Undergraduate and graduate students in history can improve their job prospects with meaningful internships. The best history internship for your career depends in part on your area of academic concentration. You might consider how skills in academic publishing or public history internships would translate to future jobs. In the alternative, choosing a history internship in library sciences or in teaching may be made on the reputation of the institution as well as the flexibility of the position. In general, the history internship that you choose should foster skills and employment prospects beyond graduation day.
You can break into a career in historical writing and publishing with a university press internship. It is usually best to intern with a reputable or prominent publisher. The best publishers of historical texts work with leading historians to create innovative books and reference materials. These experiences range from researching images and illustrations to fact-checking a historian’s manuscript. You can locate historical publishing internships by speaking with prolific writers in your history department.
The field of public history can be a common career gateway for history students. Public history covers the gamut of non-academic professional opportunities from museums to public parks. The best public history internships may or may not necessarily be hosted by organizations with big names. Your history professors can identify local museums and non-profit organizations that fall within your areas of interest. You can also research the best public history internships by looking at local, regional, and national history websites.
Your interests in library sciences and archival work could lead you to a variety of history internships. The primary factor in choosing this kind of history internship is the collections maintained by a library. A library with an extensive collection of local and regional materials provides myriad learning opportunities. Another factor in finding the best history internship is the educational programs offered by the library. A library with public education programs open up opportunities for interns to put archival materials into action.
The best teaching internships for history students range from summer teaching opportunities to teaching assistant appointments. The prestige of the employing history department could turn your teaching internship into a strong entry on your resume. Check with the history professors in your own college about the teaching internships that might be available there or in other institutions. The best historical teaching internships usually allow some flexibility in the curriculum as well as your instructional methods.
