10 Careers That Are Perfect For Your Inner Belle

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Belle reading

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Kelly Poulson
Kelly Poulson51
Coach. Career Navigator. Ass Kicker. Dog mom.
Updated: 12/15/2017
Raise your hand if you like to read!
This one’s for you literature lovers out there, the ones who are trying to find a career that allows you to use those skills on the regular. Whether you majored in English lit or simply grew up constantly using your library card, you’ve got options. Let’s take a look at 10 career paths for literature lovers:
1. Professor
Teaching others is a form of storytelling. You could be teaching about a plethora of topics and realms. Not only is there the evident option of being a literature professor and talking all day long about your passions, but you could also use your love of storytelling, reading and research to gain knowledge to teach on tons of different topics. There are schools everywhere, including online, so keep your options open.
2. Editor
Editors read. A lot. Books, magazines and online publishers are all in need of editorial services to improve the work of others. If you dig reading, proofing and editing, this could be an excellent option for you. As a bonus, a lot of folks in this space can work virtually, which can potentially lead to flexible work options. 
3. Blogger
Typically, bloggers have an area of specialty. In order to become that specialist, you’ll need to live and breathe a certain subject through experience and research. The best kind of research? You guessed it. Reading books, among other things, are a great way to gain that information. If you don't want to blog for income or as a full-time job, you can utilize your writing skills as a side hustle.
4. Librarian
Is your dream to actually be physically surrounded by books? How about helping introduce people to new authors, concepts and genres? Librarians get to do this daily for people of all ages. Sharing your love of reading with other people in this way sounds pretty awesome.  
5. Novelist
If you’ve spent your life loving the stories of others, why not create your own? When seeking out inspiration for your own stories, you get to immerse yourself in the world of other authors. This path takes resilience and believing in your work, but in today’s day and age, you've got options. It's okay if you're unable to land an agent at the start; remember, Harry Potter was rejected 12 times
6. Publisher
Working in publishing allows you to be a part of the process of how books come to life and are printed. You could have the chance to edit, scope out manuscripts, talk marketing or even design book covers.
7. Literary Agent
This person acts as the liaison between authors and publishers. They give writers representation and work to negotiate the best possible deals. Most publishing companies won’t accept submissions from someone who doesn’t have agency representation.
8. Copywriter
That’s right, the ad world loves those who dig reading! As a copywriter, you’ll do your best to immerse yourself in the world of a client and use your way with words to tell a story that achieves their business goals. Potentially, you could create long form pieces, short form pieces or even commercial scripts.
Have you always been curious about the law? Believe it or not, research and reading are a huge part of being a lawyer. Contracts, cases, records, etc. — you name it, and you might have to delve in to learn more to see your case succeed.
10. Book Reviewer
You’re devouring books all the time anyway, why not write critiques? You’ll talk about things like character development, plot, setting, tone and meaning, among others. You’ll get access to books to read before anyone else does and you get to evaluate them to share with the world.
There are very few careers out there that wouldn’t be enhanced by avid reading, even if they don't seem obvious right now. Put what you already love doing to good use and chase down the right opportunity for you. Life is too short to spend it working a job you don’t dig.
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Kelly is a human resources pro and coach who helps people find and achieve what they want career-wise and beyond. Coaching, training, recruiting – if you name it in the world of HR, she's done it in a variety of industries. Her advice has been featured on The Muse, Career Contessa, Levo, Workology, among others. Learn more by scoping her out at www.kellypoulson.com.

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