We’ve all heard it a hundred times. 

“What are you going to do with an English degree?” 

“What are you going to do with a history degree?” 

Or “What are you going to do with an art degree?”

Frankly, regardless of what degree you get, you’ll get asked this a dozen times. It often feels like people want to pigeon-hole you based on your major before you even get out the door. 

This series is designed to highlight what you can do with your degree–especially outside the box jobs and sectors that may not be the “obvious answer” for what you can do with your degree. 

In this article, we’re featuring five history majors. You can also read our previous pieces on English majors, STEM majors,  and political science majors . If you would like to be featured in an upcoming piece of the series, please fill out this form. 

Peyton

I was a history major hoping to teach, now I work as a professional campaign staffer and political project manager. My ability to understand people from studying people in history class helps me to work with all types of people. Having to write papers and read books in quick amounts of time helped me to be able to manage projects and give a quick turn around. That gives me the know how to handle people well and situations quickly.

Abby

I was a history undergrad, attending law school and a JAG officer for the United States Marine Corps. While I don’t use a large amount of my history knowledge, the study skills and reading skills for that are helping for law school and that is what career I have in the military. 

Kellie

I got a degree in history and political science.I am a Programming Director at a Senior Living Facility. I would love to have a career where I use my majors more significantly, but my history major is actually quite beneficial in my job in the sense that I am able to have basic knowledge of what my residents lived through and being able to connect with them about it!

Elizabeth

I got a degree in history, and I wrote my thesis on the American Revolution! Of course, I thought I wanted to be a teacher but that didn’t quite turn out how I planned. I work in consulting and political strategy now, and while I don’t use my degree in the ways I thought, I do use the intense research skills I learned in school and the writing I built up there! Plus, I dominate in history-based trivia now, so that’s a win in my book.

Aryssa D
FFL Cabinet Member

Read more articles