As Communicators Today, as the means of communication multiply, the opportunities for the involvement of historians in communicating interpretations of the past also multiply. Historians do a great deal of writing, but for some, writing is the primary responsibility. The training a history major receives during the undergraduate program should be good preparation for most of these tasks.
Historians can become editors rather than writers.
Editors work for scholarly publishers, historical societies, journals, magazines, and trade publishers. Editors must have very strong verbal and organizational skills, be able to pay attention to detail, and must be able to deal tactfully and persuasively with authors. Entry-level jobs are open to college graduates without special training in publishing, but those with coursework in editing and publishing are more likely to be hired. Those who wish to edit elementary or secondary school textbooks generally need to have had some experience teaching at the relevant level. Research skills gained through training in history also provide a useful background for print, broadcast, or Internet journalism.