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History Post-Grad...careers??

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  • 22-11-2009 3:22am
    #1
    V480
    Closed Accounts Posts: 593 ✭✭✭


    Hello...just looking for general advise.

    I completed a BA Hons in Humanities (arts) last year and am now doing a Masters in Modern Irish History. It's turning out to be one hell of a long year. I'm starting to get a little disheartened...

    This is not so much because of the course itself. Usually when I tell people I'm doing a Masters in Irish History I get the same response...'hahahaha - what's that gonna qualify you in!??'

    It probably wouldnt bother me so much if I didn't know there was an element of truth in their jibes. What exactly are the career options for History/Arts graduates?? I wanted to do teaching but cant do the HDip because I was ineligable for a grant this yeat and the bank wont give me any more money! I'm beginning to fear the dole queue...


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    #2
    Roro4Brit
    Registered Users Posts: 595 ✭✭✭Roro4Brit


    Hi V480,

    Well first of all please stop paying attention to people when they give you that response! The fact that they're asking that question means they know nothing about what you're studying so for them to laugh at something they know nothing about is retarded on their part!

    Secondly, not to be mean but why on earth are you asking this question mid-course? At masters level you should be aiming to narrow in on some key strenght of yours or some are of knowledge where you think you can develop a good career. You really should have spoken to lecturers and done research re future employment prospects before you enrolled in a mentally and financially draining year. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

    There are always many options however. If you are really loving the subject you could study really hard and ensure you get a 1st. That would set you up nicely for going on to do a PhD if that was something you were interested in. That could lead to a career in reseach or lecturing...

    You could too get a position as a researcher in a uni, make sure you keep an ear out around next summer when presumably you'll be in dissertation mode. Find out if the department are looking to employ researchers in Sept etc...

    Im not too familiar with the area your in so thats as far as I can advise....but don't get disheartened and do lots of research on your own part...send emails, ring people, ask for past graduate details to contact some and see where they're at....you'll be surprised how diverse the roles will be that people have gone into....

    most importantly....**** everyone else and their retarded opinions, tell them to go **** a goose


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    #3
    V480
    Closed Accounts Posts: 593 ✭✭✭V480


    Hi, thanks for your help.
    Sorry I should have mentioned that one of the main reasons I'm doing the MA is for points for the H.Dip which I was planning on doing next year. But seen as I cant get a grant this year that has gone out the window. And with teaching jobs in English/History not exactly prolific at the moment I was just trying to suss out other options. I do have a big interest in the area which I'm studying, but just unsure of which avenue to persue career-wise.
    Thanks for your input though, much appreciated.


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    #4
    pow wow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,288 ✭✭✭pow wow


    The element of truth is valid though. I majored in History at undergrad and it actually didn't occur to me that it didn't particularly qualify me for anything specific (other than teaching because apparently the only reason you'd ever study history is to be a teacher I'm told :rolleyes:) until it came down to final year and I had to decide about postgrad options. My masters is in politics so now everyone has gone from thinking I must want to be a teacher to thinking I must want to be Taoiseach :p

    As you know History and the other Arts subjects are somewhat unique in that there isn't always a direct career path out of them - I don't think I've ever seen any of the job sites with vacancies for historians! In my experience Arts degrees, at undergrad at least, tend to be more about the skills you acquire than the content per se. Postgrad lets you pick up on the content side and specialise in what interests you.

    Career-wise you seem to have a plan already? I wouldn't let peoples' comments get to you about what you're going to do after. I'd follow Roro with the researcher/PhD/teaching suggestions, but there's nothing to stop you doing anything else. However I think the postgrad might not 'count' as much if you were to stray from the academic side of things (which is something most postgrads are up against in this day and age with the jobs market as it is).


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