Historian Job Description & Nature
The historian is one of the keepers of the wisdom of the past. A historian looks at the people, ideas and events to shed light on the past and to put situations occurring in the modern world into a longer historical framework in order to better understand them.
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Roles
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A historian interprets the past based on documentary evidence such as diaries, letters or newspaper reports, according to State University. She also gains clues from physical items such as costumes, tools or artworks as in the case of art historians.
Specialization
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Most historians specialize in some way. These specializations could be centered around a time period, in a particular field such as economic history or in a certain theme like women's history.
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Work Settings
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According to State University, about 70 percent of historians work at universities. Some find employment at archives, work for historical societies or take positions as editors for historical publishers.
Nature of the Job
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Historians research history, write papers and books based on their findings or present their ideas at conferences. Additionally, the historians who work on college campuses have teaching responsibilities as well.
Education
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It's important to note that the amount of education a historian has impacts where she will work. Depending on the institution, a master's degree or a Ph.D. are required for university or archive positions.
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Comments
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fsafh
Feb 12, 2010
The National Park Service and the military services of the Department of Defense also employ historians. The Air Force employs civilian historians at the Wing level and higher. The Air Force Personnel Center employs a career manager who can provide more detailed information on the duties of a unit historian and discuss current vacancies. The entry level is GS-11 and many positions entail an obligation to serve four-month tours with units deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
