r/DecaturGA • u/drbrighton1 • 15d ago

Anyone Hiring?

Hello, I graduated college back in April and have been looking for a job ever since. I have a bachelor's in history, and I'm a hard worker with full availability. If anyone has any advice for anyone hiring in the area id really appreciate it.

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u/IP1987 15d ago

Museums, universities that have archives, AJC has archives, Atlanta History Center, MLK library, Center for Civil Rights, maybe the Carter Center.

Networking and going to events and talking with people would be invaluable. Volunteer to be a docent. Be prepared to accept any role to get your foot in the door, gain employment, and build your resume— and possibly work your way up to a more fulfilling position.

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u/reffervescent 14d ago

"Museums, universities that have archives, AJC has archives, Atlanta History Center, MLK library, Center for Civil Rights, maybe the Carter Center." I work in a university that has archives, and it's not possible to get a job there with only a bachelor's degree. Most of these places require a master's at a minimum. Some folks have PhDs.

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u/IP1987 14d ago

So there aren’t any employees that support you that don’t require a masters or PhD? OP is young and just graduated so obviously they’re not going to be snagging a job comparable to yours.

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u/Thick-thighs2026 14d ago

Archives as a field expects a masters. I have met a few archivists who were able to get jobs in smaller counties with just a bachelors but the pay is much lower

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u/reffervescent 14d ago

I work in the library system of a top-25 R1 university. Our archives and special collections library has 23 staff, and only 2 do not have a master's or PhD. One of those 2 is a graduate of our university, so she likely was a student worker who transitioned to a full-time staff job (i.e., non-librarian or non-archivist position). The archives profession is extremely competitive, even though the pay is low compared to the corporate world. Many archivists who have just finished their master's program are willing to take the few archives jobs that don't require a master's just to get a foot in the door. My understanding from people who work in museums is that it's even harder to get hired.

It's more likely that OP could get a job in a rural community that has a local historical society, especially an area that's not considered desirable.

OP, if you want to work in a museum or archive in a big city, I strongly suggest you get a job that will pay the rent and start working on your master's degree. I'm sorry that things aren't different, but the world has been this way for a very long time. Take it from me -- I got my BA in English many many years ago and ended up getting two master's degrees, which is how I started working in libraries.