Oh the Places You’ll Go! Reflections on the NCPH Careers in History Symposium
From the desk of MA in Historical Administration student, Jessica Craig:
As a history major in undergrad, I had several conversations about what type of job I wanted to pursue after college. Typically, they went more or less like this:
Person A: So what are you going to do with a degree in history?
Me: Uhm… (slowly backs away, hides under table, pretends that I’ll never graduate)
Person A: So… you want to teach, right?
Luckily for me and all history introverts everywhere, teaching is not the only career path history majors can go on. On Saturday, several EIU History and Historical Administration students attended the NCPH Careers in History Symposium, held on IUPUI’s campus. The conference was very informational, but beyond that, it gave the invaluable opportunity to network with professionals in a variety of fields related to history, and to learn how the love of history led them to their current professions.
HA students at NCPH Careers in History Symposium.
The morning session started with a speed dating exercise, in which groups of students rotated tables, meeting professionals along the way. Overall, the groups got to meet five professionals each, and spent about ten minutes asking questions about their profession, and their career path. The jobs of the professionals varied widely and included an archivist, a consultant, a court historian, a curator, teachers, historic preservation specialists, among others. As someone who wants to pursue a job in the museum world, I flocked to speak with the museum and historical society professionals present.
After the morning session stopped for break, my cohorts and I knew we needed to do what millennials do best and take a selfie. We had a friend we had met take our photo, and right as we finished Kent Whitworth came up and informed us that he almost photobombed our photo. Kent Whitworth, executive director of the Kentucky Historical Society, is someone who we had read in class, and having him try to photobomb our group picture was a big deal to us. After stopping to chat with us, he proceeded to the podium where he gave the keynote address to the conference. His speech stressed three points: Passion, skills, and relevance. He spent a good portion of his talk speaking about the importance of retaining passion as you move forward in your career. Often times at your lowest points it is passion that is the driving force that moves you towards greatness.
In the afternoon session, the conference split into three distinct sessions. The sessions had topics such as, “What do I do after college?”, “How do I make the most out of grad school?”, and the session I attended, “How do I transition out of grad school?” My particular session offered practical advice moving forward. A panel included people who had been involved in the field for decades, as well as some young professionals, recently out of graduate school. In my opinion, it was good to have that dichotomy of young and experienced professionals. They gave some practical advice about resumes (including measurable outcomes), cover letters (use the same wording in the job description), and job searching (qualifications is a wish-list, apply!)
The NCPH conference offered practical advice, networking opportunities, and inspiration for those pursuing careers in the field of history. I think much was gained by undergraduates and graduate students alike. It is clear that the field of history is much broader than teaching and publishing, and there is opportunity to practice history in a variety of careers. I am a big proponent for the importance of life-long learning, and I believe that the field of public history always has opportunities for individuals to learn and to grow. Although now I have a better answer when people ask me what I want to do after school, the future is still not set. The NCPH conference gave me a good understanding of options available to me, and I am excited to see what the future holds. In a world where slashing budget cuts threaten precious artifacts and public history institutions, I am glad to be a part of the next generation of museum professionals charged with keeping institutions relevant and sustainable. After meeting all of the wonderful people in Indianapolis, I am certain we are in good hands.
