Deciding what to do after
your history degree
Around 70% of graduate level jobs are open to students with any degree background*, which means there
are a large number of job options out there for History students. Faced with this variety of jobs, how do
you work out which option is for you?
“Don’t be afraid to try out a few different career paths, a great way to do this is through work
experience, as you get a taster for the industry without having to fully commit yourself ”
BA Hons Modern and Contemporary History graduate 2009
How do you get started?
Your degree
Considering what other QM graduates of
History have gone on to do, can provide initial
ideas. Take a look at websites like Prospects
and What London Graduates Do, for some more
ideas.
Your skills
Reflect on your degree, part time work and
extra curricular activities. What skills did you
enjoy using e.g. public speaking, researching,
writing, organising etc. Which jobs use these
skills?
Explore what’s out there
Read job adverts. Flick through newspapers
or browse the vacancies on online job
boards. You will probably find job roles and
companies that you have never heard of.
What other jobs could you do around this area?
Do similar roles exist in other industries? Use
the Prospects job sector overviews to help you.
Your interests
Use what you enjoy as a starting point. This
could be anything from sporting events, to
following political stories, or community work.
Then think about the jobs that are needed in
this area of interest. For example any sports
venue needs Event Managers, Accountants,
Sponsorship Managers, Recruitment and
Training Manages, Marketers, Sales Managers
and so on.
Who you know
Ask other people what they do. In fact ask
everyone you know. Talking to people about
how they got into their jobs, and what they
enjoy about them can be a useful way to find
inspiration.
Industry insight
Pick an industry. Start with something that
interests you, e.g. government and politics,
marketing or law. Find as much out as you
can about the industry and talk to people
in them to find out more about their work.
QM Careers run a number of employer events
from different sectors. Attending these will help
you learn more about sectors and job roles.
(*CBI: education & skills, Taking Stock, 2008)
What is the next step?
Once you have identified some different sectors and job roles that you think may interest you, it’s
important to explore them sufficiently so you have a realistic sense of whether they will suit you or not.
The Prospects website has a list of job profiles you can use to find out about what different jobs involve,
entry requirements and salary information.
Professional bodies and associations also often have useful information about jobs in the industry they
represent. http://www.totalprofessions.com/ contains a list of professional bodies. You can also find
them by putting the industry you are looking to enter along with the work “association” or “institute”
into a search engine. Here you will also be able to keep up with the latest industry news and find out
about relevent events, which can be useful for networking.
Take your time to explore these roles. Finding fault with your ideas too soon could banish a
potentially brilliant career idea.
This sounds obvious, but keep a record of your findings. Make sure you note things down that
interest you, and even those that haven’t. You may start to see patterns in the things you don’t
like so that in the future you can easily eliminate roles because they are too finance based for
example. Remember to keep a note of things that are “maybes”, and make some time to find out
more about these jobs.
Prioritise what’s important to you. For example, if you have a list of jobs in front of you that are
radically different, consider factors such as whether salary is important – if it is, then you may
eliminate many jobs from the list. Or if work life balance and charitable values are important to
you, then that could also eliminate others.
At the same time, remember that it’s hard to prioritise everything. Getting the right location, the
right salary, the right company, the right sector can be difficult. Ask yourself what you are willing
to negotiate on?
Remember to use our events where you can ask questions from industry professionals (many
are often QM alumni) to find out more. Consider how you could use your own contacts as well as
build your network to help you with your job search. See our leaflets on networking and LinkeIn
for details on how to go about this.
Exploring and chosing your options can take time, so keep persevering. If you like a particular
area or job, consider trying it out and see if you can get some work experience or work shadowing.
This can help you to further commit or eliminate things from your list. It will also look good on
your CV and will show potential employers your interest in the job role / industry.
Book an appointment to speak to your Careers Consultant. Talking through your ideas with
somebody else to help clarify your thoughts and help you decide on your next step.
March 2012
© QM Careers
Further resources for exploring your skills and related careers:
• Prospects planner
• Target Careers Report
www.careers.qmul.ac.uk
020 7882 8533
Room WG3, Queens Building, Mile End