April 08, 2009
Becoming A Historian: A Canadian Manual
By Elisabeth Grant
In 2003, the AHA published Becoming a Historian: A Survival Manual, which presents practical information and advice for those at every stage of work in the history profession. It covers everything from how to apply for grad school, to navigating one’s graduate studies after getting in, to beginning the job search, to successfully interviewing, to transitioning into a faculty position, to getting published, and more.
The 2003 manual is the third incarnation of this book, following the first edition, a Manual for Women (and Other) Historians in 1975, and Becoming a Historian: A Manual for Women and Men in 1991.
A Canadian Manual
In 1999 the manual was adapted into a Canadian version through a partnership with the Canadian Historical Association. Recently, “in response to the changes in graduate student funding, the job market, scholarly publishing, and other academic practices across North America since 1999,” the Canadian manual has been revised and updated.
The complete contents of Becoming a Historian: A Canadian Manual (in both English and French) are now available online and can be downloaded as PDFs. Chapters in the manual include:
An Introduction
Graduate School
- Graduate School: The Basics
- Applying to Graduate School
- Funding Graduate Study
- Life as a Graduate Student
Conferences, publications, and fellowships
Employment
- Sessional Employment
- Post Academic Job Search
- The Academic Job Search
- Becoming a Public Historian
- Life As a Junior Professor
The web site also includes bonus supplemental information that links to more resources and samples:
- The Peer Review Process
- Sample Grant Applications
- Sample CVs and Cover Letters
- Interview Questions
- Further Reading
While this manual is mainly centered on history education and the history profession in Canada, it does also take into account the history job market in the U.S. and internationally. So check it out online, and consider the current AHA version as well.
