Thinking about the future, especially a career path, is scary and oftentimes anxiety inducing. This may be the case for someone who is not interested in the classic lawyer, doctor, or accountant route. If you are a lover of books then you are in luck, because there are many jobs for people who simply love words. You have all heard the phrase, “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”, so here are a few viable options for people who love reading and would like to channel their favourite hobby into a career.
Author
If you have a passion for writing as much as reading, get your creative juices flowing and delve into it. A specific degree is not needed to become an author, but of course a mastery of your chosen language would push your writing to the next level. The University of Pretoria has an internationally recognised humanities department, where you can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English, African Languages, Afrikaans and Ancient and Modern Languages.
Librarian
A librarian position is perfect for someone who would like to be surrounded by books all day, every day. However, it is not for the faint hearted and requires more than just organising books and telling people to keep quiet. Librarians are known as information professionals, and their job entails the management of library collections, administration, recommending titles and also often includes social aspects such as hosting book clubs. Librarians are essential parts of society, as they ensure that information is kept free and accessible to the public. The route to become a librarian is either through a Bachelor of Arts degree followed by a postgraduate Higher Diploma in Librarianship, or through a Bachelor of Information Science followed by a Masters degree in Information Technology specialising in Library and Information Science.
Editor
An editor’s job is to be the behind the scenes hero who essentially fixes the author’s mistakes and turns a raw piece of writing into a perfectly flowing, grammatically correct masterpiece. There is a range of editorial positions to choose from, from copy editor to content editor, depending on your area of expertise and interest. Editors also read through manuscripts and promote them to publishing houses, acting as a middleman between the author and the publishing house. The first step to becoming an editor would be to study a Bachelor of Arts degree in Languages or even Journalism, depending on the type of editor you would want to be. The University of Pretoria also offers a Postgraduate Short Course in Editing.
Archivist
This is the dream job for anyone who absolutely loves books and wants to preserve their magic. Archivists typically work in museums, libraries and universities. Their work extends beyond books and into film, photography and so much more. This career path would appeal to someone who loves the arts and especially the history behind it. In order to become an archivist, a Bachelor of Arts degree is required, and subjects such as Art History and Anthropology would be beneficial.
Translator
If you have a knack for languages and a love for books, there is no better job than being a translator. Besides the excitement of getting to read the book before anyone else, another added bonus of the job is being the reason that millions of people, separated by language, are able to share in their universal love of reading. A Bachelor of Arts degree in your chosen language is the way to get you started.
Audiobook Narrator
Some jobs just sound too good to be true. This is one of them. Imagine being paid to read books aloud, when you’re used to doing that for free! There isn’t a specific degree needed to become an audiobook narrator, although vocal coaching is encouraged. These are just a few of the many career paths available for book lovers. Not all of these industries are easy to break into, and require more than just a genuine love for books (sadly). However, if you couple your passion for books with hard work and grit, any one of these options is achievable. A great way to get your foot in the door is to gain some experience whilst studying, so consider interning at a publishing house or writing for the university newspaper. Apparently PDBY is a fantastic place to start…
