the public and generations to come.

These artefacts are old and need to be preserved under special care; the museologists are well-trained professionals who have the skill sets to preserve them.

Museums are of high importance in any country. They tell a story of the country and its subjects. They preserve objects of cultural, scientific, geographical, and societal significance.

What Is The Job Of A Museologist ?

Museologists specialized in natural history, paintings, terracotta, metals, textiles, etc., and so they purchase rare collections for the museum to display and enrich its beauty.

They may work in galleries and museums, which can be either governmental or private. They may work as exhibition coordinators, curators, museum educationists, and in several other different roles.

Some of the skills required from a museologist are knowledge of history, artefact preservation, communication skills, creativity, interest and knowledge of history, etc.

In India, the average salary of a museologist is around ₹15,000 per month in the beginning.

4. History Educator

Teaching is yet another delightful and exciting career option in history. Being a teacher and guiding others on the right path is the dream of many.

So, if you wish to share your knowledge and impart values, then teaching could be the best-suited option for you.

The history educator is responsible for imparting knowledge to their students. The educators can teach school students, college or even students sitting for competitive exams.

The history educators are required to teach the pre-determined curriculum to the students and assess their knowledge of the range of taught topics. 

What Is The Job Of A History Teacher/Educator ?

You can be a history teacher for a middle or K-12 high school or even at a college or university. To become a professional history teacher, you must have pursued a graduate degree in history and a Bachelor’s in Education (B.Ed) degree.

The curriculum employed by history educators includes ancient to medieval history and even recent history as well. They have to be thorough with their subjects so as to teach and impart the best knowledge to their students and explore their learnings.

Some of the skills required from history are good knowledge of the domain, patience, teaching skills, communication, people management, time management, attention to detail, research skills, etc.

5. Civil Services

To work as a respectable post of officer working for the betterment of society is a dream of youth out there in every country. You can be one of them if you dedicatedly and sincerely put effort into the same.

To clear the Mains exam of Civil Services, you must have a strong command over history and its facts.

Civil services are one of the most prestigious professions in the country. The professionals can make a direct impact on society through their efforts.

However, the road to becoming a civil service officer is not easy because of high competition and the nature of the exam. The aspirants are required to sit in the exam and pass three levels, the second level of the exam is called as mains which are of subjective type. 

There is one choice given to choose an optional subject which the aspirants choose to score higher, depending on their strengths.  The aspirants who consider history as their strong suit choose history as their optional to score higher. 

What Is The Job Of A Civil Services Officer ?

Joining Civil Services is not everyone’s cup of tea. Only with grit and strong determination can you clear the Civil Services exam and become an IAS, IPS, or an IFS. Its entrance exam (UPSC) includes history as an important and significant subject.

If you get to become an officer in this domain, then having a command over history will also help you build a strong nation altogether. To work for the future, you must know the past.

Thus, the aspirants of Civil Services need to have a good knowledge of history to maintain the records and preserve the culture of a country.

Civil servants are the professionals who are responsible for implementing policies and maintaining law and order. They have the authority to execute their area’s policies or law and order. 

There are various skills that a civil servant must possess, such as leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, organisation, decision-making, etc.

Conclusion

Through the above information, you can now make out that a career in history is a promising and interesting one. So, for your further study, you must decide and choose a knowledgeable platform to shine in your career life.