I’m guessing George Mason has a career center. Have you reached out to them? People in college forget that you basically have a network people whose full time job it is to help you.
Career center at GMU has a pretty good reputation. Northern Virginia is full of government contractors, IT and association types, and they recruit at GMU. Don’t knock it till you try it.
Apparently OP’s backup plan is to… start a private prison in Florida with investor money. Just based on a quick profile scroll. So. Clearly critical thinking isn’t a strong suit here.
Edit: a word. Also go look at the nonsense this person thinks is a good idea lol.
Ahh, career center the place where a student goes to experience HR and recruiting professionals, who provide generally poor career advice and tell the student to network.
I dont really agree with your sentiment tbh. Networking is extremely valuable ("it's who you know, not what you know" is generally very true like it or not). The career center should give you access to alumni employers looking for new grads as well.
It’s especially odd to disparage the entire concept of networking when this area is chock full of incredibly well connected people in academia, private industry, government, etc. there’s lots of doors to be opened.
I've found that the value of a college or university is as much its alumni network as it is its curriculum. Being able to leverage your alumni network is one of the key benefits of your degree.
Really? Telling someone to “network” is a valuable service?
I don’t disagree that networking is valuable, but it would be great if they could do more than tell the student to go do it?
I have participated in George Mason University networking and mentoring programs in the past. They have some good opportunities to meet with people in your industry. Look to your subject field for activities they may have for you for networking or job fair in your field.
Back when I worked the instruction networking got me a lot of work. It's not even just applicable to White collar this is applicable to Blue collar stuff too.
Second this, the career center folks are pretty out of touch and give you the most up to date information from when they were working 5 to 10 years ago.... but even then they didn't decide "hummm let me make 10% to 25% less than what i'm making now to work with students.
Best thing you can do is start looking at indeed, dice, and going to the career FAIR, that'll be significantly more useful than going to the career center.
I mean, you probably won't be working as a historian but your basic transferrable skills should include: research (digging for sources), analysis (forming theory from sources) and communications (being able to write your ideas clearly and succinctly is a big one). Plenty of market for those.
My partner has a history degree and a 10 year career in IT so, you know, YMMV.
OP this is good advice. You should market yourself as someone with good data storytelling and presentation skills. If you’re a history major, you better be a good communicator and you need to show that in an entry level interview. Just understand you will be starting from the bottom wherever you go in order to build up your knowledge in another domain. History is not your domain—you need to find that and build upon it with an entry level job in a different field.
This is more accurate than the advice above. IT is an extremely competitive field around here nowadays. Market is not the same as what it used to be couple of years ago and there are people graduating with a technical degree that OP will have to compete with.
This is very well- stated, effective & this guidance will serve OP very well in the way ahead.
Build *skills* & take opportunities for new skill building wherever you find it.
Once you've earned your degree, you are a package of skills & assets to any employer. Be able to communicate effectively (and appropriately) through all mediums.
Make yourself irresistible.
Your employment goals should be vertical. Make sure that vertical climb is available to you & make it happen for yourself. You'll do great!
I second this. As someone with a completely unrelated degree, it's more common than you think. It's about being up to the task. Having any degree shows some ability to be self disciplined and accomplish goals.
Forewarning, the IT field is vastly different than it was 10 years ago. Back in the day you could get a Security+ and snag a job. It is getting harder and harder as the years go by for unexperienced folks in this field.
Basically this. I got a BA in History, then got my masters in Education (had been tutoring and teaching privately for 10 years at that point). After realizing how much of a cluster (and political) all the local school systems were, I helped a friend run his family owned business for a few years, and then transferred into IT. Been doing it for almost a decade and couldn't imagine it any other way.
I know people with degrees from Juilliard working in IT.
This is spot on about the research and analysis. I will say that a lot of these types of jobs, at least in the government sphere, will require a security clearance.
This is the route I have decided to pivot to after completing my degree in Historic Preservation/Public History with an Archaeology internship. I’ve seen that the thought process and skills needed for data analysis are closely related to history degrees. This piques my interest as they offer more opportunities with steadier income/benefits.
How do you compare the work you do now, enjoyment-wise, to what you studied?
GMU grad here who majored in history. The degree teaches you to write well, think critically and support an argument. You may have to go to grad school to get the job you want. I got a masters in library science and am now a researcher for a law firm. DC is fortunate to have tons of government agencies, law firms, and non-profits. You will find a job eventually.
This isn’t really answering your question but I just want to say that a nice house is no longer a middle class thing anymore. Especially not in this area. You have to be married and have 2 decent incomes to even have a shot these days.
fellow history major here.
I'm not gonna say you're definitely screwed, but I've never once worked in anything close to my degree. I've done well for myself, though.
I graduated in 2006. My first job was with GEICO, I would not recommend that, but it's not terrible. I had an application in with one of the three letter agencies based on recommendations from parents of my friends who worked for the "State Department" (nudge nudge wink wink). They're looking for people from all backgrounds and history is a good one, especially if you've focused in a current region of interest. I got a phone call and was told I had been selected for further consideration, but my dumb ass said "no thanks, I already have a job".
I've bounced around a bit, also being military helped, but most of my life has been government or government-adjacent. Now I write defense policy.
Those agencies tend to be pretty competitive. I don't know how well someone who took 6 years to graduate from George Mason will look in comparison to their standard recruitment target.
I majored in history too. Being a new graduate is tough, especially with a liberal arts degree. I had similar aspirations (everyone told me to become a teacher) and a tough time getting my first real job after graduating, but I've been working an office job for 15 years now and it's been pretty great.
I'm just one person, but I majored in history, graduated a few years ago, and now am working in a awesome office job that has nothing to do with history directly... but all those research and communication skills I gained from majoring in history is really handy. It's going to be a bit of a struggle job hunting at first, but it'll all work out.
Great point. It's astonishing how few people can write well. OP's writing skills honed in college will be more valuable than being able to recite the dates of the War of the Roses. Emphasize skills, not knowledge.
An active security clearance and previous experience related to what you're doing. FOIA, in particular, is filled with history and poly sci majors.
Oftentimes, the more years you spend inside this environment, the more valuable you become. A history B.A. with an active TS/SCI and 5 years of experience can make over six figures in contracting.
Some of the most helpful people I worked with were history majors. Writing, research, organization, project management capabilities. Some history majors go into intel analyst positions.
Seconding this. The contracts department at the company I work for has senior staff without a college degree, and a VP with a BA in History, and they do very well for themselves.
The world is not hopeless for Liberal Arts grads, but you’re gonna have a much harder time than STEM grads at finding the cushy jobs.
Indeed is a good start, but a lot of people I know are having more success with recruiters from LinkedIn, staffing/temp companies, and direct applying to specific companies’ websites. I had a similar story but I was lucky enough to get an entry level job through a personal recommendation and I used the opportunity to find a role to pivot into, through on the job learning and going to school at nights. I graduated with a Criminology degree and now I work in Finance.
In particular, contract administration for the government. That was my first "real" job after college; I graduated during a recession so jobs were hard to come by. We were constantly told how the contracting workforce was aging/retiring and they would need more people. In particular they will take people with a degree but no experience; you may have to start as a GS-7 but you move up every year (GS-9, 11, 12), and if you stick with it you can probably get a GS-13 soon thereafter. Is it the most exciting thing? Nope. But it can get you a foot in the door, and once you're in the government you have more leverage to look elsewhere. Look for job series 1102 on usajobs.gov.
I have found that NoVa is the survival of the fittest. And good luck finding a house. Most have to be on a dual income with good, salaried, jobs to afford one.
Your major is less important than the degree itself.
The skills, and how they will help you to complete the job you are applying for, are what you should focus on in an interview, not your major.
Anyone claiming that one major or another is less valuable is either talking about a technical area of work or talking out of their ass.
I work with a lot of folks who have positions in fields that don’t apply to what their degree was in.
You’ll be surprised but history degrees are pretty common in the intelligence and defense side.
Start looking for internships which might mix a little of what you’re studying and something else.
The importance of history education is very under appreciated.
Hopefully you are a good writer and researcher. Historian rich industries and agencies:
1. DOD/DPAA hires lots of historians. Most of the research is for a specific war.
2. Most federal agencies have a history office. Some of these jobs are listed as curators or archivists.
3. National Park Service does a ton of historical research. Each region functions separately so a job in Wisconsin might be different than a job in Virginia.
4. DOD/USACE hires historians.
4. Private sector companies like History Associates hire on a regular basis.
5. Legislative branch agencies write a lot of legislative histories.
6. Museums need researchers. Try the lesser known museums as everyone wants to work for the Smithsonian.
7. Law firms need historical research often.
If you want a federal job look on USAspending.gov and see who is spending on historical research. You may need to start as a curator or archivist.
You can make a decent living if you land a good federal job. Harder in the private sector.
Big challenge is that there is not a lot of turn over in these jobs and/or it is only available as a contractor.
My good friend has a poli sci degree and has an office job pulling in 67,500 a year from a government contractor sorting correspondence.
I highly recommend working for a few temp agencies to get work experience then apply for a full time salaried office job.
I was a history major, I went into customer service for 8 years until I moved over to IT. Tried to land a history gig initially closest I ever got was working on a river boat tour and interning at a small museum.
Don't overlook the skills you developed while getting the degree. As a history major you should be able to perform in-depth research and have decent writing skills. There are plenty of skills that you have that aren't history specific. Emphasize those on your resume
I have degree in Political Science. A College degree just tells the employer you were responsible enough to complete a higher learning 4 year program. It sets you apart from the others. You also live in a very good job market. I suggest you apply to internships at NGOs, non-profits, and maybe start spreading your wings a bit into policy, program management, and information technology.
I was a history major at GMU. 15 years later I’m running my own company and have worked with some of the best people in the sector I’m in. Sky is the limit so set your sights high!
For what it's worth I went to law school after my BA in history. Got a solid job now with good career prospects. And I went to Maryland, not like Harvard or anything.
How do I say this without being an AH?
This is a question you should have asked before starting your degree. For history to be of much use, you typically need to find a teaching job or work in a museum. Which won't offer the same income as if you had an advanced degree.
There are lots of great office jobs - business & finance in particular. But no so much in history.
Good luck. Wish you the best.
My degrees are more useless than yours and I have those things (in my 40s). You probably won’t start with a job that will give you a middle class life - I didn’t, but you have years to go before your career is set in stone. Do something. Do it well. See what doors (or windows) open and move through them. I think the main thing is not to let perfect be the enemy of good and to get started in work. Also, look for jobs that you can be promoted from - unless you have specific skills gigs work is a last resort - get a salary, even if it is low and earn it (and show you are worth more than it) and things usually happen.
Dude you don’t need a degree if you’re joining us in Hell by picking IT. You need certifications. Security+ is a pretty common requirement.
Regarding government work, a degree makes you eligible for certain “ranks” in civil service. Don’t quote me on this next part. It’s been awhile since I’ve discussed equivalents. I’m pretty sure a GS-7’s education requirement is a 4-year degree.
Sorry for not going into more detail. I can’t tolerate my touch screen for too long.
Will you get a job in an office? Sure why not, many offices in DC need admin assistants and paralegals. A "good enough" salary is dependent on many factors: student loans, have/will have kids, married/single.
If you get a $120k salary in nova after graduation but have a $90k student loan then life's going to suck for the next 10 years unless you marry rich or inherit.
Nothing wrong with working in a trade - many of their offices need receptionists and admin assistants too.
If they gets a job making $120k a year, they'll be bringing home at least $6k a month after taxes. Even with a student loan to repay, that's plenty of income to live comfortably. And before you start with the "do you know how much rent in NOVA is" nonsense, getting a roommate is an easy way to cut your rent in half. That's the been the way people in their 20's have lived for as long as I've been living.
You’re spot on. Hate to pile on. This can’t be the first time he’s asked this question during college. What’s he been doing for the last six years? As a history major, he should be pretty good at research. He didn’t research this?
You likely won’t be working in history with just a bachelors degree in it, or if you are you probably won’t be getting paid much for the HCOL here. That said, plenty of people don’t use their degree subject directly in their work. Offices are full of people who couldn’t get a job in their degree field, or switched careers after graduating. Your degree, and humanities degrees in general, provide you with many valuable skills: research, technical writing, interpersonal communication and collaboration, *thinking critically*, etc. These can be applied anywhere. Use them.
You may still have to do some self-study and/or networking outside of school to make up for not having the formal training in whatever office job you end up in, but that’s pretty standard anyway
I graduated with a History degree too. But I explored a ton of other classes (business, data science) and landed a job as a data analytics consultant in the area. A history degree isn’t a killer if you can leverage it in a way that transfers to other areas and if you have the skills they are looking for through self teaching. I would say it’s a lot harder this way than just majoring in business
Hey man I got my history degree from Mason, and my first job out of college was a client relations rep with Oracle. Now I work as a union organizer. As long your organized, know how to sell yourself, and don’t sound like a complete jackass in the interview most places will hire you.
You can still get an office job in the private sector. But you will need to start in an admin job or as some kind of assistant. Expect to work at the first rung for 6-18 months. Show up 15 minutes early, leave 15 minutes late, respond to emails same day, and ask people what you can do to help. Do all this and you’ll be on your way in no time.
I have an associates degree that I was originally planning on going to a four-year university with to study history, as that was my favorite subject. I looked at the income expectations of that degree, and the cost-of-living in the area, and I decided to just try going into the workforce with only my associates (Student loans are expensive and I don’t have parental income to help me).
I work for the government making around 80k per year at 27 years old. I don’t regret my decision, as I work with plenty of people who have college degrees in history or criminal justice.
There are plenty of federal government office jobs in the area that only require a college degree, regardless of the field. I cannot promise you will ever use your history degree to actually study history, but there are federal jobs that want researchers or to work in museums. You will be able to get a job.
What I will tell you is that a history degree alone will probably not get you a nice house in this area, just because this area is expensive as hell. The middle class isn’t the same as it used to be. Generally speaking, the people I noticed in this area who are able to afford nice houses come from generational wealth, are older and have been in the game for decades and were able to get a house when it was still affordable, or they have a dual income no kids household with both partners making 100k+, often times from tech jobs or other STEM fields.
You will be OK, but I wouldn’t anticipate a 100k salary after graduation unless you know someone, and in this area if you’re not making 100k minimum, you won’t be able to qualify for more than an old condo on your own. Just being honest
There are plenty of jobs that aren't in tech. Think outside of the box. For example, there are many, many associations where low-paying entry level work can be found and you can work your way up if you put in the focus and effort. It's very low pay to start, but there can be oppty there.
A lot of companies are just looking for good character, especially smaller companies, someone who will fit in and not cause issues. Certainly sales and customer service jobs just require someone who can be agreeable and help solve problems....and will of course learn the business as they go. If I'm a small business owner, I would want someone who is committed to helping my company. A lot of people are thinking of it as what the company can do for them. A year or two in an industry and your degree won't matter
What's wrong with working in construction?
You'd probably be surprised to know that most construction workers actually make more money than an average office worker.
If you are truly passionate about history and want to do it then leave NOVA if you want even the slightest chance at that kind of life. I extremely doubt you can achieve that here doing what you want.
Microsoft hired me during my junior year at university. They were looking for candidates with the ability to reason and use logic plus the ability to speak to technical people and business partners. I was skeptical at first but was told of you have the skills we are seek, we can teach you to code. That’s what they did. I was majoring in history and economics. You should be able to find something along the lines you are looking for, just know you will always be up against someone with an engineering degree. Companies will give you offers and try to low ball you because of it. Don’t fall for it. And congrats on almost finishing
Absolutely not. I have an associates in Sociology, went to GMU for a degree in communications that I did not finish and ended up working in Tech.
Amazon Web Services is a good in road into the land of tech. I started as a technical customer support specialist, transitioned into custom billing, and left for a private company that helps customers optimize their environments for security, costs, and infrastructure reliability.
As many other people pointed out you are getting very valuable analytical skills that translate well into many aspects of tech. It’s just figuring out how to convey that in interviews.
Last thing, consider looking at some baseline certification, Cloud Practioner was a requirement within 90 days of employment.
Good Luck!
No, you didn’t screw up. All they care about is you have a degree and that you can function in a professional environment and no one to speak up and keep your mouth shut.
Do not assume you will get a golden parachute job right out of college, that is a pipe dream. You will need to work and establish yourself yourself and move up.
The key is to ask a slightly higher salary than what they offer if you think you can, because that will be the basis for all of your raises. Do not think you will make $120k for a job that pays $70k.
Also don’t take what they offer out the gate, asks to 5k higher if you think they are lowballing you. Just don’t over do it.
Honest answer: the job market sucks right now, and being a history major isn’t gonna make that any easier if you are looking for a high salary. My advice is to explore the job market a little and see where you can secure employment and also consider pursuing a masters in a lucrative field(maybe stem related) or even something like accounting. Nothing wrong with a history major, but the harsh reality is that it isn’t as valued in society as other majors. With that being said, there are still roles you can break into that may not be history related but require some of the same skills as a historian to perform well(consulting comes to mind) and make sure to network your ass off
I'm a business consultant who takes on fractional leadership roles for my client companies. When hard skills like engineering are not required, I like hiring liberal arts majors. I've found that a degree in engineering teaches you how to think, but a degree in history (liberal arts) teaches you how to learn. History is a degree that is readily adaptable to business careers that require good communication skills like project management, customer engagement, corporate training, and sales enablement, to name some options. I wish you much success in your career.
I think you’ll be fine! First, the fact that you have a degree will totally help your career path, always. You may find arguments to the contrary, but by and large it’s a fact that a degree boosts one’s chances of getting not just a job, but a higher paying job. Second, go for what you want or like in a job! There is NO sense in hating what you slog through traffic to get to every day. Third, learn to craft an excellent resume, learn to interview well, and get out there and be confident about yourself and sell it!
…from a guy GMU 1987. Got a BS in biology and have been a Realtor for 30+ years.
A lot of government analyst jobs like people with history and political science degrees. If you like writing and are a good critical thinker, consider applying for those.
You’re a history major, which means you know how to write well and probably can give a solid presentation. You would be shocked, shocked I say, if you knew the number of people who are terrible at writing. I got my undergraduate degree in something that’s usually regarded as equally useless: Literature. When you can write well, and get a reputation for being able to, you’ll get pulled into all sorts of things where you have to help the scientific and engineering types communicate their thoughts.
Don't knock the construction/trades you can make a great living working in the trades. 25 years ago, I worked 5 years for a plumbing company making $60k to 80k. And now for the last 20 years, I have been running my own plumbing company.
I have a bachelors in History from UVA and havent been able to get a job outside of customer service. I’m now getting my masters in public policy and still haven’t gotten a “real job”. Good luck!
I'm surprised no one mentioned this career as a History Teacher in public Schools. Virginia is hurting for teachers, and the pay is competitive. You can pretty much teach anywhere. The Virginia Department of Education has a program that can get you licensed to teach in Public schools. If you're looking for a steady income with good job security, look at becoming a history Teacher in the Public School Setting.
History degree holder here. I also got my ASE certifications while spinning wrenches to support myself in college. This led me to a temporary teaching position teaching automotive tech, that and my technical background led to working automotive warranty claims. One thing led to another and I've been in construction project management and asset management ever since. Never worked a minute in a History related field. I'd recommend trying to get in on the ground floor in data centers project management if you want to stay local.
You should focus on developing your skills vs what your degree is.
For example, an English major graduate by itself is useless. But one of my coworkers at the pharmacy became a freelance writer for websites as well as work at marketing gig.
What you want isn't unrealistic since I had done it as a Xillennial without a degree at all. You just have to be ready to grind out for 10-15 years to archive instead of getting all of that right out of college.
One thing for sure though, max your company's 401k matching and then max out your IRA as soon and as early as possible. Your earnings will unlikely catch up to inflation and the best way to ensure a comfortable retirement is to invest as early as possible.
You're definitely not screwed, but you might be taking a more indirect route to a higher salary job. My BA was in cultural anthropology which was good enough to get me an entry level job as government program analysts. From that position I was able to get good at Excel, then Tableau, then SQL. Now I'm pulling a a good hourly rate as a data consultant for a couple of government agencies. Just keep an eye out for chances to pick up some of these 'hard' skills as your career progresses.
You’ll be fine. Just be flexible. My wife has a history degree and she works for the Feds in grants (and makes a very good money). It just took time. The Feds - if you are patient - will be a great career. Get verified as a grants officer or a contracting officer and you’d be using your degree as it takes a lot of analysis, good reading comprehension, and pretty much guaranteed to have a career in the Feds. But you will start off probably as a GS9 or 10 but you can work your way up.
Your major and a few certs should be enough to get you in as some sort of analyst (business, data, workforce, etc.). It terrifies me that studying literature, art, music, history, whatever is seemingly becoming a luxury only those with wealth can afford.
I’m a history major who is currently an executive at an advertising agency. I’ve also been a lobbyist, owned my own consulting business and served on the faculty of one of the local universities.
A friend of mine has a masters in something like medeival english or celtic literature. She’s mid-30’s and is currently a GS-14 doing really cool work in whats essentially law enforcement. Trying to avoid details.
Somehow i have a master’s in Poly Sci and I’m not what’s essentially an IT project manager for a contracting company working with thr feds and mid to high level management in my company, so if you have drive and the ability to learn you may not be doing history but can find yourself turning it into something you really love while being successful.
These are questions you should have been asking yourself when you were just inches away from starting your first year of classes, not inches away from graduation.
People, especially slightly older ones, should have a plan for exactly what they plan to do with their college degree.
We don’t live in a world where college = success anymore unfortunately.
Nope, not a failure at all. History majors have incredible transferable skills to real jobs—-research, writing, and critical thinking, as well being as detail-oriented and able to see long-term patterns and assemble coherent arguments about what those patterns mean.
We hire people of similar backgrounds into entry level legal work all the time. You can hookup with a legal staffing company and start exploring that field, if you think you’d like to try it. Non-lawyer legal work will give you a comfy lifestyle (after a few years) until the AI comes for it.
I know several people with history degrees who have gone into software/tech sales and are doing quite well. One of them is pretty far into their career and is now a C-level executive. Another is working in data analysis and is comfortable.
I got the exact same thing: history @Mason.
Start exploring Military Intelligence or Analyst jobs. Taking advantage of proximity to DC.
Don't think teaching is your only option though Mason has a excellent program
Undergrad, unless specific to say a business school or finance job, is perfectly suitable for most jobs. You can check off the, graduated from college requirement to get into an entry level job in a specific field and worknyour way up from there.
As long as your history degree has taught you critical thinking researching and writing skills they’ll transfer. Whether or not it’s enough “money” for you considering it’ll be your first job out of college that’s another story
The number of people I interact with in tech who have degrees that are in vastly different fields is staggering. I interviewed a girl awhile back who had her doctorate in something along the lines of biochemical engineering. She learned it wasn't her jam and that she loved tech sales and working with schools. I hired her as an enterprise education sales consultant and she crushed it.
There are so many government agencies with really robust history and archive programs. If you are still in school, please, please apply for a government internship! Beyond that your skills are so fungible — if you can write, you can succeed!
I’m an English major from a liberal arts college with a technical consulting job. I don’t think a history major would be a limiting factor in where you go with your career.
My wife is 30 and has her degree in History. She currently works for the National Park Service as a Museum Curator. If you have any background in Archeology or archives, there are always agencies hiring for those positions. Keep your eyes open
I have a history degree and I’m in DC making $54k right out of college in campaign finance.
History gives you communication, research, and analysis skills that are easily transferable. If you work hard and dedicate yourself to your economic success, you can do well in this area.
Edit: spelling error
so listen man, you’re 28, what possible skills has your history degree gotten you that could be used in an officr job?
i don’t mean to be rude, but you need to look at the jobs you’re qualified for.
Employers arent interested in transferable or soft skills. They want experience and direct skills. So yes, you are screwed and your degree is worthless
yeah, history is an useless degree, merely a step stone to law school for young people. I don't know how you picked that major when you were 22 in 2018. Even accounting would be more practical.
Bollocks, the history majors I know are all gainfully employed, myself included—in everything from procurement data analysis to foreign affairs. The skill sets of research, writing and critical thinking carry over to loads of other jobs. I’m the only one I know who actually works in the history field.
You can certainly succeed in spite of your degree but why not set yourself up for the best chance of success by investing in a more marketable degree? I’m happy it worked out for you but for the others it didn’t work out for they aren’t responding because they haven’t finished their shift at Starbucks yet.
Not necessarily screwed, but good luck with a house around here. Prices are insane. I make over 100k and don’t see how I am ever getting a house with a single income. I have a nice apartment and live comfortably. But, if you 100% want a house, that may be tough.
I graduated from GMU with a history degree in 2020 at the age of 28, I don’t really regret it. You can get a rather low office job (you can always just work your way up in career if you want) but won’t get anything in a history field probably. I make about 47k and live relatively okay. My job is pretty cushy all things considered.
I was in a pretty similar position to you, depends how ambitious you want to be with like careers and stuff but I just got a job that required basically just a bachelors. I think degrees are basically to get your foot in the door somewhere anyways.
Recommend looking into intelligence field. I have a BA in political science with a minor in history and MA in international relations and offered a job when I was in grad school.
Interestingly enough. My sister had a girlfriend who got a history degree from UMD. I'll tell you the path she chose to take. She started out teaching because it was hard for her to find something in the field with only a bachelor's. She was bartending and teaching at the same time (one during the day and one during the night) to make some more money. Eventually she decided to go and get some tech certifications and do some networking. I forgot what certs got exactly but she was able to work her way into deloitte as a consultant. She's a manager there now. Seems like a whole life of stress just from looking at her by herself. But you might be able to make something less stressful out of it. Once you get your degree I think you're set up for a lot of different avenues. You're already "in" for the most part. Now you just have to get some certifications or credentials in some field you want to pursue. That's where I'd probably start
I work in the banking industry with an Econ degree. My Alma mater has a 1 year graduate course for liberal arts majors who want to do finance with a history/literature/etc degree. Only open to those who graduated within the past year though
Union trade jobs probably pay better and have better benefits.
Most of the area fire departments are hiring. Avg starting salary for the region is in the 60's. And most departments give you an education bonus regardless of what the degree is. 25 year retirement, and by the time you retire, you would be easily be making close to $200k.
American Studies class of 2000 major here. I initially moved to DC to work in history museums, but I’ve been fortunate to parlay my liberal arts degree into a nearly 20-year career in financial services (primarily content creation and automation). I hope to be able to return to my true loves in history and art once I can retire.
You can get a job in construction, met a Project Manager with a degree in theology. As long as you got a degree you can get a job as a Superintendent or PM. Both make 6 figs pretty quickly if you get a job with the big general contractors around here like HITT, EE Reed, Turner, Holder, etc.
Retired Intelligence Community systems engineer (Business Management degree)...Target government contracting, Northrop Grummon, SAIC, there are so many. If you can get your foot in the door working at a help desk and can get a clearance you'll be set. Show off your ability to follow instructions, show initiative and a willingness to work hard. Good luck. My daughter's boyfriend is a GMU history major and he's doing fine as a govt (USIA) contractor and working from home to boot.
My kid was full IB in HS, majored in History in uni. He. Now works in a totally unrelated field. But IB and History major made him a great writer with analytical skill. He is doing well in his Jon making a decent living.
You're not screwed any more or less than anyone else in this economy. Nobody cares what you majored in. That's a lie. 90+% of jobs only care that you have a degree so that they can check the box. After that it's all about attitude, people skills, and how well you can pick up new things and get stuff done. That's it.
-Useless generic business major with 30 years in IT.
Check out Pathways Program for students and recent grads Federal gov jobs. Most agency have opportunities.
USAJobs Pathways
https://www.usajobs.gov/search/results/?l=&k=Pathways
It's going to take a while. To make a high salary you either need technical skills, be willing to work a ton, or a decent amount of experience. If you don't have the first and you aren't willing to do the second, you're going to need to put the work in.
You should focus on new grad programs that get you into the federal government. You’ll advance quickly and have great benefits. Go to USAJobs and look for GS-7 jobs in the 0301 or 0343 series. GS-7 isn’t a huge salary, but you’ll move up quickly. I started there and within 4 years I was a GS-13. Now a GS-15. Also use your career services! They have job fairs and special hiring events for folks.
If it makes you feel any better, one of the deputy directors of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and establisher of In-Q-Tel, has a degree in zoology. Sue Gordon can serve as an example for you!
The real middle class (not the fake one looking at median household income type of thing) households make 300k in NOVA. I don’t think George Mason degree in History will get you there unless you are from a upper class family.
I majored in History, it's my jam too. You don't have to go the trades route. Instead seek out research/analyst jobs. I graduated in 89 so different job market. I was afraid I'd be stuck in the typist pool 😂
I was also good at math so I lucked into a low level job at a non-profit doing paperwork but it was right at the cusp of folks using computers in the office besides the mainframes. I was good at it, in fact I was a go to person when they switched to an early oracle product, I became their oracle SME. From there I drifted into government contracting, I took that opportunity to consume as much knowledge as possible about government accounting and from there I was offered a huge opportunity to marry up my Oracle knowledge with my accounting knowledge and I'm GS-13 making nice money. Part of my brand is being oh so good at human interaction, both in e-mail & skype and in zoom/in person.
The key is having a plan. Get in the ground floor somewhere that suits your personal skillset. Think about getting certifications in useful stuff - that stuff will be whatever sector you decide to land at. Always, always be teaching yourself the big picture so you can slot in upward or be the place's Swiss army knife so you can jump into other roles if the needs shift .
I always advise people to get degrees in subjects that they hate, that way they will never have to do that subject as a job. I hardly know anyone whose major lines up with what they do for a living. Maybe in engineering, nursing, med school, things like that you'll see people that studied what they actually do for a living. But an office job, you can be competitive with any degree from a reputable school. I got my degree in political science and have been in tech since graduating. What you do with your degree matters more than what the degree is. Good luck
Even if the career prospects based on your degree don't work out, don't feel shame for getting it. You got it because you were passionate about the subject. If anything, DC would be one of the better places to be a history major as there's tons of institutions, including the Smithsonian, who could benefit from someone like yourself.
As others mentioned, reach out to GMU's career center and just start spamming your resume out there. Otherwise I have no college degree and have had a successful 10 years, 5 of which in cybersecurity, with no regrets.
Many contractors are willing to hire basically anyone with an aptitude for analytical skills. I once knew someone who was hired out of school at a major IT systems integrator with a degree in classical Greek literature.
Of course you're more likely to get hired with a degree that's directly applicable but I wouldn't go so far as to say you're screwed. Plenty of companies just want someone who is smart, can solve problems, and is willing to learn.
I also have a Bachelors in History from Mason. I ended up getting my Masters in ESL as a teacher afterwards, so I guess I technically applied it to my job. My friend got his Bachelors in History in 2005 from Mason. He ended up making $50k straight out of college doing data-entry, which was a lot 20 years ago! You can always find a way to “apply” your degree.
No you're not screwed. I got a very general degree from college (interdisciplinary studies) and after graduating, I've worked in vet med and now work in HR for a government contractor and had no previous experience and it's a great company and good benefits and whatnot so there's hope and it is possible! Obviously any previous experience you have or education will help but it for sure should not disqualify you if you don't.
Look into the National Association For Interpretation (NAI). Work on the first level of certification.
If you are willing to work a couple years as a seasonal position, I’d recommend the National Park Service. It is one of the ways to actively work in a field with your History degree while also getting the opportunity to present something you like about a local subject.
I’m guessing George Mason has a career center. Have you reached out to them? People in college forget that you basically have a network people whose full time job it is to help you.
Career center at GMU has a pretty good reputation. Northern Virginia is full of government contractors, IT and association types, and they recruit at GMU. Don’t knock it till you try it.
Apparently OP’s backup plan is to… start a private prison in Florida with investor money. Just based on a quick profile scroll. So. Clearly critical thinking isn’t a strong suit here. Edit: a word. Also go look at the nonsense this person thinks is a good idea lol.
Bros been attending GMU for 6 years 💀
Ahh, career center the place where a student goes to experience HR and recruiting professionals, who provide generally poor career advice and tell the student to network.
I dont really agree with your sentiment tbh. Networking is extremely valuable ("it's who you know, not what you know" is generally very true like it or not). The career center should give you access to alumni employers looking for new grads as well.
Even in education, almost every job I've gotten has been due to networking. Alumni networks work well in a lot of other fields.
It’s especially odd to disparage the entire concept of networking when this area is chock full of incredibly well connected people in academia, private industry, government, etc. there’s lots of doors to be opened.
I've found that the value of a college or university is as much its alumni network as it is its curriculum. Being able to leverage your alumni network is one of the key benefits of your degree.
Really? Telling someone to “network” is a valuable service? I don’t disagree that networking is valuable, but it would be great if they could do more than tell the student to go do it?
I have participated in George Mason University networking and mentoring programs in the past. They have some good opportunities to meet with people in your industry. Look to your subject field for activities they may have for you for networking or job fair in your field.
Back when I worked the instruction networking got me a lot of work. It's not even just applicable to White collar this is applicable to Blue collar stuff too.
Just go out there and be successful.
Second this, the career center folks are pretty out of touch and give you the most up to date information from when they were working 5 to 10 years ago.... but even then they didn't decide "hummm let me make 10% to 25% less than what i'm making now to work with students. Best thing you can do is start looking at indeed, dice, and going to the career FAIR, that'll be significantly more useful than going to the career center.
I mean, you probably won't be working as a historian but your basic transferrable skills should include: research (digging for sources), analysis (forming theory from sources) and communications (being able to write your ideas clearly and succinctly is a big one). Plenty of market for those. My partner has a history degree and a 10 year career in IT so, you know, YMMV.
OP this is good advice. You should market yourself as someone with good data storytelling and presentation skills. If you’re a history major, you better be a good communicator and you need to show that in an entry level interview. Just understand you will be starting from the bottom wherever you go in order to build up your knowledge in another domain. History is not your domain—you need to find that and build upon it with an entry level job in a different field.
This is more accurate than the advice above. IT is an extremely competitive field around here nowadays. Market is not the same as what it used to be couple of years ago and there are people graduating with a technical degree that OP will have to compete with.
This is very well- stated, effective & this guidance will serve OP very well in the way ahead. Build *skills* & take opportunities for new skill building wherever you find it. Once you've earned your degree, you are a package of skills & assets to any employer. Be able to communicate effectively (and appropriately) through all mediums. Make yourself irresistible. Your employment goals should be vertical. Make sure that vertical climb is available to you & make it happen for yourself. You'll do great!
I second this. As someone with a completely unrelated degree, it's more common than you think. It's about being up to the task. Having any degree shows some ability to be self disciplined and accomplish goals.
Forewarning, the IT field is vastly different than it was 10 years ago. Back in the day you could get a Security+ and snag a job. It is getting harder and harder as the years go by for unexperienced folks in this field.
Basically this. I got a BA in History, then got my masters in Education (had been tutoring and teaching privately for 10 years at that point). After realizing how much of a cluster (and political) all the local school systems were, I helped a friend run his family owned business for a few years, and then transferred into IT. Been doing it for almost a decade and couldn't imagine it any other way.
I know people with degrees from Juilliard working in IT. This is spot on about the research and analysis. I will say that a lot of these types of jobs, at least in the government sphere, will require a security clearance.
BA in history, have spent my career as a data analyst and administrative/executive assistant.
This is the route I have decided to pivot to after completing my degree in Historic Preservation/Public History with an Archaeology internship. I’ve seen that the thought process and skills needed for data analysis are closely related to history degrees. This piques my interest as they offer more opportunities with steadier income/benefits. How do you compare the work you do now, enjoyment-wise, to what you studied?
AMAZING ADVICE!!!! Couldn't agree more OP.
GMU grad here who majored in history. The degree teaches you to write well, think critically and support an argument. You may have to go to grad school to get the job you want. I got a masters in library science and am now a researcher for a law firm. DC is fortunate to have tons of government agencies, law firms, and non-profits. You will find a job eventually.
Professional service side of the legal world can be extremely, extremely lucrative as well.
This isn’t really answering your question but I just want to say that a nice house is no longer a middle class thing anymore. Especially not in this area. You have to be married and have 2 decent incomes to even have a shot these days.
And sometimes you need to already have a nice house in order to be considered marriage material lol
fellow history major here. I'm not gonna say you're definitely screwed, but I've never once worked in anything close to my degree. I've done well for myself, though. I graduated in 2006. My first job was with GEICO, I would not recommend that, but it's not terrible. I had an application in with one of the three letter agencies based on recommendations from parents of my friends who worked for the "State Department" (nudge nudge wink wink). They're looking for people from all backgrounds and history is a good one, especially if you've focused in a current region of interest. I got a phone call and was told I had been selected for further consideration, but my dumb ass said "no thanks, I already have a job". I've bounced around a bit, also being military helped, but most of my life has been government or government-adjacent. Now I write defense policy.
The person I know that made the most money right of college majored in history and parlayed it into a project manager gig in another industry
Those agencies tend to be pretty competitive. I don't know how well someone who took 6 years to graduate from George Mason will look in comparison to their standard recruitment target.
My dad was a history major and spent his entire career working for the State Department and such. Good salary, good benefits, good pension.
I majored in history too. Being a new graduate is tough, especially with a liberal arts degree. I had similar aspirations (everyone told me to become a teacher) and a tough time getting my first real job after graduating, but I've been working an office job for 15 years now and it's been pretty great.
I'm just one person, but I majored in history, graduated a few years ago, and now am working in a awesome office job that has nothing to do with history directly... but all those research and communication skills I gained from majoring in history is really handy. It's going to be a bit of a struggle job hunting at first, but it'll all work out.
Your first problem is that you assume anyone in America's declining middle class has a nice home...
Hey, I have a nice home*! *Home is not mine. I can't afford to buy it myself, but I can sure as shit afford to pay my landlord's mortgage.
Contracts might be another area to look into, especially if your history degree required a lot of reading/writing.
Great point. It's astonishing how few people can write well. OP's writing skills honed in college will be more valuable than being able to recite the dates of the War of the Roses. Emphasize skills, not knowledge.
Yep. I'm a DoD contractor with a history degree, and you can make substantial money if you have the right credentials.
What kind of credentials do they look for?
An active security clearance and previous experience related to what you're doing. FOIA, in particular, is filled with history and poly sci majors. Oftentimes, the more years you spend inside this environment, the more valuable you become. A history B.A. with an active TS/SCI and 5 years of experience can make over six figures in contracting.
Some of the most helpful people I worked with were history majors. Writing, research, organization, project management capabilities. Some history majors go into intel analyst positions.
Seconding this. The contracts department at the company I work for has senior staff without a college degree, and a VP with a BA in History, and they do very well for themselves. The world is not hopeless for Liberal Arts grads, but you’re gonna have a much harder time than STEM grads at finding the cushy jobs.
how does one go about finding companies like these?
Indeed is a good start, but a lot of people I know are having more success with recruiters from LinkedIn, staffing/temp companies, and direct applying to specific companies’ websites. I had a similar story but I was lucky enough to get an entry level job through a personal recommendation and I used the opportunity to find a role to pivot into, through on the job learning and going to school at nights. I graduated with a Criminology degree and now I work in Finance.
In particular, contract administration for the government. That was my first "real" job after college; I graduated during a recession so jobs were hard to come by. We were constantly told how the contracting workforce was aging/retiring and they would need more people. In particular they will take people with a degree but no experience; you may have to start as a GS-7 but you move up every year (GS-9, 11, 12), and if you stick with it you can probably get a GS-13 soon thereafter. Is it the most exciting thing? Nope. But it can get you a foot in the door, and once you're in the government you have more leverage to look elsewhere. Look for job series 1102 on usajobs.gov.
What is an office job in your opinion, and why did you get a history degree to get said office job?
Not to be a dick but....you want a "nice house"... So you're looking at *at minimal* $1 million+. Are you going to be making $250k+ a year?
I have found that NoVa is the survival of the fittest. And good luck finding a house. Most have to be on a dual income with good, salaried, jobs to afford one.
Your major is less important than the degree itself. The skills, and how they will help you to complete the job you are applying for, are what you should focus on in an interview, not your major. Anyone claiming that one major or another is less valuable is either talking about a technical area of work or talking out of their ass.
I work with a lot of folks who have positions in fields that don’t apply to what their degree was in. You’ll be surprised but history degrees are pretty common in the intelligence and defense side. Start looking for internships which might mix a little of what you’re studying and something else. The importance of history education is very under appreciated.
Hopefully you are a good writer and researcher. Historian rich industries and agencies: 1. DOD/DPAA hires lots of historians. Most of the research is for a specific war. 2. Most federal agencies have a history office. Some of these jobs are listed as curators or archivists. 3. National Park Service does a ton of historical research. Each region functions separately so a job in Wisconsin might be different than a job in Virginia. 4. DOD/USACE hires historians. 4. Private sector companies like History Associates hire on a regular basis. 5. Legislative branch agencies write a lot of legislative histories. 6. Museums need researchers. Try the lesser known museums as everyone wants to work for the Smithsonian. 7. Law firms need historical research often. If you want a federal job look on USAspending.gov and see who is spending on historical research. You may need to start as a curator or archivist. You can make a decent living if you land a good federal job. Harder in the private sector. Big challenge is that there is not a lot of turn over in these jobs and/or it is only available as a contractor.
My good friend has a poli sci degree and has an office job pulling in 67,500 a year from a government contractor sorting correspondence. I highly recommend working for a few temp agencies to get work experience then apply for a full time salaried office job.
A lot of Federal Jobs are fine with hiring from liberal arts.
I was a history major, I went into customer service for 8 years until I moved over to IT. Tried to land a history gig initially closest I ever got was working on a river boat tour and interning at a small museum.
Don't overlook the skills you developed while getting the degree. As a history major you should be able to perform in-depth research and have decent writing skills. There are plenty of skills that you have that aren't history specific. Emphasize those on your resume
I have degree in Political Science. A College degree just tells the employer you were responsible enough to complete a higher learning 4 year program. It sets you apart from the others. You also live in a very good job market. I suggest you apply to internships at NGOs, non-profits, and maybe start spreading your wings a bit into policy, program management, and information technology.
I was a history major at GMU. 15 years later I’m running my own company and have worked with some of the best people in the sector I’m in. Sky is the limit so set your sights high!
For what it's worth I went to law school after my BA in history. Got a solid job now with good career prospects. And I went to Maryland, not like Harvard or anything.
You can still join the military as an Officer with a degree.
How do I say this without being an AH? This is a question you should have asked before starting your degree. For history to be of much use, you typically need to find a teaching job or work in a museum. Which won't offer the same income as if you had an advanced degree. There are lots of great office jobs - business & finance in particular. But no so much in history. Good luck. Wish you the best.
My degrees are more useless than yours and I have those things (in my 40s). You probably won’t start with a job that will give you a middle class life - I didn’t, but you have years to go before your career is set in stone. Do something. Do it well. See what doors (or windows) open and move through them. I think the main thing is not to let perfect be the enemy of good and to get started in work. Also, look for jobs that you can be promoted from - unless you have specific skills gigs work is a last resort - get a salary, even if it is low and earn it (and show you are worth more than it) and things usually happen.
Dude you don’t need a degree if you’re joining us in Hell by picking IT. You need certifications. Security+ is a pretty common requirement. Regarding government work, a degree makes you eligible for certain “ranks” in civil service. Don’t quote me on this next part. It’s been awhile since I’ve discussed equivalents. I’m pretty sure a GS-7’s education requirement is a 4-year degree. Sorry for not going into more detail. I can’t tolerate my touch screen for too long.
Will you get a job in an office? Sure why not, many offices in DC need admin assistants and paralegals. A "good enough" salary is dependent on many factors: student loans, have/will have kids, married/single. If you get a $120k salary in nova after graduation but have a $90k student loan then life's going to suck for the next 10 years unless you marry rich or inherit. Nothing wrong with working in a trade - many of their offices need receptionists and admin assistants too.
If they gets a job making $120k a year, they'll be bringing home at least $6k a month after taxes. Even with a student loan to repay, that's plenty of income to live comfortably. And before you start with the "do you know how much rent in NOVA is" nonsense, getting a roommate is an easy way to cut your rent in half. That's the been the way people in their 20's have lived for as long as I've been living.
You are doomt. No $1.5M house for you.
Did you not consider job prospects when you started college?
You’re spot on. Hate to pile on. This can’t be the first time he’s asked this question during college. What’s he been doing for the last six years? As a history major, he should be pretty good at research. He didn’t research this?
You likely won’t be working in history with just a bachelors degree in it, or if you are you probably won’t be getting paid much for the HCOL here. That said, plenty of people don’t use their degree subject directly in their work. Offices are full of people who couldn’t get a job in their degree field, or switched careers after graduating. Your degree, and humanities degrees in general, provide you with many valuable skills: research, technical writing, interpersonal communication and collaboration, *thinking critically*, etc. These can be applied anywhere. Use them. You may still have to do some self-study and/or networking outside of school to make up for not having the formal training in whatever office job you end up in, but that’s pretty standard anyway
I’d think you’d want to look into local or federal government jobs.
I graduated with a History degree too. But I explored a ton of other classes (business, data science) and landed a job as a data analytics consultant in the area. A history degree isn’t a killer if you can leverage it in a way that transfers to other areas and if you have the skills they are looking for through self teaching. I would say it’s a lot harder this way than just majoring in business
Hey man I got my history degree from Mason, and my first job out of college was a client relations rep with Oracle. Now I work as a union organizer. As long your organized, know how to sell yourself, and don’t sound like a complete jackass in the interview most places will hire you.
Law school is full of history majors.
Not any more. Law school admissions committees are bored to death of history/polisci majors.
Think of yourself as a PolySci or International Studies major but with actual knowledge
You can still get an office job in the private sector. But you will need to start in an admin job or as some kind of assistant. Expect to work at the first rung for 6-18 months. Show up 15 minutes early, leave 15 minutes late, respond to emails same day, and ask people what you can do to help. Do all this and you’ll be on your way in no time.
You could teach history.
Thus perpetuating the cycle.
“Those who learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Wait, that’s not right.
this is the second hard laugh I've gotten from Reddit this hour. Thank you
What do you consider a good starting income? What do you hope to earn down the line?
I have an associates degree that I was originally planning on going to a four-year university with to study history, as that was my favorite subject. I looked at the income expectations of that degree, and the cost-of-living in the area, and I decided to just try going into the workforce with only my associates (Student loans are expensive and I don’t have parental income to help me). I work for the government making around 80k per year at 27 years old. I don’t regret my decision, as I work with plenty of people who have college degrees in history or criminal justice. There are plenty of federal government office jobs in the area that only require a college degree, regardless of the field. I cannot promise you will ever use your history degree to actually study history, but there are federal jobs that want researchers or to work in museums. You will be able to get a job. What I will tell you is that a history degree alone will probably not get you a nice house in this area, just because this area is expensive as hell. The middle class isn’t the same as it used to be. Generally speaking, the people I noticed in this area who are able to afford nice houses come from generational wealth, are older and have been in the game for decades and were able to get a house when it was still affordable, or they have a dual income no kids household with both partners making 100k+, often times from tech jobs or other STEM fields. You will be OK, but I wouldn’t anticipate a 100k salary after graduation unless you know someone, and in this area if you’re not making 100k minimum, you won’t be able to qualify for more than an old condo on your own. Just being honest
you can work for the government (if you havent gotten into serious trouble) or as a teacher. Look for internships at literally any of the agencies.
There are plenty of jobs that aren't in tech. Think outside of the box. For example, there are many, many associations where low-paying entry level work can be found and you can work your way up if you put in the focus and effort. It's very low pay to start, but there can be oppty there.
A lot of companies are just looking for good character, especially smaller companies, someone who will fit in and not cause issues. Certainly sales and customer service jobs just require someone who can be agreeable and help solve problems....and will of course learn the business as they go. If I'm a small business owner, I would want someone who is committed to helping my company. A lot of people are thinking of it as what the company can do for them. A year or two in an industry and your degree won't matter
What's wrong with working in construction? You'd probably be surprised to know that most construction workers actually make more money than an average office worker.
Do something different to help distinguish yourself. Teach for America, Peace Corps, etc…
If you are truly passionate about history and want to do it then leave NOVA if you want even the slightest chance at that kind of life. I extremely doubt you can achieve that here doing what you want.
My ex husband has a history degree from Mason and has been in the federal govt since 1988. You have skills.
Microsoft hired me during my junior year at university. They were looking for candidates with the ability to reason and use logic plus the ability to speak to technical people and business partners. I was skeptical at first but was told of you have the skills we are seek, we can teach you to code. That’s what they did. I was majoring in history and economics. You should be able to find something along the lines you are looking for, just know you will always be up against someone with an engineering degree. Companies will give you offers and try to low ball you because of it. Don’t fall for it. And congrats on almost finishing
You are honestly not gonna be happy with your next 5-10 years if you expect all that
Absolutely not. I have an associates in Sociology, went to GMU for a degree in communications that I did not finish and ended up working in Tech. Amazon Web Services is a good in road into the land of tech. I started as a technical customer support specialist, transitioned into custom billing, and left for a private company that helps customers optimize their environments for security, costs, and infrastructure reliability. As many other people pointed out you are getting very valuable analytical skills that translate well into many aspects of tech. It’s just figuring out how to convey that in interviews. Last thing, consider looking at some baseline certification, Cloud Practioner was a requirement within 90 days of employment. Good Luck!
I got a history degree at 30 and have managed to move up pretty well in government jobs, mostly as a writer or editor.
No, you didn’t screw up. All they care about is you have a degree and that you can function in a professional environment and no one to speak up and keep your mouth shut. Do not assume you will get a golden parachute job right out of college, that is a pipe dream. You will need to work and establish yourself yourself and move up. The key is to ask a slightly higher salary than what they offer if you think you can, because that will be the basis for all of your raises. Do not think you will make $120k for a job that pays $70k. Also don’t take what they offer out the gate, asks to 5k higher if you think they are lowballing you. Just don’t over do it.
Honest answer: the job market sucks right now, and being a history major isn’t gonna make that any easier if you are looking for a high salary. My advice is to explore the job market a little and see where you can secure employment and also consider pursuing a masters in a lucrative field(maybe stem related) or even something like accounting. Nothing wrong with a history major, but the harsh reality is that it isn’t as valued in society as other majors. With that being said, there are still roles you can break into that may not be history related but require some of the same skills as a historian to perform well(consulting comes to mind) and make sure to network your ass off
I'm a business consultant who takes on fractional leadership roles for my client companies. When hard skills like engineering are not required, I like hiring liberal arts majors. I've found that a degree in engineering teaches you how to think, but a degree in history (liberal arts) teaches you how to learn. History is a degree that is readily adaptable to business careers that require good communication skills like project management, customer engagement, corporate training, and sales enablement, to name some options. I wish you much success in your career.
Oh sweet summer child Don't expect that in Nova LOL
Do what most history majors do: go to law school.
I think you’ll be fine! First, the fact that you have a degree will totally help your career path, always. You may find arguments to the contrary, but by and large it’s a fact that a degree boosts one’s chances of getting not just a job, but a higher paying job. Second, go for what you want or like in a job! There is NO sense in hating what you slog through traffic to get to every day. Third, learn to craft an excellent resume, learn to interview well, and get out there and be confident about yourself and sell it! …from a guy GMU 1987. Got a BS in biology and have been a Realtor for 30+ years.
A lot of government analyst jobs like people with history and political science degrees. If you like writing and are a good critical thinker, consider applying for those.
You’re a history major, which means you know how to write well and probably can give a solid presentation. You would be shocked, shocked I say, if you knew the number of people who are terrible at writing. I got my undergraduate degree in something that’s usually regarded as equally useless: Literature. When you can write well, and get a reputation for being able to, you’ll get pulled into all sorts of things where you have to help the scientific and engineering types communicate their thoughts.
Don't knock the construction/trades you can make a great living working in the trades. 25 years ago, I worked 5 years for a plumbing company making $60k to 80k. And now for the last 20 years, I have been running my own plumbing company.
I have a bachelors in History from UVA and havent been able to get a job outside of customer service. I’m now getting my masters in public policy and still haven’t gotten a “real job”. Good luck!
I'm surprised no one mentioned this career as a History Teacher in public Schools. Virginia is hurting for teachers, and the pay is competitive. You can pretty much teach anywhere. The Virginia Department of Education has a program that can get you licensed to teach in Public schools. If you're looking for a steady income with good job security, look at becoming a history Teacher in the Public School Setting.
History degree holder here. I also got my ASE certifications while spinning wrenches to support myself in college. This led me to a temporary teaching position teaching automotive tech, that and my technical background led to working automotive warranty claims. One thing led to another and I've been in construction project management and asset management ever since. Never worked a minute in a History related field. I'd recommend trying to get in on the ground floor in data centers project management if you want to stay local.
You should focus on developing your skills vs what your degree is. For example, an English major graduate by itself is useless. But one of my coworkers at the pharmacy became a freelance writer for websites as well as work at marketing gig. What you want isn't unrealistic since I had done it as a Xillennial without a degree at all. You just have to be ready to grind out for 10-15 years to archive instead of getting all of that right out of college. One thing for sure though, max your company's 401k matching and then max out your IRA as soon and as early as possible. Your earnings will unlikely catch up to inflation and the best way to ensure a comfortable retirement is to invest as early as possible.
You're definitely not screwed, but you might be taking a more indirect route to a higher salary job. My BA was in cultural anthropology which was good enough to get me an entry level job as government program analysts. From that position I was able to get good at Excel, then Tableau, then SQL. Now I'm pulling a a good hourly rate as a data consultant for a couple of government agencies. Just keep an eye out for chances to pick up some of these 'hard' skills as your career progresses.
You’ll be fine. Just be flexible. My wife has a history degree and she works for the Feds in grants (and makes a very good money). It just took time. The Feds - if you are patient - will be a great career. Get verified as a grants officer or a contracting officer and you’d be using your degree as it takes a lot of analysis, good reading comprehension, and pretty much guaranteed to have a career in the Feds. But you will start off probably as a GS9 or 10 but you can work your way up.
Your major and a few certs should be enough to get you in as some sort of analyst (business, data, workforce, etc.). It terrifies me that studying literature, art, music, history, whatever is seemingly becoming a luxury only those with wealth can afford.
You should take some PM courses and get a PMP and you can work in the library of congress and work your way up!!
I’m a history major who is currently an executive at an advertising agency. I’ve also been a lobbyist, owned my own consulting business and served on the faculty of one of the local universities.
A friend of mine has a masters in something like medeival english or celtic literature. She’s mid-30’s and is currently a GS-14 doing really cool work in whats essentially law enforcement. Trying to avoid details. Somehow i have a master’s in Poly Sci and I’m not what’s essentially an IT project manager for a contracting company working with thr feds and mid to high level management in my company, so if you have drive and the ability to learn you may not be doing history but can find yourself turning it into something you really love while being successful.
Is your degree in history? Apply to State Dept
Many of my friends who graduated with a history degree now work in historical interpretation for local, state, or national parks. Worth looking into!
My ex bf was a history major and now works for the federal government. Has a good job, owns a house. Good luck!
These are questions you should have been asking yourself when you were just inches away from starting your first year of classes, not inches away from graduation. People, especially slightly older ones, should have a plan for exactly what they plan to do with their college degree. We don’t live in a world where college = success anymore unfortunately.
Why get a history degree if the goal is an office job? Why not go for accounting?
Nope, not a failure at all. History majors have incredible transferable skills to real jobs—-research, writing, and critical thinking, as well being as detail-oriented and able to see long-term patterns and assemble coherent arguments about what those patterns mean. We hire people of similar backgrounds into entry level legal work all the time. You can hookup with a legal staffing company and start exploring that field, if you think you’d like to try it. Non-lawyer legal work will give you a comfy lifestyle (after a few years) until the AI comes for it.
I know several people with history degrees who have gone into software/tech sales and are doing quite well. One of them is pretty far into their career and is now a C-level executive. Another is working in data analysis and is comfortable.
Become a tiktok and youtube historian. Find your hook. Profit.
Well, I guess it's up to you, but it's always been. Do your best, and apply for government jobs.
I got the exact same thing: history @Mason. Start exploring Military Intelligence or Analyst jobs. Taking advantage of proximity to DC. Don't think teaching is your only option though Mason has a excellent program
Undergrad, unless specific to say a business school or finance job, is perfectly suitable for most jobs. You can check off the, graduated from college requirement to get into an entry level job in a specific field and worknyour way up from there.
As long as your history degree has taught you critical thinking researching and writing skills they’ll transfer. Whether or not it’s enough “money” for you considering it’ll be your first job out of college that’s another story
The number of people I interact with in tech who have degrees that are in vastly different fields is staggering. I interviewed a girl awhile back who had her doctorate in something along the lines of biochemical engineering. She learned it wasn't her jam and that she loved tech sales and working with schools. I hired her as an enterprise education sales consultant and she crushed it.
i majored in history, had a full career at state
I know a guy who majored in History and he is a Linguist for the Army.
Architectural firms that specialize in historic preservation hire historians.
Library work, Federal Government, teaching, adjunct professor. History degree is pretty flexible, especially if you pepper in a minor of some kind.
There are so many government agencies with really robust history and archive programs. If you are still in school, please, please apply for a government internship! Beyond that your skills are so fungible — if you can write, you can succeed!
Listen here noob start networking degree isn't the end all
Home ownership is pretty wild around here
I’m an English major from a liberal arts college with a technical consulting job. I don’t think a history major would be a limiting factor in where you go with your career.
Yes basically, people with more in demand majors who aren’t 40+ struggle here.
My wife is 30 and has her degree in History. She currently works for the National Park Service as a Museum Curator. If you have any background in Archeology or archives, there are always agencies hiring for those positions. Keep your eyes open
I have a history degree and I’m in DC making $54k right out of college in campaign finance. History gives you communication, research, and analysis skills that are easily transferable. If you work hard and dedicate yourself to your economic success, you can do well in this area. Edit: spelling error
so listen man, you’re 28, what possible skills has your history degree gotten you that could be used in an officr job? i don’t mean to be rude, but you need to look at the jobs you’re qualified for.
Employers arent interested in transferable or soft skills. They want experience and direct skills. So yes, you are screwed and your degree is worthless
It took you 10 years to realize this?
You set yourself up for failure
yeah, history is an useless degree, merely a step stone to law school for young people. I don't know how you picked that major when you were 22 in 2018. Even accounting would be more practical.
Bollocks, the history majors I know are all gainfully employed, myself included—in everything from procurement data analysis to foreign affairs. The skill sets of research, writing and critical thinking carry over to loads of other jobs. I’m the only one I know who actually works in the history field.
You can certainly succeed in spite of your degree but why not set yourself up for the best chance of success by investing in a more marketable degree? I’m happy it worked out for you but for the others it didn’t work out for they aren’t responding because they haven’t finished their shift at Starbucks yet.
Become a paralegal
You should look into the National Park Service, they always need historians and interpreters
My friend has a masters in history. Works for an insurance company. I have no idea what he does though.
Not necessarily screwed, but good luck with a house around here. Prices are insane. I make over 100k and don’t see how I am ever getting a house with a single income. I have a nice apartment and live comfortably. But, if you 100% want a house, that may be tough.
Law School seems to be a path for many people whose undergrad degree is in something that is not as easily marketable.
What kind of experience do you have already? You’re 28.
I graduated from GMU with a history degree in 2020 at the age of 28, I don’t really regret it. You can get a rather low office job (you can always just work your way up in career if you want) but won’t get anything in a history field probably. I make about 47k and live relatively okay. My job is pretty cushy all things considered. I was in a pretty similar position to you, depends how ambitious you want to be with like careers and stuff but I just got a job that required basically just a bachelors. I think degrees are basically to get your foot in the door somewhere anyways.
Get into sales; you can make plenty of money regardless of your degree
Recommend looking into intelligence field. I have a BA in political science with a minor in history and MA in international relations and offered a job when I was in grad school.
Interestingly enough. My sister had a girlfriend who got a history degree from UMD. I'll tell you the path she chose to take. She started out teaching because it was hard for her to find something in the field with only a bachelor's. She was bartending and teaching at the same time (one during the day and one during the night) to make some more money. Eventually she decided to go and get some tech certifications and do some networking. I forgot what certs got exactly but she was able to work her way into deloitte as a consultant. She's a manager there now. Seems like a whole life of stress just from looking at her by herself. But you might be able to make something less stressful out of it. Once you get your degree I think you're set up for a lot of different avenues. You're already "in" for the most part. Now you just have to get some certifications or credentials in some field you want to pursue. That's where I'd probably start
Just because there are data centers here doesn’t mean anything you should look at a major that is not common and that’s is where you you will succeed
What is your work history so far?
Nope, you’re fine. It might limit chances with technical work but otherwise you’ll be fine.
There are history major jobs. Lots in the Smithsonian and research fields. But dc area is definitely tech driven due to government buying
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I work in the banking industry with an Econ degree. My Alma mater has a 1 year graduate course for liberal arts majors who want to do finance with a history/literature/etc degree. Only open to those who graduated within the past year though
Union trade jobs probably pay better and have better benefits. Most of the area fire departments are hiring. Avg starting salary for the region is in the 60's. And most departments give you an education bonus regardless of what the degree is. 25 year retirement, and by the time you retire, you would be easily be making close to $200k.
Intelligence. Look at USAJobs
American Studies class of 2000 major here. I initially moved to DC to work in history museums, but I’ve been fortunate to parlay my liberal arts degree into a nearly 20-year career in financial services (primarily content creation and automation). I hope to be able to return to my true loves in history and art once I can retire.
You can get a job in construction, met a Project Manager with a degree in theology. As long as you got a degree you can get a job as a Superintendent or PM. Both make 6 figs pretty quickly if you get a job with the big general contractors around here like HITT, EE Reed, Turner, Holder, etc.
DC is a good area for historians. The problem is, the isn’t a need for a large volume of historians. It’s a luxury profession more than a necessity.
Retired Intelligence Community systems engineer (Business Management degree)...Target government contracting, Northrop Grummon, SAIC, there are so many. If you can get your foot in the door working at a help desk and can get a clearance you'll be set. Show off your ability to follow instructions, show initiative and a willingness to work hard. Good luck. My daughter's boyfriend is a GMU history major and he's doing fine as a govt (USIA) contractor and working from home to boot.
My kid was full IB in HS, majored in History in uni. He. Now works in a totally unrelated field. But IB and History major made him a great writer with analytical skill. He is doing well in his Jon making a decent living.
You're not screwed any more or less than anyone else in this economy. Nobody cares what you majored in. That's a lie. 90+% of jobs only care that you have a degree so that they can check the box. After that it's all about attitude, people skills, and how well you can pick up new things and get stuff done. That's it. -Useless generic business major with 30 years in IT.
Better apply for OCS.
Have you researched companies / specific jobs in the area you want to stay in? If not, that should be your first priority.
You can always use your degree doing office work.
Check out Pathways Program for students and recent grads Federal gov jobs. Most agency have opportunities. USAJobs Pathways https://www.usajobs.gov/search/results/?l=&k=Pathways
Companies hire and pay for the skills you offer and not your degree. Play to your strengths.
Northern VA also has think tanks… (Not the ones hoping to undo democracy, but actual ones that augment/support federal agencies. Look up FFRDCs.)
It's going to take a while. To make a high salary you either need technical skills, be willing to work a ton, or a decent amount of experience. If you don't have the first and you aren't willing to do the second, you're going to need to put the work in.
Similar background. Polisci and Chinese. Was in consulting for a few years and now DoD on a sweet ladder to 13. Worked out just fine
You should focus on new grad programs that get you into the federal government. You’ll advance quickly and have great benefits. Go to USAJobs and look for GS-7 jobs in the 0301 or 0343 series. GS-7 isn’t a huge salary, but you’ll move up quickly. I started there and within 4 years I was a GS-13. Now a GS-15. Also use your career services! They have job fairs and special hiring events for folks.
You should move to one of the midwestern states and be a history teacher. You can get a nice house with that kind of salary.
I studied Art and I am now a managing director of a commercial real estate services firm. Don’t sweat it.
If it makes you feel any better, one of the deputy directors of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and establisher of In-Q-Tel, has a degree in zoology. Sue Gordon can serve as an example for you!
There's a lot of places in the US where you can have a comfortable life with a history degree.
The real middle class (not the fake one looking at median household income type of thing) households make 300k in NOVA. I don’t think George Mason degree in History will get you there unless you are from a upper class family.
You might look into county jobs, like for Fairfax, Loudon, etc 🤷🏻♀️
I majored in History, it's my jam too. You don't have to go the trades route. Instead seek out research/analyst jobs. I graduated in 89 so different job market. I was afraid I'd be stuck in the typist pool 😂 I was also good at math so I lucked into a low level job at a non-profit doing paperwork but it was right at the cusp of folks using computers in the office besides the mainframes. I was good at it, in fact I was a go to person when they switched to an early oracle product, I became their oracle SME. From there I drifted into government contracting, I took that opportunity to consume as much knowledge as possible about government accounting and from there I was offered a huge opportunity to marry up my Oracle knowledge with my accounting knowledge and I'm GS-13 making nice money. Part of my brand is being oh so good at human interaction, both in e-mail & skype and in zoom/in person. The key is having a plan. Get in the ground floor somewhere that suits your personal skillset. Think about getting certifications in useful stuff - that stuff will be whatever sector you decide to land at. Always, always be teaching yourself the big picture so you can slot in upward or be the place's Swiss army knife so you can jump into other roles if the needs shift .
I always advise people to get degrees in subjects that they hate, that way they will never have to do that subject as a job. I hardly know anyone whose major lines up with what they do for a living. Maybe in engineering, nursing, med school, things like that you'll see people that studied what they actually do for a living. But an office job, you can be competitive with any degree from a reputable school. I got my degree in political science and have been in tech since graduating. What you do with your degree matters more than what the degree is. Good luck
OP, I’m a historian working for the federal government and living in Nova. DM me if you want.
Even if the career prospects based on your degree don't work out, don't feel shame for getting it. You got it because you were passionate about the subject. If anything, DC would be one of the better places to be a history major as there's tons of institutions, including the Smithsonian, who could benefit from someone like yourself. As others mentioned, reach out to GMU's career center and just start spamming your resume out there. Otherwise I have no college degree and have had a successful 10 years, 5 of which in cybersecurity, with no regrets.
Many contractors are willing to hire basically anyone with an aptitude for analytical skills. I once knew someone who was hired out of school at a major IT systems integrator with a degree in classical Greek literature. Of course you're more likely to get hired with a degree that's directly applicable but I wouldn't go so far as to say you're screwed. Plenty of companies just want someone who is smart, can solve problems, and is willing to learn.
Move outside of NoVa. You can move somewhere like KY and live in the Capital City and be comfortable.
Government is a good place to look for a good job with a history degree.
I know three people with history degrees and none of them work in their field
I also have a Bachelors in History from Mason. I ended up getting my Masters in ESL as a teacher afterwards, so I guess I technically applied it to my job. My friend got his Bachelors in History in 2005 from Mason. He ended up making $50k straight out of college doing data-entry, which was a lot 20 years ago! You can always find a way to “apply” your degree.
No you're not screwed. I got a very general degree from college (interdisciplinary studies) and after graduating, I've worked in vet med and now work in HR for a government contractor and had no previous experience and it's a great company and good benefits and whatnot so there's hope and it is possible! Obviously any previous experience you have or education will help but it for sure should not disqualify you if you don't.
Look into the National Association For Interpretation (NAI). Work on the first level of certification. If you are willing to work a couple years as a seasonal position, I’d recommend the National Park Service. It is one of the ways to actively work in a field with your History degree while also getting the opportunity to present something you like about a local subject.