Job/Career for a History Major

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Saint Michael
I'm not exactly sure where all these people get the ideas that certain majors are so easy, especially because we have a bunch of science majors here saying it... but if you majored in the sciences then you didn't major in history/music/sociology/whatever, so you actually have no fucking clue how difficult they are. I've taken biology, math, history, art history, Latin, music, and Chinese courses since coming to college, and Harmony (the foundation music course) is probably the hardest course I've taken so far, and way harder than Calculus (Chinese probably comes in second just from the sheer amount of work). This isn't counting the ear training course, which was absolutely devastating. It's amazing how authoritatively some people will talk about things they know nothing about. "Oh but my friend was a psych major and he just partied all week and got a 4.0!" Yeah? Well, you're not your friend, maybe you should walk a mile in his shoes before you make all sorts of absurd claims on his behalf.

It's easier for the general population. It may be difficult for some individuals, but that's not the norm. It has easier grades, less general work, more people often 'drop' other majors and go into it, less of a drop out rate, and lesser academic accomplishments for those who are in it.

There are easier degrees, but that doesn't mean that those degrees are worthless to everyone who is majoring in them.

 

[cvrefugee]

History isn't an extremely easy nor is it an extremely difficult subject. I found it more interesting than the sciences, where it really came down to cold memorization of things that had no relation to the real world. I still got A's and B's in lower-division science classes, but because I was memorizing theories and concepts it was much harder. The thing is I can learn anything quickly and I think that makes me a good prospect for a company. The fact that I went to college and graduated with a decent GPA (3.5) shows I'm determined and dedicated to reach my goals. And just because I have a liberal arts degree doesn't make me instantly unemployed. Two of my friends graduated with a B.S., one in Biology and the other Electrical Engineering. Guess what, they're still in the job market too. The problem is they don't know how to sell themselves to potential employers.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you have good grades on your required courses (all the orgos etc), it doesn't matter how easy your other major was. The history major makes him unique and undoubtly a lot of interviewers will find that as an interersting aspect of the applicant. Medicine really isn't all that difficult, dont need to have the mathematical thinking of an engineer to succeed. What med schools want are smart, capable people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

At this point, I can't tell if you're just fucking with Special K, or if you actually believe this. It sounds like Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock. "Medicine is not a science..." or "Boy it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Different time, the sixties."

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: cvrefugee
I finally finished college this past June. I've been going to school off and on but for the past 4.5 years I cracked down and got my B.A. in History. When I first graduated from high school (back in 1998) I planned on getting a degree in Computer Science. After my first programming class I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do (plus I was never good at advanced math). One of my history professors sort of inspired me to choose History as my major. I knew that it wasn't a popular major but it was something that interested me and I was good at remembering people/places/ideas/events. My area of concentration ended up being 20th C. U.S. History.

So now what? I've been told I can teach (have to get a credential first) but that's not really something I want to do full-time. Maybe substitute teaching would be okay but that's not really a career. What I would like to get into is a government-level job. It could be local, state, or federal. I know that the benefits are great but I'm not exactly sure where to apply and how the process goes. Someone told me I need to take a Civil Service exam...what is that?

As far as my skills, I'm good at research, analysis, and writing. Of course I still do my computer stuff on the side, upgrading and repairing systems for friends and former coworkers. I used to work at a pharmacy as a pharm tech but I quit about three weeks ago (low pay and very few hours). I was thinking of starting my own computer business but it isn't something I want to do forever.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Public History is a growing field. Museums, historic registries, corporate historian, etc.

Teaching, if not full time then summer school, as a home schooling coordinator, etc.

Law School, politics, etc are good extensions to a history degree.

Any type of research assistant, fact finder, etc.

Not really...it doesn't really offer any distinguishing advantage over the other hordes of law school students without a valuable background for prospective employers. In a sense, every degree is a good extension from law school, but certain degrees are much more valuable...especially in the current legal economy. A major like History is about as 'valuable' as a major in basket weaving as far as law school goes.

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: Saint Michael
I'm not exactly sure where all these people get the ideas that certain majors are so easy, especially because we have a bunch of science majors here saying it... but if you majored in the sciences then you didn't major in history/music/sociology/whatever, so you actually have no fucking clue how difficult they are. I've taken biology, math, history, art history, Latin, music, and Chinese courses since coming to college, and Harmony (the foundation music course) is probably the hardest course I've taken so far, and way harder than Calculus (Chinese probably comes in second just from the sheer amount of work). This isn't counting the ear training course, which was absolutely devastating. It's amazing how authoritatively some people will talk about things they know nothing about. "Oh but my friend was a psych major and he just partied all week and got a 4.0!" Yeah? Well, you're not your friend, maybe you should walk a mile in his shoes before you make all sorts of absurd claims on his behalf.

It's easier for the general population. It may be difficult for some individuals, but that's not the norm. It has easier grades, less general work, more people often 'drop' other majors and go into it, less of a drop out rate, and lesser academic accomplishments for those who are in it.

There are easier degrees, but that doesn't mean that those degrees are worthless to everyone who is majoring in them.

I had one of the highest grades in my Harmony course, it's not like I'm just not able to cut it in this one little field. Calculus has the easiest courses I've taken so far. Simple rules, you follow them, you get an A. Just because a major requires more classes doesn't mean it's more difficult, it simply means you have to dedicate yourself more exclusively to one topic, and there's less flexibility in entering the program. You could easily set up a program that requires 4 years of easy classes that are only offered once a year, and nobody would be able to start their sophomore year. And again I'll say, if you didn't major in any of these fields, then you have no objective idea of how much work they have or how difficult they are.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: Saint Michael
I'm not exactly sure where all these people get the ideas that certain majors are so easy, especially because we have a bunch of science majors here saying it... but if you majored in the sciences then you didn't major in history/music/sociology/whatever, so you actually have no fucking clue how difficult they are. I've taken biology, math, history, art history, Latin, music, and Chinese courses since coming to college, and Harmony (the foundation music course) is probably the hardest course I've taken so far, and way harder than Calculus (Chinese probably comes in second just from the sheer amount of work). This isn't counting the ear training course, which was absolutely devastating. It's amazing how authoritatively some people will talk about things they know nothing about. "Oh but my friend was a psych major and he just partied all week and got a 4.0!" Yeah? Well, you're not your friend, maybe you should walk a mile in his shoes before you make all sorts of absurd claims on his behalf.

It's easier for the general population. It may be difficult for some individuals, but that's not the norm. It has easier grades, less general work, more people often 'drop' other majors and go into it, less of a drop out rate, and lesser academic accomplishments for those who are in it.

There are easier degrees, but that doesn't mean that those degrees are worthless to everyone who is majoring in them.

I had one of the highest grades in my Harmony course, it's not like I'm just not able to cut it in this one little field. Calculus has the easiest courses I've taken so far. Simple rules, you follow them, you get an A. Just because a major requires more classes doesn't mean it's more difficult, it simply means you have to dedicate yourself more exclusively to one topic, and there's less flexibility in entering the program. You could easily set up a program that requires 4 years of easy classes that are only offered once a year, and nobody would be able to start their sophomore year. And again I'll say, if you didn't major in any of these fields, then you have no objective idea of how much work they have or how difficult they are.

I'm speaking in general terms. The bottom line is that a major such as history generally has lesser work hours, higher average grades, more people drop other majors than drop an easier major such as history, people often do poorly in other majors and drop into an easier major such as history, and the academic entrance averages of students majoring in something such as history are usually lower than students of other more demanding majors.

There are certainly individual exceptions. Perhaps history would be very difficult for you and mathematics is incredibly simple. That's nice, but it doesn't really apply to the general population.

 

[Genx87]

I would think teaching, writing books, or research is about what your degree will offer you.

 

[Saint Michael]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
I'm speaking in general terms. The bottom line is that a major such as history generally has lesser work hours, higher average grades, more people drop other majors than drop an easier major such as history, people often do poorly in other majors and drop into an easier major such as history, and the academic entrance averages of students majoring in something such as history are usually lower than students of other more demanding majors.

There are certainly individual exceptions. Perhaps history would be very difficult for you and mathematics is incredibly simple. That's nice, but it doesn't really apply to the general population.

Maybe average grades are higher because the people in the history program are in it because they enjoy it and chose to major in something they have a strength in, as opposed to the engineering programs which are full of people who might not have any talent whatsoever but are just trying to find the most lucrative degree right out of school. Again, you have no personal experience in anything but one major (engineering, I presume), and you have provided no compelling proof that every major that isn't engineering is easy street.

 

[CptObvious]

I took the Foreign Service Officer test several weeks ago and I think it might be of interest to you. It's very selective but couldn't hurt to try (the written exam is free):

http://www.careers.state.gov/officer/index.html

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you have good grades on your required courses (all the orgos etc), it doesn't matter how easy your other major was. The history major makes him unique and undoubtly a lot of interviewers will find that as an interersting aspect of the applicant. Medicine really isn't all that difficult, dont need to have the mathematical thinking of an engineer to succeed. What med schools want are smart, capable people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

At this point, I can't tell if you're just fucking with Special K, or if you actually believe this. It sounds like Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock. "Medicine is not a science..." or "Boy it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Different time, the sixties."

I'm not sure what you're getting at and whether you have real experience in medicine or not. Perhaps you're much more experienced than I am but as far as I can tell, you dont need to be able to do abstract math to be a physician. I would say the average person can be a doctor as long as they go through enough hardwork and education. Not everyone can be an engineer or mathmatician since some people's brains simply can't handle that kind of math.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: Saint Michael
I'm not exactly sure where all these people get the ideas that certain majors are so easy, especially because we have a bunch of science majors here saying it... but if you majored in the sciences then you didn't major in history/music/sociology/whatever, so you actually have no fucking clue how difficult they are. I've taken biology, math, history, art history, Latin, music, and Chinese courses since coming to college, and Harmony (the foundation music course) is probably the hardest course I've taken so far, and way harder than Calculus (Chinese probably comes in second just from the sheer amount of work). This isn't counting the ear training course, which was absolutely devastating. It's amazing how authoritatively some people will talk about things they know nothing about. "Oh but my friend was a psych major and he just partied all week and got a 4.0!" Yeah? Well, you're not your friend, maybe you should walk a mile in his shoes before you make all sorts of absurd claims on his behalf.

It's easier for the general population. It may be difficult for some individuals, but that's not the norm. It has easier grades, less general work, more people often 'drop' other majors and go into it, less of a drop out rate, and lesser academic accomplishments for those who are in it.

There are easier degrees, but that doesn't mean that those degrees are worthless to everyone who is majoring in them.

I had one of the highest grades in my Harmony course, it's not like I'm just not able to cut it in this one little field. Calculus has the easiest courses I've taken so far. Simple rules, you follow them, you get an A. Just because a major requires more classes doesn't mean it's more difficult, it simply means you have to dedicate yourself more exclusively to one topic, and there's less flexibility in entering the program. You could easily set up a program that requires 4 years of easy classes that are only offered once a year, and nobody would be able to start their sophomore year. And again I'll say, if you didn't major in any of these fields, then you have no objective idea of how much work they have or how difficult they are.

I'm speaking in general terms. The bottom line is that a major such as history generally has lesser work hours, higher average grades, more people drop other majors than drop an easier major such as history, people often do poorly in other majors and drop into an easier major such as history, and the academic entrance averages of students majoring in something such as history are usually lower than students of other more demanding majors.

There are certainly individual exceptions. Perhaps history would be very difficult for you and mathematics is incredibly simple. That's nice, but it doesn't really apply to the general population.

Agreed, all the easiest classes i've taken were nonscience classes. The psych/sociology ones were a joke. My Chinese major was pretty easy as well (both the language an cultural coourses). The bio major was signficantly harder and even that doesn't compare to econ or EE

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you have good grades on your required courses (all the orgos etc), it doesn't matter how easy your other major was. The history major makes him unique and undoubtly a lot of interviewers will find that as an interersting aspect of the applicant. Medicine really isn't all that difficult, dont need to have the mathematical thinking of an engineer to succeed. What med schools want are smart, capable people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

At this point, I can't tell if you're just fucking with Special K, or if you actually believe this. It sounds like Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock. "Medicine is not a science..." or "Boy it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Different time, the sixties."

I'm not sure what you're getting at and whether you have real experience in medicine or not. Perhaps you're much more experienced than I am but as far as I can tell, you dont need to be able to do abstract math to be a physician. I would say the average person can be a doctor as long as they go through enough hardwork and education. Not everyone can be an engineer or mathmatician since some people's brains simply can't handle that kind of math.

So what differentiates one candidate from another when they are applying for residency programs? Why does one candidate get the prestigious neurosurgery fellowship, while many other students land GP residencies? There's always an innate skill component to any field. I could just as easily say that the students who didn't land the most prestigious fellowships just "couldn't handle" the material as well as those who did land those fellowships.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you have good grades on your required courses (all the orgos etc), it doesn't matter how easy your other major was. The history major makes him unique and undoubtly a lot of interviewers will find that as an interersting aspect of the applicant. Medicine really isn't all that difficult, dont need to have the mathematical thinking of an engineer to succeed. What med schools want are smart, capable people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

At this point, I can't tell if you're just fucking with Special K, or if you actually believe this. It sounds like Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock. "Medicine is not a science..." or "Boy it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Different time, the sixties."

I'm not sure what you're getting at and whether you have real experience in medicine or not. Perhaps you're much more experienced than I am but as far as I can tell, you dont need to be able to do abstract math to be a physician. I would say the average person can be a doctor as long as they go through enough hardwork and education. Not everyone can be an engineer or mathmatician since some people's brains simply can't handle that kind of math.

So what differentiates one candidate from another when they are applying for residency programs? Why does one candidate get the prestigious neurosurgery fellowship, while many other students land GP residencies? There's always an innate skill component to any field.

Of course there is. I'm just saying if you just want to get your foot in the door and barely squeek over the bar, you dont need to be all that smart.

 

[RabidMongoose]

Originally posted by: Saint Michael

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose
I'm speaking in general terms. The bottom line is that a major such as history generally has lesser work hours, higher average grades, more people drop other majors than drop an easier major such as history, people often do poorly in other majors and drop into an easier major such as history, and the academic entrance averages of students majoring in something such as history are usually lower than students of other more demanding majors.

There are certainly individual exceptions. Perhaps history would be very difficult for you and mathematics is incredibly simple. That's nice, but it doesn't really apply to the general population.

Maybe average grades are higher because the people in the history program are in it because they enjoy it and chose to major in something they have a strength in, as opposed to the engineering programs which are full of people who might not have any talent whatsoever but are just trying to find the most lucrative degree right out of school. Again, you have no personal experience in anything but one major (engineering, I presume), and you have provided no compelling proof that every major that isn't engineering is easy street.

I am sure that more people enjoy a history major than, say, an engineering major. I very much enjoyed history courses that I have taken. However, the bottom line is that statistically less students drop a history major than drop an engineering major. More students often drop other majors due to poor grades and enroll as a history major. The academic accomplishments of the average entering engineering student (average SAT scores, average high school GPA) are almost always higher than the average entering history student. It's simply easier to enroll and stay as a history major than it is in a more demanding major such as engineering.

By the way, I was actually a double major and currently in law school.

 

[RESmonkey]

Have fun with liberal arts, rofl. McDonalds is always hiring.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: RabidMongoose

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands

Originally posted by: cvrefugee
I finally finished college this past June. I've been going to school off and on but for the past 4.5 years I cracked down and got my B.A. in History. When I first graduated from high school (back in 1998) I planned on getting a degree in Computer Science. After my first programming class I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do (plus I was never good at advanced math). One of my history professors sort of inspired me to choose History as my major. I knew that it wasn't a popular major but it was something that interested me and I was good at remembering people/places/ideas/events. My area of concentration ended up being 20th C. U.S. History.

So now what? I've been told I can teach (have to get a credential first) but that's not really something I want to do full-time. Maybe substitute teaching would be okay but that's not really a career. What I would like to get into is a government-level job. It could be local, state, or federal. I know that the benefits are great but I'm not exactly sure where to apply and how the process goes. Someone told me I need to take a Civil Service exam...what is that?

As far as my skills, I'm good at research, analysis, and writing. Of course I still do my computer stuff on the side, upgrading and repairing systems for friends and former coworkers. I used to work at a pharmacy as a pharm tech but I quit about three weeks ago (low pay and very few hours). I was thinking of starting my own computer business but it isn't something I want to do forever.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Public History is a growing field. Museums, historic registries, corporate historian, etc.

Teaching, if not full time then summer school, as a home schooling coordinator, etc.

Law School, politics, etc are good extensions to a history degree.

Any type of research assistant, fact finder, etc.

Not really...it doesn't really offer any distinguishing advantage over the other hordes of law school students without a valuable background for prospective employers. In a sense, every degree is a good extension from law school, but certain degrees are much more valuable...especially in the current legal economy. A major like History is about as 'valuable' as a major in basket weaving as far as law school goes.

A number of law schools disagree with you. Last time I checked history was still the most common undergraduate degree for law school admissions. Often as much as 25% of an undergrad history class will apply to law school. The numbers from Lewis & Clark last year showed almost as many public policy students as history students, but history is still a front runner. I'm not saying it necessarily makes someone stand out, I'm saying it's a good solid choice for a law school future.

History teaches research, critical analysis, argumentation, communication skills, writing/english, government, poli-sci, sociology, etc. Obviously it doesn't focus on those as much as a degree in them would, but it does contain a large amount of all of them.

 

[Special K]

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you have good grades on your required courses (all the orgos etc), it doesn't matter how easy your other major was. The history major makes him unique and undoubtly a lot of interviewers will find that as an interersting aspect of the applicant. Medicine really isn't all that difficult, dont need to have the mathematical thinking of an engineer to succeed. What med schools want are smart, capable people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

At this point, I can't tell if you're just fucking with Special K, or if you actually believe this. It sounds like Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock. "Medicine is not a science..." or "Boy it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Different time, the sixties."

I'm not sure what you're getting at and whether you have real experience in medicine or not. Perhaps you're much more experienced than I am but as far as I can tell, you dont need to be able to do abstract math to be a physician. I would say the average person can be a doctor as long as they go through enough hardwork and education. Not everyone can be an engineer or mathmatician since some people's brains simply can't handle that kind of math.

So what differentiates one candidate from another when they are applying for residency programs? Why does one candidate get the prestigious neurosurgery fellowship, while many other students land GP residencies? There's always an innate skill component to any field.

Of course there is. I'm just saying if you just want to get your foot in the door and barely squeek over the bar, you dont need to be all that smart.

Well then all of the self-declared pre-med majors I knew freshman year who dropped the program a year later must have been significantly below average then, if you are saying that one doesn't need to be all that smart to succeed.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Special K

Originally posted by: Mo0o

Originally posted by: Atomic Playboy

Originally posted by: Mo0o
If you have good grades on your required courses (all the orgos etc), it doesn't matter how easy your other major was. The history major makes him unique and undoubtly a lot of interviewers will find that as an interersting aspect of the applicant. Medicine really isn't all that difficult, dont need to have the mathematical thinking of an engineer to succeed. What med schools want are smart, capable people from a diverse range of backgrounds.

At this point, I can't tell if you're just fucking with Special K, or if you actually believe this. It sounds like Dr. Spaceman from 30 Rock. "Medicine is not a science..." or "Boy it's crazy to think we used to settle questions of paternity by dunking a woman in water until she admitted she made it all up. Different time, the sixties."

I'm not sure what you're getting at and whether you have real experience in medicine or not. Perhaps you're much more experienced than I am but as far as I can tell, you dont need to be able to do abstract math to be a physician. I would say the average person can be a doctor as long as they go through enough hardwork and education. Not everyone can be an engineer or mathmatician since some people's brains simply can't handle that kind of math.

So what differentiates one candidate from another when they are applying for residency programs? Why does one candidate get the prestigious neurosurgery fellowship, while many other students land GP residencies? There's always an innate skill component to any field.

Of course there is. I'm just saying if you just want to get your foot in the door and barely squeek over the bar, you dont need to be all that smart.

Well then all of the self-declared pre-med majors I knew freshman year who dropped the program a year later must have been significantly below average then, if you are saying that one doesn't need to be all that smart to succeed.

Maybe, or they jsut didn't try hard enough. Orgo is probably more difficult, conceptually speaking, than any med school class i've taken so far.

 

[MrsPickins]

California State Parks / Educational and Interpretive Classifications

 

[imported_Imp]

From what I've learned on ATOT, you will get nothing unless you are an engineer or an IT student.

Honestly, you could go back to school, get a masters/Ph.D and teach. Go straight to teaching, check out parks/museums/educational institutions for anything. Or go back to school for a more 'applicable' major.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Originally posted by: cvrefugee
I finally finished college this past June. I've been going to school off and on but for the past 4.5 years I cracked down and got my B.A. in History. When I first graduated from high school (back in 1998) I planned on getting a degree in Computer Science. After my first programming class I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do (plus I was never good at advanced math). One of my history professors sort of inspired me to choose History as my major. I knew that it wasn't a popular major but it was something that interested me and I was good at remembering people/places/ideas/events. My area of concentration ended up being 20th C. U.S. History.

So now what? I've been told I can teach (have to get a credential first) but that's not really something I want to do full-time. Maybe substitute teaching would be okay but that's not really a career. What I would like to get into is a government-level job. It could be local, state, or federal. I know that the benefits are great but I'm not exactly sure where to apply and how the process goes. Someone told me I need to take a Civil Service exam...what is that?

As far as my skills, I'm good at research, analysis, and writing. Of course I still do my computer stuff on the side, upgrading and repairing systems for friends and former coworkers. I used to work at a pharmacy as a pharm tech but I quit about three weeks ago (low pay and very few hours). I was thinking of starting my own computer business but it isn't something I want to do forever.

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

How about self-employment; write books?

 

[TecHNooB]

Go join the medieval fair!

 

[Uppsala9496]

OP, not sure if my post got lost in the mess or not, but look into insurance.
The pay is good, the hours aren't bad, and there are a lot of perks.

If you go into underwriting, you will need to have some people skills since you will interact with brokers on a daily basis. I've been doing this for 11 years and like it (my wife is in the same field).

Most insurance companies/brokerage offices will state they want someone with a finance/economics/math degree, but a history degree is favorably looked upon.

 

[AeroEngy]

Originally posted by: grrl
If it helps you any, remember that Jack Welch was a history major.

Ummm ... He had a B.S , M.S and PhD in Chemical Engineering from what I have read. I don't remember the History degree party.

 

[Mxylplyx]

My brother in law majored in history. He's now a cop. Outside of teaching, history is near worthless when it comes to earning potential.