1 answer
Aurora
Student
Frankfort, Kentucky
5
Questions
Asked
1099 views
When it comes to starting up, what is the best internship/job to look into when chasing after a history major?
This applies either to college or after graduating, and what's recommended of a student with their classes on top of themselves and the opportunities.
Login to comment
1 answer
Aml Omar
Marketing & Business Development Consultant
26
Answers
Egypt
Updated
Aml’s Answer
A History major can lead to more careers than just becoming a historian, so I’d choose internships based on the skills and industry you want to build, rather than looking only for jobs with “History” in the title.
Good starting points include:
Museums & archives — research, collections, curatorial or archival internships.
Libraries & historical societies — excellent for research, preservation and public-facing experience.
Public history / cultural organizations — good if you enjoy making history accessible to the public.
Government or nonprofits — research, policy, communications and program roles can use strong historical research skills.
Journalism / publishing — useful if you enjoy writing and storytelling.
Education — tutoring, teaching assistant roles, or educational programs if you’re interested in teaching.
Research assistant roles — especially valuable if you’re considering graduate school.
While you’re in college, I’d prioritize one meaningful experience at a time rather than trying to collect internships while overwhelming yourself with classes. Even 5–10 hours a week volunteering or working with a museum, archive, professor, or local organization can give you something concrete for your résumé.
Also build a portfolio alongside your degree: research projects, writing samples, exhibits/projects you contributed to, articles, presentations, or digital history work.
The bigger question is: “What do I want to do with my ability to research, analyze, write and understand context?” Once you answer that, choosing the right internship becomes much easier
Good starting points include:
Museums & archives — research, collections, curatorial or archival internships.
Libraries & historical societies — excellent for research, preservation and public-facing experience.
Public history / cultural organizations — good if you enjoy making history accessible to the public.
Government or nonprofits — research, policy, communications and program roles can use strong historical research skills.
Journalism / publishing — useful if you enjoy writing and storytelling.
Education — tutoring, teaching assistant roles, or educational programs if you’re interested in teaching.
Research assistant roles — especially valuable if you’re considering graduate school.
While you’re in college, I’d prioritize one meaningful experience at a time rather than trying to collect internships while overwhelming yourself with classes. Even 5–10 hours a week volunteering or working with a museum, archive, professor, or local organization can give you something concrete for your résumé.
Also build a portfolio alongside your degree: research projects, writing samples, exhibits/projects you contributed to, articles, presentations, or digital history work.
The bigger question is: “What do I want to do with my ability to research, analyze, write and understand context?” Once you answer that, choosing the right internship becomes much easier