Mid 20s, with an MA in History... (employment, debt, applying)
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I am in my mid 20s, with an MA (and a BA in History) from a relatively respected school. I have worked seasonal jobs, and have worked as an adjunct history professor for a year and a half. I have chosen not to go back to graduate school and work towards a PhD because I feel the job market for PhDs in History is abysmal and, while I enjoy working as an adjunct, I don't want to keep doing this. After all, the trend for PhDs in the Humanities is adjunct work. I should mention that my MA was fully funded, and that I received a stipend, so I have no debt from graduate school or undergrad.
While I possess what I feel are good skills, (research, writing, the ability to familiarize myself with broad array of historical interpretations, oral communications, etc), and have developed practical skills at my other jobs, it is hard finding full-time employment.
So, my question is this: how do I sell myself to employers? My accomplishments (several competitive funding grants that allowed me to go to Europe to research my MA, as well as numerous good reviews during my teaching evaluations) seem to count for nothing. Are academics doomed when applying for non-academic jobs? Are we seen as just too stuffy? I'm willing to work hard, I've worked for little pay, and I don't think I have unrealistic expectations in regards to work and earnings. The closest I've come to a full-time job outside of academia was for the position of grant writer at a company that received contracts from the VA; it paid only $28K a year, and it ultimately went to someone else. I would have been content with that job, at least as a starting point. But even then getting my foot in the door was tough. I haven't gotten a chance anywhere else, except at some local colleges. What could I be doing better?
Bottom line, you have a degree that is not useful to most employers.
I'd stop with the trying to sell something, no one wants.
People in your situation go down a different career path. For example, look for a job that pays okay to start but has potential for you to earn a high income, like sales.
You have to get real with yourself and accept your situation as is and work on going down another path.
Last edited by Rocco Barbosa; 09-01-2013 at 01:05 PM..
I agree with Rocco. You have which is applicable to nothing outside of academia. (Wait I can think of one, if you have strong editing skills you could probably get a job as an editorial assistant for publisher of history books.) I am curious, what did you think would happen upon graduation? Why did you think your degree would be marketable, did you have an specific jobs in mind?
What I am curious about is why did you study history? I get that you had an interest in History but what was your plan and end game? What did you want to do with that degree after school? It is such a narrow specialized field that I think it would be tough to find anything related to it outside of academia. Maybe tutor some kids while you're still looking for jobs? work at museums?
Well, I studied history because I liked it, because I thought it would provide me with a lot of practical skills, and because I counted on staying in academia. That, and I was told constantly when I was looking at colleges (2003 or so) that liberal arts degrees where highly valued. Representatives from major companies and banks headquartered in my hometown came to my high school and talked about the value of liberal arts in the corporate world. So, I figured, a liberal arts degree would serve me well no matter what I pursued. Then, while I was in graduate school, the recession hit and tenure-track jobs started drying up, while adjunct positions started becoming more common.
Basically, I did not anticipate the job market for history PhDs shifting so much. I do know some people from my graduate program who finished their PhDs and got teaching jobs, but they are multi-year contracts in the middle of nowhere. That was not case for graduates from my school as recently as six or seven years ago. Things have changed in a big way as far as academic jobs are concerned, and I just didn't see this coming. Maybe I went with blinders, but I was constantly told that this was a great subject to study and that it would open up many opportunities for me.
Bottom line, you have a degree that is not useful to most employers.
this.
OP: "good luck, cuz you're gonna need it!"
seriously, tho, i think the liberal arts degrees are great for teaching critical thinking skills, but most employers these days aren't looking for that.
seriously, tho, i think the liberal arts degrees are great for teaching critical thinking skills, but most employers these days aren't looking for that.
Yes, I am finding that out. But as I said above, employers were really advocating liberal arts a decade ago. I don't know what to say, I was eighteen years old, and was unsure what to do with my life, and heard that this field of study that I personally enjoyed could lead to employment. I don't think I'm the only person on earth who went down this path.
Yes, I am finding that out. But as I said above, employers were really advocating liberal arts a decade ago. I don't know what to say, I was eighteen years old, and was unsure what to do with my life, and heard that this field of study that I personally enjoyed could lead to employment. I don't think I'm the only person on earth who went down this path.
So true, they lied to you. You were lied to in order to keep the system going, student loan money helps keep the economy going. Liberal arts degrees have a lower entry threshold so they were pushed... and of course the more a degree exists, the lower the value.
It's a bit long, but I agree with this guy's take:
So true, they lied to you. You were lied to in order to keep the system going, student loan money helps keep the economy going. Liberal arts degrees have a lower entry threshold so they were pushed... and of course the more a degree exists, the lower the value.
It's a bit long, but I agree with this guy's take:
(As it so happens a person with a phd in History is featured in part 2..)
Well, fwiw I managed to go to a good school for undergrad and did not take on any debt thanks to scholarships. And as someone who has taught business, econ, and communications majors, I must disagree with your assertion that the humanities have lower entry thresholds than other fields. Granted some managed to get jobs thanks to networking, but I've been contacted by more than a few who can't find work.
Thank you for the link, though.
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