History is the study of past civilizations and problems used to promote insight and understanding of the problems of today, preserve our great cultural heritage, and enrich our appreciation of man and his world. History broadens our perspective and allows us to discover the essential elements of human existence. As such, history prepares students for careers in government service, law, teaching, business, advertising, historical editing, and related areas.

GOVERNMENT

The skills of the history major are in demand in many government positions. The Smithsonian Institution, the National Archives, state archives, museums and historical societies, and other government-managed cultural institutions employ historians, archivists, curators, and individuals with training in historic preservation. Job titles include:

Archivists: Archivists, like librarians, deal primarily with written or printed material, but copies of the items they store are either unique or few in number. They determine what portion of the vast amount of information produced by government gencies, corporations, educational institutions, and other organizations should be kept and what discarded. They also determine whether to keep the original document or to transfer it to another medium, such as microfilm, microfiche, or magnetic tape. They may modify existing classification systems to facilitate the retrieval of material. Archivists may serve as advisors or conduct research for their employers, scholars, scientists, journalists, and others. Managing a collection may require expertise in a specific discipline.

Museum Technicians & Specialists: Perform two primary functions: management of the specimen collections and research assistance for the professional staff. Most, however, are employed in collection management activities involving a wide range oftasks including receiving, documenting, and cataloging specimens; identifying, labeling, preserving, storing, cleaning and restoring; and arranging loans, gifts, and trades of specimens with other museums. Those who engage in research assistant duties perform a variety of tasks which include conducting experiments to provide basic data for identifying and preparing specimens for closer examination by the supervisor and researching literature and documents related to a particular subject.

The Federal Government also provides other unique career opportunities that should be of special interest to the history major. These include:

Park Rangers (U.S. Dept. of the Interior):

The United States was the first country in the world to set aside land for national parks. The practice of preserving large tracts of wilderness and historical sites, such as battlegrounds of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, was the start of the National Park Service. This Bureau is in charge of more than 76 million acres of land, which includes more than 330 parks. Park Rangers help protect the parklands and wildlife, and see that visitors enjoy the parks. They enforce the laws and oversee the use and care of the lands in their charge. Rangers at historical sites are well-informed on these places. To help visitors become aware of the importance of a park or region, they relate the national significance of the place or describe events that occurred there. Park Rangers must have skills in forest, park, or wildlife protection, interpretation, history, park recreation, law enforcement, and management work.

Foreign Service Officers (Department of State):

Foreign Service Officers staff over 300 U.S. Diplomatic and consular offices around the world, and serve in Washington, D.C. as well. They are assigned duties in the economic, business, political, and cultural areas, and serve as consular officers and in administrative positions. Overseas, they have extensive contact with foreigners, interpreting U.S. foreign policy, protecting the interests of Americans abroad, processing visas, and carrying on intelligence work. Obviously, only U.S. citizens are eligible. You must first take the Foreign Service Exam offered the first Saturday of each December. A broad knowledge of domestic and foreign affairs, with an emphasis on American history, government and culture, is required.

Intelligence Analyst/Agent (Central Intelligence Agency - CIA), (Defense Intelligence Agency - DIA)

The two  main sources of intelligence gathering for the U.S. Government are the CIA and DIA. The CIA reports directly to the President and the National Security Council, providing information on the world situation as it relates to national security. The DIA also investigates international matters, but is responsible for providing information directly to the Department of Defense. Although it serves the military, DIA analysts are non-military personnel. In many respects, both organizations analyze the same data, but the users of this information and their purposes in requesting it are different.

Peace Corps Volunteers

Over 5,000 volunteers serve in 58 countries throughout the world to help developing nations meet their needs for trained personnel, and promote mutual understanding between Americans and the people of those countries. All offer their skills as volunteers, making two-year commitments, and serve as guests of the host countries. Although the personal rewards should be your primary concern, Peace Corps experience can be a valuable asset if you plan a career in the international sector, whether that career is in the foreign service, the United Nations, or other international organizations, or in international business. It is equally valuable if you plan to teach, do research, or write about global affairs.

State and Local Governments

State and local governments also have personnel departments. The hiring process may be similar to that of the Federal government, but should be less complicated. Again, the first step is to find out where job information is available, and to whom applications must be addressed. Many state & local governments have residency requirements which could be an important consideration in your job search. We couldn't possibly begin to list the job titles, however, they can be found within the following types of services:

Administration & Legislation

Corrections & Court System

Education

Health & Human Services

Highway & Street Construction and Maintenance

Housing & Community Development

Library

Parks & Recreation

Police and Fire Protection

Social and Welfare Services

Transportation

The research, writing and analytical skills of a history graduate are particularly well-suited to the study and practice of law. Much of a lawyer's work entails reading documents, and then preparing a written presentation of the findings. Everyday lawyers, in our nation's civil and criminal courts, argue to protect the rights of society and of individuals, and address the fundamental questions of what is fair and just. The majority work in one of the following three areas: corporate practice, government service, or private practice.

PARALEGAL PROFESSION

A paralegal, also called a legal assistant or sometimes a legal technician, is someone who can do everything a lawyer can do, short of arguing a case in court, giving legal advice, accepting clients, setting or accepting legal fees or making legal decisions. They can do all the varied research necessary for the preparation of any legal proceeding, including drafting legal documents, researching points of law, and investigating the facts of a case. Some also deal directly with clients and assist the attorney in court, while others do all their work in the office. Employers include: law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies and public service agencies.

POLITICS

Politics in America is a big business and is one of the most accessible of all careers if you are willing to volunteer your services for a short time. Graduates entering the field must be interested in the political process per se, and not necessarily in the process of government. To break in, an internship is highly recommended. It can often serve as the stepping-stone to a paid position in a field where many entry-level employees are hired on a volunteer basis. Jobs are rarely advertised except by word of mouth. The areas of access into the political arena are: working on staff for a state or national legislator, governor or mayor, joining a campaign, or taking a job with a political party or with a public interest group.

Legislators at the National & State Level: The staff has two primary functions: Keeping the politician (your boss) informed of his or her constituents' views, and developing legislation or policy to reflect those views. Entry Level: Staff Assistant

Republican & Democratic National Committees: Maintain headquarters in Washington, D.C., as well as district offices in all major cities in the country and representatives in every county. The small permanent staffs in Washington, D.C. (approx. 50 at each headquarters) increases considerably during campaigns. Entry Level: Staff Assistant

Campaigning: Working on the campaign of a candidate for local, state or national office is the most exciting way to break into the political arena. The campaign committee is responsible for all the public relations activities that establish and maintain a candidate's image. It also develops policy, raises money, and, at election time, gets out the vote. Entry level: Volunteer, Fieldworker, & Staff Aide

Public Interest Advocacy Groups (Partisan & Non-Partisan: Among the most well-known are Common Cause, Ralph Nader's Citizen Lobby, the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education (COPE), Business and Industry's Political Action Committee

(BIPAC), the National Wildlife Federation, and the National Organization of Women (NOW). Their goal is to persuade incumbent politicians to vote in favor of or against particular policies. Staffs must carry out extensive research on current issues, assess strategy pro and con, and balance issue importance with the priorities of the administration and the legislature.

Entry Level: Research Assistant

Press Assistant

Assistant Field Representative

TEACHING

For the past 3 or 4 years, the Office of Career Planning and Placement has noticed a shortage in Secondary Education teachers, and while it is true that Certification is required to teach in New York State, once a school has exhausted every possible means to find a certified teacher, they are allowed to hire someone who is not certified.

As you can see from the jobs which were reported to us by SUNY Oswego History graduates, there were some graduates who accepted teaching positions in

the public scools of New York State. In addition, private schools often hire non-certified liberal arts graduates for teaching positions. Some of these private schools offer special first-year training programs for inexperienced teacher candidates which will assist them in obtaining certification.

ADVERTISING

The research department studies consumers' perceptions of products and advertising effectiveness. A Market-Research Analyst researches market conditions in local, regional or national areas to determine potential sales of product or service: Establishes research methodology and designs format for data gathering, such as surveys, opinion polls or questionnaires; examines and analyzes statistical data to forecast future marketing trends; gathers data on competitors and analyzes prices, sales & methods of marketing and distribution; collects data on customer preferences and buying habits.

BROADCASTING

By far the best opportunities for history majors in broadcasting exist in radio and television news departments. The news department is often the largest at a station, but job opportunities are often awarded first to those with a journalism background. However, here your background, and an understanding of the political, social and economic underpinnings of the news, may give you a competitive edge-

Entry Level: Desk Assistant

As an assistant, you will learn the daily routine of the newsroom, the style of its scripted copy, and the discipline to write under deadline. Once you reach the level of newswriter (usually within 1-2 years), you will write the actual copy, and you may edit other writers' stories. In radio, your next job will no doubt be reporting.

DEPARTMENT STORE RETAILING

Graduates of virtually any discipline may enter department store retailing. Prospective employers are looking for demonstrated capacity to learn and make quick, sound judgments, and are less interested in academic backgrounds. You must be flexible, comfortable with people, self-disciplined, and highly motivated. Most entry-level jobs are in merchandising -an area further divided into:

Store Management

Buying

Management - If you're a "people person", consider the store management side o merchandising. You'll be responsible for monitoring and motivating your sales staff, assisting in the selection of merchandise for your department, making decisions and solving problems.

Buying - A buyer decides which goods will be available in a store. Buyers authorize merchandise purchases from wholesalers, and set the retail prices. A sensitivity to changing trends, tastes, and styles, and an ability to understand and forecast the preference of your own store's customers is crucial. Buyers must also maintain standards of quality while keeping within certain ranges of affordability. During training, you'll work immediately as an assistant to an experienced buyer. The trainee progresses by observing, asking questions, and offering to take on appropriate responsibilities.

RESEARCH

Historian, Dramatic Arts: Conducts research to authenticate details, such as customs, costumes, manners of speech, architectural styles, modes of transportation, and other items peculiar to given historical period or specific locality, to avoid anachronisms and inaccuracies in presentation of stage or radio dramas or motion pictures. Reads written historical texts and documents and pictorial material in libraries and museums, consults experts or witnesses of historical events, and visits and observes peculiarities of areas to be used as locale of drama to procure information.

Genealogist: Conducts research into genealogical background of individual or family in order to establish descent from specific ancestor or to discover and identify forebears of individual or family.

WRITING

Historian: Prepares in narrative, brief, or outline form chronological account or record of past or current events dealing with some phase of human activity, either in terms of individuals, or social, ethnic, political, or geographic groupings; assembles historical data by consulting sources of information such as historical indexes and catalogs, archives, court records, diaries, news files, and miscellaneous published and unpublished materials. Organizes and evaluates data on basis of authenticity and relative significance.

Biographer: Specializes in reconstruction in narrative form of career or phase in life of individual, assembles biographical material from sources such as news accounts, diaries, personal papers and correspondence, written accounts of events in which subject participated, and consultation with associates and relatives of subject. Portrays character and behavior of subject on basis of historical environment and application of psychological analysis, relating subject's activities to pertinent events during subject's lifetime.