World Heritage Day: Turn your love for history and artifacts into an exciting career

History offers a plethora of options to choose from and build a remunerative career. (Image courtesy: Tarun Bhardwaj/Financial Express Online )

By Rohit Manglik

If you are a history buff and look forward to making a career in this field, don’t listen to the naysayers. There is no dearth of career options in the arena of History.

Today, on World Heritage Day, dedicated to historical monuments and sites worldwide, we explore History’s potential as a prominent career option.

History offers a plethora of options to choose from and build a remunerative career. Let’s explore the career prospects, skills and job roles you can opt for after completing graduate studies or a post-graduate degree in History.

Archaeologists

The job of the archaeologists is to uncover patterns about human life, culture, and origins. Archaeologists plan research projects, analyse data and develop data collection methods. If you relish the thrill of discovering more about past civilisations, this is the field for you.

Job Role-

The primary role is to excavate historical sites and analyse them to maintain the present architectural structures further. They are also responsible for producing, compiling and maintaining written, photographic and drawn records.

After completing a post-graduate or undergraduate degree in Archeology, you become eligible to work as an Archaeologist.

Key Skills For Archaeologists-

• An eye for detail
• Flexibility in terms of work location
• Ability to extract and analyse data
• Accurate record-keeping and reporting skills

Heritage Manager

The heritage of a nation is currently the subject of popular and scholarly attention. With its expanding conceptual scope, the demand for Heritage Managers is also increasing.

Job Role-

Heritage Manager is responsible for managing heritage sites that are of cultural and national significance.

The critical roles of a heritage manager include planning strategies, managing budgets, collecting funds for maintenance, promoting sightseeing of the monument, formulating rules and regulations for visitors and taking feedback.

An M.A in History can land you a job for this role. However, there are several vocational courses on heritage and museum studies.

Key Skills For Heritage Managers-

Analytical skills

Budget Management

Leadership

Commercial awareness

Project management

Archivists

A career as an archivist offers a doorway to ample opportunities.

Job Role-

An expert who collects, assesses, organises, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to records and archives determined to have long-term value.

For entry-level jobs, a bachelor’s degree in History will suffice. You will need a Master’s degree in History, library science, or record management to avail better opportunities.

Key Skills For Archivists

• Organisational Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Administrative skills

Museologist

As a Museologist, there are several job profiles that you can opt for.

Job Role-

Museum Curators- The display of artefacts in a museum is headed by them. They also organise and manage various exhibitions that take place in the museum.

Restorers- To detect any decay happening in any artefact or monument and restore them to a condition as close to the original as possible.

Museum Technician- Responsible for maintaining and safeguarding the relics of the museum.

Museum Director- To outlook the overall management and systematic working of the museum, a Museum Director, is appointed by the authorities and is responsible for the museum’s administration.

To become eligible for these posts, you need to have a post-graduate degree in Museology. You can also pursue a certificate course in the Museology related discipline.

Skills For Museologists-

• Passion for History
• Knowledge of the foreign as well as ancient languages
• Good Colour vision
• Understanding of artefacts
• Communication Skills
• Ability to research and produce unknown historical facts

History Academician

Often considered the noblest profession, teaching is yet another exciting career option.

If you have a knack for sharing your knowledge with the world, becoming a History academician is the best-suited career for you.

Job Role-

• The prime role of a History academician is to teach valuable lessons to young minds to make them understand the various prospects of major historical events.
• To be eligible for the role at the school level, you must have pursued a graduate degree in History and a Bachelor’s of Education degree.
• On the other hand, to be eligible to teach History at the university level, you must have a doctoral degree in History.

Skills For History academician-

• Deep understanding of the subject matter
• Strong communication skills
• Patience
• Organisational Skills
• Critical thinking
• Conflict resolution skills
• Leadership skills

Conclusion

History is a never-ending subject in all. To date, many unknown historical facts are yet to be discovered.

There is indeed an ocean of opportunities, especially in India, which holds such a rich cultural and historical heritage. The field has an abundance to offer for those interested and passionate about the subject of History with career opportunities within the country and abroad.

(The author is CEO, EduGorilla. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the Financial Express Online.)