When a history degree leads to an unexpected career
By Susan Hickman
Victoria Hawkins had no idea what type of career she might land when she enrolled in Carleton’s history program in 2011, but realizes now that the skills she honed during her studies effectively prepared her for her current job.
Through a research assistantship with History Department Chair Dominique Marshall, a practicum placement at the Canadian Public Affairs Channel, a project for Prof. Bruce Elliott’s Canadian Urban History course and her thesis about Wonderbra, the 25-year-old history graduate developed an interest in archives.
“Some of my coursework necessitated visits to archival institutions,” recalls Hawkins, “like the Archives of Ontario, the City of Ottawa Archives, the McCord Museum and Library and Archives Canada (LAC). The close proximity to LAC was a luxury from a historian’s point of view. I loved the environment of these archives and thought I might like to be an archivist.”
She went on to study a Master of Information program at the University of Toronto, concentrating in archives and records management. After graduating, she landed a job with BlueDot, a company that analyzes data on infectious disease outbreaks around the world.
As a knowledge and information management specialist, Hawkins looks for management solutions for the organizational knowledge BlueDot creates. Her work relies on research skills, critical analysis and communication proficiency she polished at Carleton.
“I find myself using other skills I learned as a history student, such as the ability to detect and account for bias and a capacity for empathy. I have brought this empathy to my work to understand what motivates people who are . . . from different worlds than mine.”