The History of Historians

Franklin Calzadillas
Ms. King
1
st
hour
May 20
th
2014









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Thesis: The study of history is a necessary and rewarding career despite the challenges it
presents.
I. Introduction
a. Quote
b. Brief description
c. Thesis statement
II. Description of job
a. Research
i. Sources
ii. Travel
b. Employers
i. Citys
c. Fields
d. Teaching
III. Benefits
a. Insurance
b. Vacations
c. Salary
d. Hours
IV. Negatives
a. Competition
b. Lack of jobs
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c. High requirements
d. Slow job growth
V. Schooling
a. PHD
b. Masters
c. Batchers
d. Internships/experience
e. Languages
f. Specializations
g. Certification
h. Teaching
VI. Conclusion
a. Summarize
b. quote
c. Restate thesis








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History is interpreting and unfolding human records to provide a real grasp on how the world
really works (Stearns) this quote by Peter Stearns explains what the job of a historian is. It is
there job to interpret and understand the past and it is an immensely important job. Historians
gather information and draw logical conclusions based upon that data. The study of history is a
necessary and rewarding career despite the challenges it presents.
Research is the biggest part of a historians job (AHS). Historians must be sure there
sources are reliable and give factual information. Research may include travel to a library or
even to a different country depending on the job. Historians work for museums Privet
Companys but most work for the government. The ones who like to work with kids often
become middle or high school teachers and with enough experience they become professors at a
college. Most jobs in America for historians come from one place, the District of Columbia
(BLS). There are many different fields and jobs historians can take but most of them require
other skills than just knowledge of history for example archivists are historians who work with
preserving and organizing books and papers (AHS). Few will have the greatness to bend history
itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those
acts will be written as the history of this generation. (AHS) This quote by Robert Kennedy

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emphasizes why history is so important to not only a single nation but the world. There are many
important responsibilities that a historian has.
Being a historian has its benefits. Almost all jobs a historian can get are insured
(historians). Also many jobs get vacation days off (historians). Historians tend to be paid well
and get a steady income. Government jobs almost always pay more than other jobs (BLS). Some
jobs require field work like going to different historical sites witch can be exciting. Being a
historian takes a lot of hard work but in the end the reward is worth the work.
The study of history is not without its problems.one of the major problems is that the
jobs will almost always have lots of coopetition though it with a higher education and more
experience (AHS). Not only is there coopetition there is a huge lack of jobs and the field is slow
growing only at about 6% a year (BLS). Another problem is the large amount of schooling
required to even become a historian. Though the hours a regular they are long and consist of
research witch can get tedious (Stearns). Some jobs require travel witch could be a good or bad
thing depending on the destination. Being a historian is definitely not without its faults.
Because being a historian is a very hard but important job its only natural that it requires
many years of schooling. Right out of high school there arent any history based jobs willing to
hire if only have a diploma (Historians). Even with a batchers degree it is unlikely that you will
find a job but internships are available working with professors and museums. Once a masters
degree is acquired this is when job opportunities start to open up. With a masters degree most of
the jobs in the historian field will be available but there will be heavy cooption from those with
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PHD (AHS). For this reason most historians get jobs while in school to get there PHD (AHS).
But it is not an easy thing to get it requires hours of experience on the job and knowing a foreign
Language, also historians have the ability to specialize in a field era or time period of their
choosing. Becoming a historian is hard but in the end its worth the hard work.
It is true that historians analyze the past but what is important is to use that knowledge for
what is still to come. Though being a historian may be a tough field to get into and it may have
its problems but in the end it is well worth it. History is a relentless master. It has no present,
only the past rushing into the future. To try to hold fast is to be swept aside.(This quote by John
Fitzgerald Kennedy shows the greatness of history and why we should study it. Studying history
is a huge part of the world today despite its shortcomings.








Student 4
Works Cited
AHS.Org.march24.2014.Jobs.16may.2014 <http://AHS.ogr/jobs>
BLS.Gov.April1.2014.Occupational employment and wages, 24 April. <
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social science/historians.htm>
Historians. Org. April 15.2014.jobs and opportunities. April 27.2014
< http://historians.org/jobs-and-professional-development/career-resources>
Stearns,peter.Historians.Gov.news/interview.april10.may10.2014
<http://historians.org/news-and-advocacy/member-action>