Hey guys, just passing here and I would like to ask, does anyone here is a professional in History, work with it and make your living with it.
I might have some questions, or not, I'm just wondering. :)
SoM works in the field but he's offline for a while. You might want to ping him when he pops back on. Might be a couple of weeks though.
I have a MA in History and planned on working in the field but never made the breakthrough. I can try my best at answering whatever questions you have.
Kommandant,
We can put you in touch with a few here and there. Greybriar (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=16) is a history professor, as is Son of Montfort (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=4) (who's off the 'net for a bit right now handling some personal stuff)
James Sterrett (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=175) has a PhD in history, but works in wargaming.
I thought we had Jim Werbaneth (http://www.jimwerbaneth.com/) signed up here, too, but I guess not. I need to go tackle him and drag him over here now.
Quote from: Gusington on July 16, 2012, 09:16:13 AM
I have a MA in History and planned on working in the field but never made the breakthrough. I can try my best at answering whatever questions you have.
I have a question.
Where did you get that haircut? ;)
Did it myself! Want one?
Quote from: Gusington on July 16, 2012, 09:16:13 AM
I have a MA in History and planned on working in the field but never made the breakthrough. I can try my best at answering whatever questions you have.
Is your MA in a specific focus? I've got a BA in History and have been thinking about going to get my MA but I am not sure what job opportunities I would/could pursue with it afterwards.
^Yes my MA is in American colonial history, and my thesis was on the Civil War draft riots in NYC. The vast majority of my MA classmates were studying to be teachers. There were a handful of corporate/government librarians and then there was me.
If you don't mind me asking who did you get your MA through?
I've thought about teaching but am still not sure. From what I've seen it is tough sledding getting into teaching right now. I don't want to go spending all that money on a MA and then decide not to teach or what not. I guess you can say I am in that stage of having no clue what to pursue. :)
TCT, I know it's a tired old saw, but, do something you love. That way, you'll never work a day in your life.
^I absolutely agree with that. I have yet to do what I love day to day (apart from working here, of course). It is some of the best advice you can ever get.
Got my MA at Rutgers.
Quote from: Gusington on July 17, 2012, 09:53:35 AM
^I absolutely agree with that. I have yet to do what I love day to day (apart from working here, of course). It is some of the best advice you can ever get.
The problem is that you need to find a job in order to do what you love. With a history degree, that's not an easy task.
I wouldn't say "don't do it." But I would tell you to consider the odds.
My search for a job teaching history was a colorful one that ended in failure. But failing at that taught me to make lemons from lemonade and basic economic survival skills.
I wouldn't say 'don't do it' either. Just have a backup plan, like working in the interwebs for instance. That hasn't been so bad for me and may lead me to the promised land of doing what I love every day, eventually.
I made this post and forgot about it, how embarrased I'm right now :-[
I'm not sure if I have any clear questions about this, last person I got to know that works on the field, apart from my high school teacher, was a friend of a friend, she is studing for her doctorate right now, and she sent me her essay that she did for her master degree. Need to say that it was not a subject of great interest to me, a study on the students moviment during the military dictatorship in Brazil, from 1969 to 1979, but I read it.
I'm going to finish college this year, I'm doing a course of Computer Science, I really don't like the course and virtually any subject of it, people keep telling me how vast the market is for some one with this knowlage, and how high the salary is. I've always wanted to study history and work on the field, I really like to teach to people, to try and shape them, every time I have the chance to teach something I go for it. I really don't know if I will love to work on the area, as a researcher and/or teacher, but I want to give it a try.
I know the salary is poor, mainly in Brazil, but I think to my self, if the salary is poor, if the working condition is bad, and everyone tells me to not go for it, because of these question. How can the country go forward? How can the salary condition get better? How can the next generation have a chance to get better, if people don't want to become teachers?
Some one needs to do the dirty job, some needs to teach the young on the subjects like math and history and shape them to live in society. Why this person can't be me? Why I need to choose a job that will give me money and confort, and let some one else do the hard work? Why let some one else make the difference, wile I live in the shadow of confort for the rest of my life?
To get to my 70's and look back, and see how empty and useless my life was, how I was just one more piece in the chess board. I don't want that, I want to work on something that makes the difference, and complete me as a human being. I come a cross dozens of people in their 40' or 60's, that tell me I'm wrong, that is not how society works, that is not how life works. I come across people in their 20's that just want that for their lifes, confort and good money, and others that lost the hope in the ideas I hold.
I don't know if I'm right or wrong, but I'm tired of people trowing manuals of how to live your life at me. I'm tired of people trying to pave my road. I tired of the "play it safe" concept, don't take risks and try to stay away from danger, from politics and controversies.
Sorry for the some of the rage in the post and sorry to got away from the subject of the topic. and sorry for the long post.
Want to know if you guys like to work with it, if it worth studing it all. I want to graduate and after it go for a master degree, I would like to study the last yeah of mine in France, I know a guy, not a friend, I just knew him in high school, he is studing his last year of engeneering in France, I want to do it too.
As I said, I don't have any clear question over the subject.
^Funny you mention working with computers...I am moving into that area now. You could conceivably combine your love of teaching with technology and teach IT courses, but that would require you to work in the field for a time to become good enough to teach others. Corporate trainers make a lot of dough, especially those in tech fields.
Quote from: Gusington on July 17, 2012, 02:19:24 PM
^Funny you mention working with computers...I am moving into that area now. You could conceivably combine your love of teaching with technology and teach IT courses, but that would require you to work in the field for a time to become good enough to teach others. Corporate trainers make a lot of dough, especially those in tech fields.
I considered that some time ago, but I really not for it, I really tried working with IT, i just don't like it. I would combine the love with history with teaching, that, would make my day :P
*whine on*
My biggest problem is if I want to pursue something else/new I will probably need more schooling. Which means racking up more debt, and if I can't do it online I'll have to commute or move near the school to do it. Which means giving up a steady paycheck (not that my current job is great). The uncertainty of it is what gets me because like Gus said I might do it all and not get into the field/job I want.
*whine off*
Quote from: kommandant on July 17, 2012, 07:42:27 PM
Quote from: Gusington on July 17, 2012, 02:19:24 PM
^Funny you mention working with computers...I am moving into that area now. You could conceivably combine your love of teaching with technology and teach IT courses, but that would require you to work in the field for a time to become good enough to teach others. Corporate trainers make a lot of dough, especially those in tech fields.
I considered that some time ago, but I really not for it, I really tried working with IT, i just don't like it. I would combine the love with history with teaching, that, would make my day :P
There are a few companies which make educational games. Muzzy Lane comes to mind - why not combine the love of both?
For my MA I lucked out because I was a resident of New Jersey when I attended Rutgers. Also my job at the time covered 1/3 the cost. In the end I think I spent 3000.00 of my own money total on my MA.
Starting down the IT path my current employer has paid for the first two courses. You would be surprised at how many companies will pay for your education.
If/when I go back to school for a Masters of Public Health I plan on going a similar route.
Quote from: LongBlade on July 17, 2012, 08:20:32 PM
Quote from: kommandant on July 17, 2012, 07:42:27 PM
Quote from: Gusington on July 17, 2012, 02:19:24 PM
^Funny you mention working with computers...I am moving into that area now. You could conceivably combine your love of teaching with technology and teach IT courses, but that would require you to work in the field for a time to become good enough to teach others. Corporate trainers make a lot of dough, especially those in tech fields.
I considered that some time ago, but I really not for it, I really tried working with IT, i just don't like it. I would combine the love with history with teaching, that, would make my day :P
There are a few companies which make educational games. Muzzy Lane comes to mind - why not combine the love of both?
Nice, sadly muzy lane requires me to work on their office, in the US, I live in Brazil and don't have as much exp as requiered for them to pay for a transport of mine from here to the US :P
I applied there but most probably will not be called, if you know any gaming company that wants someone to work from home, let me know :D
I tried working for game companies in the past, it is a nice add, and backup plan for my life, I really going to try and become a teacher in the field of history, but working with game development would be very good before I get my life going only with teaching.
My last backup plan is the foreign legion, but that is another story :P
Before you go ahead and enroll in college for history - write three 15 page papers about topics of local interest.. Then try to submit them to history periodicals and see what the rejection letters say. Here in the US we have publish or perish in college graduate schools. If you can get your articles published in a printed journal, this is an indicator of success.. The process is very competitive, so you have to get used to peer review which can be brutal.
With the state of the US and European economies, you might be better off staying in South America.. Jobs can be scarce here right now for those who are native English speakers. Depending on your skill with the language of course.
QuoteMy last backup plan is the foreign legion, but that is another story
WTF!!?? Why??!!
I got my BA in history (focus on Victorian England) and geography (focus on disaster preparedness/relief) but, like others, never could get work in the history field. I did end up selling a few articles to Military History magazine but the acceptance:submission ratio was about 1:6. When I worked out my hourly rate, it was something along the lines of $1.50/hr.
If you're going to study it, do it for interest's sake and have a plan B that pays the bills.
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 18, 2012, 06:10:41 PM
I got my BA in history (focus on Victorian England) and geography (focus on disaster preparedness/relief) but, like others, never could get work in the history field. I did end up selling a few articles to Military History magazine but the acceptance:submission ratio was about 1:6. When I worked out my hourly rate, it was something along the lines of $1.50/hr.
If you're going to study it, do it for interest's sake and have a plan B that pays the bills.
That my problem figuring out what plan B is. :)
I hear that. Took me another 18 years of bopping around the globe before I came back, went to school yet again, and landed a decent paying job in the engineering field.
^You were published in Military History magazine? Which articles/issues? I had a subscription a long time ago.
Quote from: Centurion40 on July 18, 2012, 06:08:41 PM
QuoteMy last backup plan is the foreign legion, but that is another story
WTF!!?? Why??!!
the foreign legion is and will be my final opition, if I keep some money for a only to go flight to france. It is if every thing in my goes wrong, I loose job, family, lover, money, hope to remake a job and self respect, only then I would join the foreign legion :P
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on July 18, 2012, 06:10:41 PM
I got my BA in history (focus on Victorian England) and geography (focus on disaster preparedness/relief) but, like others, never could get work in the history field. I did end up selling a few articles to Military History magazine but the acceptance:submission ratio was about 1:6. When I worked out my hourly rate, it was something along the lines of $1.50/hr.
If you're going to study it, do it for interest's sake and have a plan B that pays the bills.
I know people with a good story working on the field. Publishing articles, as teacher in public schools, private schools and even college and working for companies, to create historical heritage buildings.
i always have a plan B, I can work with IT, or any thing else, but going for it is something I must do, or I will not live in peace with my self :D
Quote from: Gusington on July 19, 2012, 08:25:26 AM
^You were published in Military History magazine? Which articles/issues? I had a subscription a long time ago.
One on Rorke's Drift (got edited to shit). One on Spion Kop. One on Canucks in Ortona.
I definitely remember reading articles in MH on the Boer War 10-15 years ago. That was you??
Mine was 20 years ago. '92 or '93, I think.
That would make you a GeeznardTM candidate. You look younger on teh Intrwebz somehow...
42 sir!