Career: Historians
Historians look for the clues that tell us about the past. More importantly, they help us make sense out of it all. They may start by telling us the facts of everything from the travels of Lewis and Clark to the first moon landing, but they don’t stop there.
Historians go on to answer questions about the importance of these events, their causes, and their effects. They make connections between the world as it was and the world as it is.
Historians collect and interpret material from the past.
Did You Know?
- The American Historical Association offers a lot of valuable information for future historians.
Are You Ready To...?
- Make sense of large amounts of information
- Spend lots of time hunting for information
- Give talks to other historians as well as the public
- Apply for grants to pay for your research
- Work on a project-by-project basis (and not as a full-time employee)
It Helps to Be...
A curious, creative, organized communicator and a devoted puzzle solver. You’ll also need to keep an open mind: a theory must fit the facts, not the other way around.
Make High School Count
- Take assigned research projects seriously. Learn how to get the most out of your library and to use the Internet wisely.
- Practice your writing skills -- historians need to explain their findings clearly.
- Volunteer at a museum or local historical society.
- Join the yearbook staff and create a history of your school.
Did You Know?
- Authors and filmmakers often hire researchers to find the historical information they need to make their books and films authentic.
Outlook
Government economists expect job growth for historians to be as fast as the average for all careers through 2016.
Although many professors are expected to retire in the coming years, university faculty jobs will still be very hard to come by -- there is so much competition. There should be better opportunities in policy and research. For example, historians could work with organizations that preserve and restore historic sites.
Compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the average earnings of historians in 2007 was $54,630.
