History - Introduction
Potential careers
Graduates from the Department of History move into an amazingly diverse range of graduate occupations, reflecting the high regard in which employers hold the interpretive, analytical, and communication skills gained by studying this subject.
Some go into careers related to the subject such as Archivist, Heritage Manager, Museum/Gallery Conservator, Teacher, Academic Librarian, and Information Officer. Others go into careers that utilise the general skills gained from studying History such as Administrator (in the Civil Service, Local Government, Education, and the NHS,) Solicitor, Barrister, and Journalist. A significant number also enter the financial services sector, mostly in accountancy, but also in financial advice, pensions, insurance, taxation, and banking. Other destinations include the media, social research, marketing, events management, recruitment consultancies, and charities.
A significant proportion of students go on to further study after graduation. Many select Masters degrees in a specialist area of History, but others select subjects with a vocational focus to train for some of the careers mentioned above.
- What graduates do
- Understanding yourself
- Your options
- Vacancies
Short term and longer term career paths
Understanding what recent graduates from your subject have gone on to do can be a valuable source of information to help in career planning, but bear in mind that what you choose to do will be a personal decision based on many other factors, such as what you are good at, what you enjoy, and what you want from work.
History - what University of Sheffield graduates do six months after graduation
This data was collected six months after graduation, so although useful, it doesn't provide a reliable indicator of longer term career paths. Some graduates are still in transition and may be in short term jobs, mainly in administrative, retail and customer service roles, developing further skills and experience while at the same time job hunting, travelling, or taking time out.
Graduate case studies
Read about the longer term career paths of University of Sheffield History graduates.
What do graduates do? - the national picture
The national Prospects website provides an overview of the graduate jobs market.
Our appoach to employability
The University of Sheffield is committed to developing your employability.
Understanding your skills, interests and motivation
Studying for a degree means you will be developing a range of valuable skills and competencies that are in addition to those you may have gained outside of your degree, through activities in both your leisure time and work. You need to be aware of these competencies and be able to provide evidence of them, to convince employers that you would be an asset to their organisation.
Skills acquired by History graduates
Find out more about the extensive range of skills and personal qualities that you have developed as part of your degree. These skills explain why many employers have a positive view of History graduates.
Gaining skills outside of your degree
Skills developed outside of study are just as important so don't overlook paid or voluntary work and other interests when thinking about what you have to offer. The developing skills section on our website can tell you more.
What jobs would suit me?
Match your skills and interests to potential occupations (part of the Prospects website).
See the bigger picture
A simple step by step outline to help you progress your career ideas plus a selection of resources to assist you in this process.
Profiling for success
This online assessment package provided by the Careers Service for University of Sheffield students and graduates, includes two personality type indicators to help you understand yourself.
Options with your subject - History
Make a start by reading this section of the Prospects website and develop ideas on how you can best use your degree.
There are a number of obvious jobs that you may wish to consider such as teacher, heritage manager, and archivist. However, you should remember that a large proportion of vacancies advertised to graduates are open to any degree subject, so you should be prepared to explore all your options.
Occupations
This section of our website provides links to professional bodies, organisations (many include vacancy databases) and journals. Use it to research your chosen sectors.
Explore types of jobs
Detailed profiles for a wide range of occupations are available from Prospects and include job descriptions, case studies, salary and conditions, entry requirements, training, typical employers and vacancies.
These are our suggestions
We've chosen these because they are often seen as related to your area of study, or there is a pattern of graduates in your subject working in these roles. Of course, they are not the only options and there are many other graduate careers potentially open to you.
Further study and research
Graduates from undergraduate degrees from the department of History can progress into a number of different postgraduate degrees in the subject, such as a Masters degrees in Historical Research, Medieval History, or American History. After the Masters course some then choose to subsequently pursue a PhD or MPhil. Other graduates may train to teach History by gaining a teaching qualification, such as a PGCE.
Alternatively graduates can progress onto vocational courses, to gain qualifications for entry into specific careers. Examples of these could include Journalism, Archivist, or Law Conversion courses.
Search courses and research
If you are interested in postgraduate study, a good place to start is Prospects, which offer a database of courses and research opportunities.
myVacancies
We advertise over 5000 vacancies each year for graduate jobs, placements, part-time, voluntary and vacation work. Students and graduates can register and login
There are a large number of websites advertising graduate vacancies; some cover a broad range of occupations while others specialise in a particular sector. Increasingly, professional organisations and government bodies also include vacancies as part of their website.
Information Resources - Occupations
Search our list of vacancy websites. You may be particularly interested in the sections for Administration, Education and Publishing, Media and Performing Arts.
Creative job searching
Many jobs are never advertised through the usual media so you may need to be creative in your searching. Talk to academic staff in your department about possible vacancy sources and useful contacts for networking if you wish to pursue a career related to your discipline.
Read the section of our website on Creative job searching to help you approach employers who do not normally advertise.
Finally
At this stage you are not seeking the perfect match, but rather choices which are as far as you can tell going to meet your broad objectives; your decision is probably not for life. Though some decisions can have long term consequences, others enable you to keep your options open until you feel more certain.
Use the menu on the left to explore your career options and plan your applications. We can help you to write your CV and covering letter and prepare for interviews.
Please call us on 0114 2220910 if you would like help with your career planning and would like to talk to a Careers Adviser, or visit us at 388 Glossop Road on the corner of Durham Road.
Email Enquiry Service
We also offer an email service if you find it difficult to visit us at the Careers Service.