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History

Industry Areas

Here are examples of industry areas students enter with this major, jobs/internships, typical employers that hire students, skills employers look for, and examples of where alumni work. To find more information make an appointment with your career counselor/advisor.

Industry Areas for History
Employers|Industry
Jobs|Roles
Skills
Alumni

Local & State Government

• Counties
• Cities
• Municipalities
• Townships
• Municipal archives
• Libraries
• Museums, parks, and historic sites
• Arts and humanities councils
• School districts
• Departments of state government
• Legislative agencies
• Court systems

• Public Policy
• Regional Planning
• City or Town Management
• Legislative, Executive, or Judicial Services
• Program Administration
• General Services
• Community Affairs
• Social Services
• Law Enforcement
• Administrative
• Communication
• Foreign Language
• Multitasking
• Leadership
• Prioritizing
• City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, LIRI and SBIF Program Manager
• Colorado Governor's Office / Denver Department of Finance, Government Innovations Fellow
• Office of Governor Bruce Rauner, State of Illinois, Director of Operations
• State Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, Intern
• Office of Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Legislative Director

Federal Government

There are over 170 federal departments and agencies including:
• The Smithsonian Institute
• National Archives and Records
• Library of Congress
• National Park Service
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Central Intelligence Agency
• Foreign Service

• Public Policy
• Research
• Intelligence
• Foreign Service
• Law Enforcement
• General Services
• Legislative, Executive, or Judicial Services
• Program Administration
• Administrative
• Communication
• Foreign Language
• Multitasking
• Leadership
• Prioritizing
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Team Lead, External Readiness, Joint Information Branch
• Department Of The Treasury, Budget Analyst
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Deputee Chief of Staff for Operations
• United Stated Senate, Senator Tim Kaine, Health Policy Legislative Assistant
• US Department of Commerce, Government
• U.S. Treasury, Sr. Attorney
• U.S. Department of Education
• US Dept of Interior, Division Chief
• US-Vietnam Trade Council, Program Associate
• USA Army, Battalian Intelligence Officer
•US Dept of Justice, Research Analyst
• US House of Representatives, Legislative Director

Politics

Legislative, executive, or judicial officials
National, state, or local government
Political action committees
Political parties
Campaigns: national, state, or local
Industrial, educational, and public interest groups
Lobbying organizations
Large business firms

Elected or Appointed Leadership
Campaign Management
Staff Administration
Special Interest Advocacy
Political Advising
Lobbying
Administrative
Analytical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Writing Skills
Active Learning
Administrative
Communication
Foreign Language
Multitasking
Leadership
Prioritizing
Hillary for America, Southern States Finance Director
Office of Governor Bruce Rauner, State of Illinois, Director of Operations
Colorado Governor's Office / Denver Department of Finance, Government Innovations Fellow
Center for American Progress, Associate Director, Economic Campaigns
State Senator Jeffrey Schoenberg, Intern
Office of Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Legislative Director

Law

Law firms
Federal, state, and local government
Private practice
Corporations
Special interest groups
Universities and colleges
Legal aid societies
Nonprofit and public interest organizations, e.g.,:
ACLU
NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Legal Services Corporation
Legal clinics
Other private legal services

Prosecution
Defense
Contractual
Corporate
Nonprofit or Public Interest
Government
Mediation
Other Specialties
Law Assistance
Administrative
Analytical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Writing Skills
Active Learning
United States District Court, Judicial Clerk/Attorney
Alaska Supreme Court, Law Clerk
NYU School of Law, Professor
Office of Governor Of Illinois, Legal Dunn Fellow
Illinois Department of Corrections, Chief Legal
Jenner & Block LLP, Associate
Parker Drilling Company, Associate General Counsel
Elan Pharmaceuticals, Attorney
Allstate Insurance Company, Corporate Counsel

Nonprofit

History museums and historical sites
Historical associations and societies
Cultural heritage organizations
Historical projects
Research and service institutions
Libraries
Educational institutions
Local and national nonprofit agencies
Trade or professional associations
Special interest groups
Nonprofit organizations

Administration
Management
Public Relations
Program Coordination
Fund Raising/Development
Grant Writing
Writing/Editing
Volunteer Coordination
Community Education
Creativity
Multi-tasking
Interpersonal
Time Management
Service Orientation
Writing
Social
Perceptiveness                       
Enthusiasm & knowledge for the cause
Special Projects Assistant to the Director at Imagine Science
Social Good, Strategist
Africa Volunteer Corps, Founder
World Affairs Forum, Member, Board of Directors
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Executive Director, Public Relations

Information Science/Curatorial and Archival Management

Museums
Historical homes
Art galleries
Libraries
College, university, professional schools
Public, central and branches
Public and private K-12 schools
Special collections
Historical societies
Universities and colleges
State and local government
Federal government, particularly the National Archives and Records Administration
Corporations
Non-profit organizations
Research institutions

Acquisition
Preservation
Arrangement
Cataloguing/Categorizing
Exhibition/Installation
Describing
Analyzing
Authenticating
Maintaining Records
Library Administration
Research
Education
strong interpersonal skills
attention to detail
ability to multitask
organizational skills
time management
verbal and written communication
ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
Guggenheim Museum, Grants Officer
Mexican Cultural Institute, Educational Services and Outreach
Dolton Public Library, Reference Librarian
Museum of Contemporary Art, Curator
Syracuse University, Assoc. Prof., Dir. Graduate Museum Studies, Sr. Curator
Downers Grove Public Library, Director
Waukegan Public Library, Marketing and Communications Manager
Princeton University, Librarian, Marquand Library of Art & Archaeology

Education

K-12 schools, public and private
Boards of education
Four-year colleges and universities
Two-year and community colleges
Technical schools
Medical and professional schools
Museums Historical sites
Arboretums, gardens, and conservatories
Camps
National and state parks

Primary and Secondary:
Teaching
Administration
Library Services
Higher Education:
Teaching
Research
Information/Library Services
Administration
Student Support Services
Admissions
Financial Aid
Advising
Development
Student Affairs
Alumni Affairs
Community Education
K-12:  
Coordination
public speaking
critical thinking
writing
social perceptiveness
complex problem solving.
Higher Ed:
Research
Writing
critical thinking
judgment and decision making
presentations
History Teaching Fellow, Phillips Academy Andover
Culver Academies, Dean
Francis W. Parker School, Chair of Department of History
Tenafly Board of Education, Social Studies Teacher
Success Academy Charter Schools, Community Relations Coordinator
Temple University, Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment
University at Buffalo (SUNY), Assistant Professor of History
University of Illinois at Chicago, Adjunct Professor
Hebrew Educational Alliance, 4th grade teacher
Smith College, History Professor
Barnard College, Coordinator, International Programs and Special Projects

Business

Product and service organizations
Retail stores
Hotels
Restaurants
Wholesalers
Manufacturers
Banks and financial institutions
Insurance companies
Real estate agencies
Consulting firms
Other business corporations

Sales
Management
Office Administration
Human Resources
Training and Development
Public Relations
Writing/Editing
Problem-Solving Skills
Analytical Thinking Skills
Leadership & Team Based Skills
Business Judgment
Communication Skills
Project Management
Professionalism
Executive Development Program Trainee at Macy's
Google, Inc., Account Manager
Civis Analytics, HR Specialist
Comcast Cable, Division Senior Director, Human Resources
Ingersoll Rand, Director, Global Talent Mang & Organization Development
North Park Lincoln Mercury, Sales Manager

Print Media

Newspapers: national, local, or trade
News departments of local, public, and commercial radio and television stations
Wire services
Magazines and journals
Internet sites
National, state, or regional radio networks
Independent radio syndications
Textbook or commercial publishing houses

Editing
Reporting
Circulation
Sales
Publishing
Electronic Media
Public Relations
News Programming
advanced verbal and written communication
detailed oriented
technology and social media skills
time management
analytical skills
interpersonal skills
negotiation skills
project management skills
WordCraft Editing & Writing Services, Editor
Showtime Networks, Inc., Associate Producer
Tribune Media Services, Assistant Editor/Humor Columnist
Chicago Tribune, Reporter
Children's Publishing Company
Jeff Haber Productions, Writer/Producer
Seevens Publishing Corp, Editorial Director

Foreign Service

Department of Defense including:
US Armed Forces
National Guard
National Security Agency
Intelligence and law enforcement agencies:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Central Intelligence Agency
Drug Enforcement Administration
Department of State
Homeland Security including:
US Customs and Border Patrol
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Agency for International Development (USAID)
Peace Corps, VISTA, Americorps

Foreign Service
Immigration/Naturalization
Customs
Intelligence
Security and Protection
Law Enforcement
Administrative
Communication
Foreign Language
Multitasking
Leadership
Prioritizing
Administrative
Analytical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Writing Skills
Active Learning
Embassy of Mexico, Assistant to the Ambassador
US-Vietnam Trade Council, Program Associate

Popular Industries (According to LinkedIn)

  • Education (15%)
  • Media and Communication (14%)
  • Legal (9%)
  • Research (6%)

Professional Associations