It's easy to see how learning something like IT at school can help you when you start looking for a job. With a subject like history, it may be harder for you to identify a clear career path. Sometimes students are even encouraged to drop history in favour of something more ‘practical'.

In fact, history is very practical, because it involves:

• Learning about people - how they interact, the motives and emotions that can tear people apart into rival factions or help them to work together for a common cause (useful knowledge for team-building at work!)
• Learning about countries, societies and cultures - so many of today's conflicts and alliances have their roots in the past; how can you negotiate with, trade successfully with, or report on a country if you know nothing of its history?
• Learning to locate and sift facts - to identify truth and recognise myth, propaganda and downright lies (useful in every aspect of life!)
• Presenting what you've learned in a way that makes sense to others - whether in graphs, essays or illustrated reports - and having the confidence to defend your findings.

All these skills are valuable in a whole range of jobs. So instead of only looking at ‘careers in history' you could also look at careers where it will help a lot if you've studied history.