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Historian skills for your resume and career

Q: What hard/technical skills are most important for Historians?

Reading and effective communication are the most important skills of the historian, and many historians must learn to read, write, and/or speak in more than one language. Historians work with primary sources and have to become skilled in finding and interpreting these documents and materials. One's content knowledge and expertise will lend themselves to particular jobs and experiences over others. For example, academic jobs typically provide one or more areas of specialization expected of applicants. Digital skills have become increasingly important to the field, and the ability to code, develop multimedia and websites and other technology-based skills may expand one's opportunities.

Q: What skills stand out on Historian resumes?

While popular perceptions of historians may involve ideas of historians sitting in dusty archives, leafing through pages in ancient manuscripts, or professing from a lectern, historians work in a diverse array of professional contexts from education and training to government and corporations. Advanced study in the discipline of history develops skills valuable in many professions. According to the American Historical Association's Disciplinary Core, studying the past fosters, among other skills, the ability to gather, filter, contextualize, synthesize, and interpret complex and conflicting material, appreciate ambiguity, and communicate, make arguments, and tell stories. Job candidates should customize their resumes/curricula vitae and seek out opportunities, credentials, and training based on their specific goals and interests. Some jobs may involve a preference for specific content areas, while others may prefer experience working with particular groups or populations. A historian position at the Department of Defense may privilege knowledge of military history or military experience, while a teaching position in a small academic department may put a value on having the ability to teach a breadth of courses or experience with underprepared students.

Q: What skills will help Historians earn the most?

There really is not a way to align a specific set of skills with earning potential in this field. Earnings are largely going to be determined by the kind of employer, experience, and credentials. A historian working in a corporate environment or a law firm is likely going to earn more than an instructor at a small college or high school, for example.

Q: What soft skills should all Historians possess?

Again, context matters. The experiences of the historian at a Fortune 500 corporation and one working as a curator at a rural museum or historic site are going to be vastly different. Historians who might engage in research work at a government agency or as a scholar at an institution of higher learning need to be prepared to organize and manage their work and time with limited direct oversight. Historical research can be a lonely business, so one must be comfortable and prepared to spend extended time alone with research materials and inside her or his own brain. On the other hand, teaching and training, public history, and other public- or community-facing work require interpersonal skills, empathy, and the ability to engage with different kinds of people.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Meredith Clausen,

Meredith Clausen

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical historian skills. We ranked the top skills for historians based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.9% of historian resumes contained cultural resources as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a historian needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 historian skills for your resume and career

1. Cultural Resources

Cultural resources are historic or prehistoric indicators or remains of previous human activities, including artefacts, landscapes, sites, structures, and objects of importance to a culture or community. This value can be regarding its scientific, archaeological, architectural, spiritual traditional, religious, historic, and human development.

Here's how historians use cultural resources:

Conducted mitigation procedures between residents of proposed cultural resources and municipal, state, and federal agencies.
Supported cultural resources staff and engineering districts in identifying cultural resources in proposed project locations.

2. Historical Research

Here's how historians use historical research:

Performed and managed historical research, writing, and collection and preservation of historical materials.
Compiled digital annual military histories and other digital media - provided historical research/reference service.

3. Historic Resources

Here's how historians use historic resources:

Supported Cincinnati waterfront development project by conducting research on historic resources and development of waterfront.
Researched and evaluated historic resources within highway project areas.

4. Oral History Interviews

Here's how historians use oral history interviews:

Contributed to the historical record by conducting and publishing oral history interviews with distinguished members and aerospace pioneers.
Prepare manuscripts and articles based on oral history interviews and research material for publications.

5. Historic Properties

Here's how historians use historic properties:

Identified and evaluated historic properties and made determinations of effect on historic properties.
Created evaluation criteria for an NPS-wide initiative to improve documentation of historic properties.

6. Archival Research

Archival research refers to the process of locating and studying old records for personal interest, evidence for a case, or any other purpose. It gives us factual data which can confirm or aid our enquiries. The findings can be highly influential in researching science, religion, history, law and more.

Here's how historians use archival research:

Conducted archival research and research interviews.
Research and Writing: I conducted deed research, archival research, and personal interviews, and wrote multiple historical reports.

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7. Historic Places

Here's how historians use historic places:

Analyzed said resources for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.
Analyzed survey results in order to determine potential eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Select Skills To Add To Your Resume

Cultural Resources

Historical Research

Historic Resources

Oral History Interviews

Historic Properties

Archival Research

8. Alumni Events

Here's how historians use alumni events:

Organized and executed alumni events throughout the year to gain awareness from past members of the chapter.
Maintained contact with alumni and helped plan alumni events with the active chapter.

9. Facebook

Here's how historians use facebook:

Recorded cultural events such as karaoke night and Harvest Moon Festival through pictures and video that was shared on Facebook group
Documented official choir activities; maintained HRCM social network presence, including Twitter / Facebook

10. Adobe Photoshop

Here's how historians use adobe photoshop:

Document events, create weekly newsletter on Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Publisher, and update social networks with photos.
Created property maps with Adobe Photoshop and completed data entry.

11. Historic Sites

Here's how historians use historic sites:

Archived and preserved materials and artifacts in museums, visitor centers, and historic sites.
Managed daily operations of Park historic sites and Visitors Centers.

12. Instagram

Here's how historians use instagram:

Created Twitter page, keep Instagram page updated, created sorority website, take photos at social events.
Promoted the organization's meetings, events, and news through Twitter and Instagram.

13. PowerPoint

Here's how historians use powerpoint:

Completed PowerPoint documents focused on historic preservation topics.
Updated chapter through weekly PowerPoint presentations to over 180 members by tracking activities and service project collaboration.

14. Biographies

Here's how historians use biographies:

Created profiles and biographies of the life and locations of soldiers.
Create annual report and biographies for SIFE Regional Competition

15. Executive Board

Here's how historians use executive board:

Delegated responsibilities to Executive Board and chair member positions.
Attended biweekly student government and executive board meetings.

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What skills help Historians find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on Historian resumes?

Meredith Clausen

Professor, University of Washington

Knowledge of architectural history (at least a general introduction to global archer and at least one if not more upper-division courses); language skills (at least one if not more foreign languages)

What soft skills should all Historians possess?

Meredith Clausen

Professor, University of Washington

Personality traits such as cordiality (ability to get along with others) and tenaciousness (got to be able to stick to a problem even when the going gets tough)

What hard/technical skills are most important for Historians?

Meredith Clausen

Professor, University of Washington

Digital savvy, to be sure; photography; beyond that, those skills cited in #1.

What Historian skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Gregory Downs Ph.D.

Professor, Department of History, University of California, Davis

It depends a lot on the answer to the question above: What do they want to do? It would be great to try to network with institutions or companies in their area of interest and to pursue opportunities to train in those areas. But the answer is likely specific to their field of interest.

What type of skills will young Historians need?

David Bennett

Assistant Professor, University of North Florida

Historians are uniquely poised for finding employment in our current environment because our field applications are quite broad. The study of history provides a solid foundation of knowledge and skills applicable within many areas. Historians’ research skills can help them find positions within the legal, medical, and education fields. I’ve even seen graduates apply their knowledge of rhetoric to careers in tourism and sales. A recent survey of history graduates from the University of North Florida, where I teach, showed our alumni employed as “museum professionals, college professors, school teachers, park rangers, consultants, business professionals, and nonprofit professionals, among other things.” This kind of flexibility is particularly useful during an era like our own when the nature of American employment is shifting foundationally.

Do you want to know more?

List of historian skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a historian resume and required skills for a historian to have include:

Cultural Resources
Historical Research
Historic Resources
Oral History Interviews
Historic Properties
Archival Research
Historic Places
Alumni Events
Facebook
Adobe Photoshop
Historic Sites
Instagram

PowerPoint
Biographies
Executive Board
Historical Data
Historic Structures
Twitter
Social Events
HMI
Chapter Events
Historic Buildings
Event Planning
Meeting Minutes

Architectural Surveys
Historical Events
Student Government
Clips
Scholarship
Philanthropic Events
Student Body
Documentaries
Community Events
Kappa
Club Events

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Historian skills FAQs

What hard/technical skills are most important for Historians?

What skills stand out on Historian resumes?

What skills will help Historians earn the most?

What soft skills should all Historians possess?

Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.

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