Since graduating I have been wanting to do a post about the benefits of internships. When I was in school I heard multiple times from instructors that I should pursue an internship opportunity. I did not follow their sage advise, there was always something else to do or some other responsibility. After graduating with a bachelors in history and not
investing the time to seek out an internship I would like to encourage all
history students out there to get an internship. As the philosopher George Santayana said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Alright, that may a trite quote for a history blog however I would like others to learn from my mistake. I didn’t pay much attention to
my short coming till after I graduated and by then it was too late. Searching for a job definitely made me realize
the necessity for history students to get internships or at least volunteer. It
was volunteering at the National Civil War Chaplain’s Museum that helped me
land a job at The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. Museums often have
limited funds to hire employees, so they use volunteers and when a position
does open up they typically hire from within a pool of candidates that they are
familiar with i.e. those volunteers or those interns. Needless to say I was very blessed to receive a job in my field with the experience of an internship. Internships, even unpaid
internships, are doorways into jobs.
This is especially true for workers in the history field.
I am also happy to announce my acceptance into the
Public History program at James Madison University. I am trying to prepare myself for a very busy
year ahead of me. I will be taking three
classes (full time) participating in a teacher’s assistantship and continuing
to work at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library on the weekends. I am hoping a master’s in Public History will
make me more desirable to employers in my field. Here we go again!
