Blog CCV (205): So What CAN You Do With A History Major?

As a general rule, I try not to read the blogs of other historians.  Some of them are quite good, but they are generally focused on their fields.  I find all sorts of different fields of history interesting, but at some point you have to say, I just cannot keep up with issues developing in U.S. intellectual history, and/or Medieval European history.  History bloggers also tend to wander off topic a bit; I probably have done that a bit, but only a bit; others wanted to use their forums to talk about the 2016 U.S. presidential election, or the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series. 

With those points made, I do every once and a while--more once than while--I visit other history blogs.  One of the better ones out there is John Fea's "The Way of Improvement Leads Home."  Fea is a religious historian of the 19th Century, and chair of the Department of History at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  Although his blog focuses a lot on his research and teaching areas, Fea moves around the 19th Century a fair deal, and discusses many other history profession issues.

In 2009 Fea started a series on his blog "So What CAN You Do With A History Major?"  The majority of the entries in this series are interviews with history graduates of Messiah College on what they have done with their degree since graduation, but it is more than a little idiosyncratic.  There are re-postings of other articles, multiple posts about the same person, interviews with guidance counselors, and so on.  This series is aimed at convincing undergraduates and/or their parents that a BA in history is not a waste of a college degree.  Despite that fact, it serves a useful purpose for people in graduate school as a way of generating ideas on what they might do if they are unable to line up gainful employment as professional historians:

1. Introduction to the Series
2. "Closing the Gap Between the Liberal-Arts and Career Services"
3. HNN Intern
4. Famous History Majors
5. Police Officer
6. History Professor
7. Medical Doctor
8. You Majored in What?
9. Jonathan M. Young, Chair, National Council on Disability
10. The Dartmouth Chart
11. Five Interviews
12. Salaries
13. Librarian
14. A Passion for History 
15. Katherine Brooks Interview
16. Janet Vogel, Librarian, Thurmont Maryland Regional Library System
17. Scott Keyes, "Stop Asking Me My Major"
18. Matthew Shaffer, "Educating for the Good Life"
19. Layne Lebo, Minister, Mechanicsburg Brethern in Christ Church
20. Go Into Business
21. A Collection of Articles
22. Sarah Baker, Documentary Film Maker
23. Tony Horowitz, Reporter/Writer
24. Amy Bass, NBC
25. Sonia Nazario, reporter, Los Angles Times
26. Interview with Katherine Brooks
27. Allyson Moore Wall Street Journal guest editorial
28. AHA Today
29. Financial Analysis
30. Bill Stone, Director of Forecasting and Financial Operations, Pearson Education
31. Salaries
32. Georgiana Iasnik, Systems Specialist
33. Cali Pitchel McCullough, Marketing and Communications Associate
34. Scott Rohrer, editor, National Journal
35. Philip Bess, Maine Media Workshops
36. Joshua Kim, Academic Administrator, Dartmouth College
37. Tara Anderson, program coordinator, CURE International
38. Matthew Bucher, Church Missionary/Administrator
39. Jeff Robinson, AmeriCorps
40. Work For Social Justice
41. Joe Hackman, Pastor, Salford Mennonite Church, Harleysville, Pennsylvania
42. Michael Rossi, Documentry Film Maker
43. "History Majors in the Job Market"
44. "Want Innovative Thinking? Hire from the Humanities"
45. Lloyd Blankfein, Chief Executive Officer, Goldman Sachs
46. Robert “Buddy” Hocutt, Web Content Writer
47. Megan Talley, Administrative and Programming Coordinator, Hershey Foundation
48. Michael Adams, Paralegal
49. Caitlin Babcock, Non-Profit Organization Management Trainee
50. Brianna LaCassem, Biopharmaceutical Technology, Quality Assurance Analyst
51. Cali Pitchel, Director of Marketing, Analytic Pros
52. Jonathan Lewis, Supply Chain Engineer
53. Cali Pitchel, Director of Marketing, Analytic Pros
54. David Glenn, Nurse