Bachelor History Alumni Experiences

Study programme: International Bachelor History 
Graduation year: 2022
Job: Junior researcher at Huygens Institute 
 

Historical perspective 

I chose to study the International Bachelor History (IBHistory) at Erasmus University Rotterdam because of its international orientation and its focus on modern global history. Many of the subjects - such as colonialism, migration, trade, world religions - covered important global developments that helped me to understand current challenges from a historical perspective. The first year of the history programme is all about learning the basic knowledge, theories and skills, then in the next year you got to choose what you want to focus on. IBHistory offers students many opportunities to explore different interests throughout the programme, for example through elective courses.  

Archives and research: landing my first job

During my master’s I started working as a student assistant at Huygens Institute, where I could stay as a research assistant once I graduated. I am now working at the institute as a junior researcher on the GLOBABLISE project; a project building a digital infrastructure that facilitates access to the archive of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). Because the VOC operated in the 17th and 18th centuries, many terms, place names, or person names mentioned in the Company's documents are unfamiliar to us today. The project is therefore creating a thesaurus and various datasets where users can look up information about these entities. My job is conducting research to provide that information. For example, I probe through historical maps to locate a fort that had been destroyed, consult secondary works to define a court title in early modern Indonesia, or provide contextualisation for historical terms that are considered problematic.

Valuable skills

My tasks at Huygens Institute involve a lot of investigative historical research, so it is useful that I have been taught in the IBHistory programme how to navigate through historical materials such as the archive, how to review and synthesise information from secondary historiography, and how to evaluate my sources critically. To me, the most valuable thing I have gained from the programme is the ability to recognise and critically discuss one's positionality, awareness of history's silent and marginalised voices, and an open, inclusive attitude toward different perspectives.

Be confident

My advice to history students who are starting their career soon is: don't be afraid to apply, even if you don't meet every single requirement on the job description. Focus on what you can do that matches the employer's needs, and be confident in your ability to learn along the way.

Dive into the past

I chose to study history because of my interest in the past. Initially, I wanted to become a history teacher, but I found out that some of the aspects of being a teacher did not suit me. That’s when I decided to study the Bachelor History at Erasmus University Rotterdam instead. My passion for diving into the past and choosing cultural history as my focus area eventually led me to what I am most interested in: the question why people do/make/say what they do.

In search of a job

After completing my bachelor programme, I decided to first strengthen and expand my skills by pursuing a master programme in Digital Culture Studies at Tilburg University. Then I started looking for a job, which I found exciting at first as I did not yet have that much work experience. Luckily, through LinkedIn I soon found my current job at the Dutch Inspectorate of Education. 

Variation

As an analyst at the Dutch Inspectorate of Education, I am responsible for drawing an initial picture of a school/board that is about to be visited. I do so based on documents sent by the school and data known about the school. I then share this with the inspectors before they visit the school. What makes this job interesting? Above all, the variety that comes with the position! Each school is different and so are the documents submitted by the school, such as annual reports, school guides or school plans. 

Analysing is a skill that recurs (almost) every day in my work. Whether it is qualitative analysis or quantitative analysis; it is the combination that I learnt to make during my undergraduate studies, as well as how to do it in an orderly way, which now benefits me greatly in daily practice.  

Advice

My advice for the job hunt is to just go for it! Don't think “they won't hire me anyway”, but try anyway. Every email, every interview is a learning moment and a step closer to finding your dream job.

Why studying History at EUR

The History Bachelor at Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) has an international character, which really appealed to me. I was also enthusiastic about the small-scale education the study offers. Almost every professor knows you by name and you also get to know your fellow students on a personal level.

During the courses, you study the past thematically with a view from the present. The topics studied are also incredibly relevant nowadays (think about social inequality, migration, identity, international relations, etc.). By choosing the Cultural History "track" and electives in the second year that really suited me, I knew I could distinguish myself from other students.

It was therefore no surprise that after my bachelor’s in history, I continued my masters at Erasmus University Rotterdam.  I chose the master Global History and International Relations, because - like in my bachelor programme - I could put together a large part of the programme myself by choosing electives, undertaking an internship and through a wide range of master's thesis classes.

Working in the education sector

During my studies, I discovered that I have a great interest in (history) education. This interest mainly developed while I was a mentor and ambassador and took the Education Minor. During my gap year between the bachelor and master programme, I also taught first-year history students. Finally, I decided to do my master's research on students' interests regarding history in primary education in a super-diverse city like Rotterdam.

So, it was clear that I wanted to be involved in education, even after my studies. Now I work at the Nationaal Regieorgaan Onderwijsonderzoek (NRO) as program/policy officer, and together with my colleagues I make sure that researchers have the opportunity to do even more important research on education. 

My advice to current (history) students

There are plenty of extracurricular activities offered in addition to the programme. Even though these activities can feel overwhelming or exciting, I would definitely recommend every student to take these opportunities. Especially because it can offer you a lot in terms of personal development. And most importantly, enjoy the study and studying itself; time flies when you are having fun!

Concepts and ideas

“One of the main reasons why I decided to study History at Erasmus University Rotterdam were the classes. I loved the fact that the study itself was very transversal. We focused on modern history, on politics, culture, economics… Rather than having to memorise numbers and names, the programme focused on concepts and ideas. I felt that this made the study very interesting. Another aspect that drew me to Erasmus was the internship that we could do as part of our studies. As a non-EU student, opportunities to work and gain experience are scarce, so being able to use the skills I learned as a history student (research, writing, critical thinking) and apply them in a real-world example was invaluable.

I did my internship at EUROCLIO, a small non-profit organisation that focuses on history education as a tool for conflict prevention. I provided support with project management, report writing, event organisation, outreach, and communication. I wouldn’t have been able to do the internship without my study programme.”

Finding out my future career path

“Alongside the internship, I did a lot of volunteer work at my university. My first year, I joined Erasmus Debating Society. I was not only involved in debating but was also involved behind the scenes. I had the opportunity to organise tournaments and as secretary of the society, I focused on internal communication and liaising between our society and stakeholders. This volunteer work complemented well with studying history, as the skills you learn as a history student can be applied to debating, and vice versa: my writing and critical thinking abilities improved greatly! It was through the volunteer work and the internship that I realised I would like to work in project management and communication. The internship led to a job in Belgrade, working for a small non-profit as a communication coordinator, after which I applied for my current position as project and strategy assistant at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

In my role as project and strategy assistant, I support the change management and internal communication activities of the team in Geneva, while providing trainings on the use of information management tools and procedures.”

Have fun

“Take the time to be a part of study groups or societies. Studying is important but remember that your time at university is short. Your faculty association is a great place to network, to meet people, but also to have fun.”