Modules
Shelley Rose
Career Readiness, and Historians in the Workforce
What will you do with that? History department majors and minors in the wild. Module 2 provides information and links to explore career paths available to majors in the History Department at Cleveland State University.
Historians are everywhere. They are employed by the government, as educators, in nonprofits, and business.
Choose a historical professional from Module 1, the list below, or from your own professional experiences. “Introduce” at least one historian to the class on Teams.
- Historians in Nonprofit Sector: Megan Connor, “From BA to the AHA” in Perspectives on History; Priya Chhaya, “How Priya Chhaya Does History,” Contingent Magazine.
- Historians in Business: Clifford Manko, “A Career in Corporate Finance” in Perspectives on History
- Historians in Medicine: David Glenn, “Thinking Like a Historian in Scrubs” in Perspectives on History
- Historians in the National Park Service: Eric Schnack “History and Hikes: The 19th Amendment Centennial and Music in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park;” Allison Horrocks, “How Allison Horrocks Does History,” Contingent Magazine.
- Historians in Museums: Lonnie Bunch, “History and Historians in the Public” in Doing History: A Podcast Episode 14. (approximately 34 minutes); Camille Bethune-Brown, “How Camille Bethune-Brown Does History,” Contingent Magazine; Erin Bartram, “How Erin Bartram Does History,” Contingent Magazine; Nick Hurley, “How Nick Hurley Does History,” Contingent Magazine
- Historians in Archives & Libraries: Jennifer Garcon, “How Jennifer Garcon Does History,” Contingent Magazine. Steven D. Booth, “How Steven D. Booth Does History,” Contingent Magazine
- Historians in Government: Betty K. Koed, “Senate Historical Office,” American Historical Association
- Historians in Academia: Naomi Rendina, “How Naomi Rendina Does History,” Contingent Magazine
- Historians in Journalism: Shin Yu Pai, “How Shin Yu Pai Does History,” Contingent Magazine
- Historians in Fiction Writing: Kate Carpenter, “Deborah Harkness Does Her Best Historical Work,” Episode 19, Drafting the Past, November 2, 2022.
You can also visit Contingent Magazine “How I Do History” series for the latest profiles at https://contingentmagazine.org/series/how-i-do-history/
Reflection
Where do you see yourself using your historical thinking skills and your major?
Resources
Michael Edmondson, “Choosing a Career Pathway,” American Historical Association, January 1, 2026. Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.historians.org/resource/choosing-a-career-pathway/
