History and Welsh History

What will I gain from my subject?

A History degree allows you to develop a number of important skills, employers value the research, analytical, teamwork and communication skills that are developed by history students throughout their studies.

Some other skills you should pick up include:

  • Critical reasoning, including the capacity for solving problems and thinking creatively
  • Ability to put together a logical argument and communicate findings in a clear and persuasive manner, both orally and in writing
  • Ability to discuss ideas in groups and to negotiate, question and summarise
  • Capacity to think objectively and approach problems and new situations with an open mind
  • Appreciation of the different factors that influence the activities of groups and individuals in society

What can I do with my subject?

While naturally suited to careers as museum or art gallery curators or in archiving and academia, History students are in demand among many top employers. History graduates are recruited into a wide variety of occupations – in business and finance, in public administration, in journalism and broadcasting, in teaching at a number of levels, or in research-based careers of various kinds. Search through these job profiles and roles. Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don’t restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Job options (directly related to your degree):

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Further study

Some history graduates go on to do further study at Masters level in order to specialise in an area of history and cultures of interest to them.

However, many postgraduate courses accept graduates from any subject and this allows history graduates to choose subjects as diverse as:

  • Accountancy
  • Journalism
  • Law
  • Museum studies
  • Teaching
  • Librarianship

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degree and search postgraduate courses.

Where do I start looking for work experience and graduate jobs?

Look for volunteering or work experience with organisations and businesses that you are interested in working for, or that will help you develop the skills relevant to your career interests. For example, if you’re interested in a career in curatorship, try to get experience working with museum collections. Look at the useful resources below for finding work experience and graduate jobs related to History and Welsh History.

Volunteering to work for a heritage organisation or museum is another useful way of getting into the sector. Use any opportunity to build up a network of contacts.

If you’re looking for a career in a different area, such as banking or law, internships offer the chance for more structured work experience and are usually well advertised, making them easier to find. Competition is strong so research the companies well before applying and use the Careers Office to help with each stage of the application process.

What do Aber graduates do?

Aberystwyth History graduates can be found in any number of roles and workplaces from Political Researchers to Sales and Marketing Executives. A good place to see what Aber grads go on to do is Aberystwyth University’s LinkedIn page, this gives you access to 30,000+ alumni including many History graduates.

Find out more

Useful resources:

UK

Overseas

Professional bodies and associations

These organisations promote the interests of people working in particular professions. Some have listings of employers who are members of the association and may advertise jobs while others may be a useful source of information when researching employers for applications or considering a speculative application.