Consulting and Contracting History

I like the fact that these articles give a historian a better idea of what to look forward to after education. The fact that you can do consulting work in a field that you are looking at getting a job in is a good alternative that I never initially thought about prior to the readings. It seems that when searching for jobs on USAA.jobs website that Park Ranger or interpreter comes up frequently, which I knew it would, I have two friends I know who went that route do to military retirement and veterans preference. They love their job for the National Park Service. These articles also left me thinking what career or position I want after school? I thought Archival work or eve Park Ranger but know I don’t really know? I am happy I have more options then I initially thought.

I think that Historians can gain a lot of experience by doing consulting and contracting work. The experience gained can help a historian’s CV and get them more of a network to where when the time comes to apply for a job they have lots of letters of recommendation to help get that job. All the history that is in the South getting a consulting job, whether long term or short term, is very doable from what I saw in Charleston during their major festival times. “Each client brings new questions and opportunities to explore different subjects and resources. While some assignments may be short term, such as preparing a short history for an organization’s or town’s centennial celebration, others may involve extensive research and travel, and perhaps even testifying as an expert witness.”[1]  This would open numerous doors in the History career field and get their feet wet in something they wanted to do as permeant work.

The “Crafting the New Historian” article showed that you can somehow find a different route into the history field then you initially thought while in school. I thought that there were only certain jobs in History and you had to certain things in education and internships just to get them. This article showed alternative ways to get involved and network in the field by using skills not normally attributed to the study of history. “But when my temporary Archeological position ended and no permeant work materialized in the cultural heritage field, I fell back on what I knew. I had taught myself to sew historical costumes as a hobby over the past decade, and soon I was taking orders for clothing from museums, historical interpreters, and living historians (re-enactors).”[2] This ended up helping the author to pursue their doctorate and still do the costume business as well.

The USAA Jobs website was helpful in that they have changed it since I last looked at it for the better. For a disabled vet with a 30% or higher disability rating it helps me fill out the paperwork for veteran’s preference job that they did not have on it before. This helps because I get a higher payed position with less a hassle in less time on the job.  The site is also easier to navigate finding an archival and historian positons was way easier than a couple of years ago, for a person who is willing to relocate there are quite a bit of options out there for both fields.

[1] Phillip I. Cantelon, and Christopher S. Clark. “Historians as Consultants and Contractors.” American Historical Association.

[2] Tyler Rudd Putnam. “Crafting a New Historian.” The Chronical of Higher Education.