But I didn't need to become well-educated to end up working in a bookstore.
Also, from where I come from, that's a minimum wage sort of job.
Should I start thinking of a job, for various reasons, as a paycheck rather than something fulfilling-- i.e. like writing?
*UPDATE*
A more stable job, though I'm not entirely sure about the availability, would be that of a librarian as an end goal. It would not be too exciting, but it would be a consistent form of employment. However, in Canada, that would require a Master's Degree in Library Science at minimum to be considered.
Sat Nam! (Literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)
When Mr. Siri and I moved to Oregon, we both decided we'd just grab whatever jobs we could. Mr. Siri got a construction job, and yeah, after a really bad winter, he wanted out. So he tried a part-time, no benefits job at the library, shelving books. I had a job with benefits, so we could do that. Without a library degree, he ended up working his way to library assocate; he was running the audio-visual department when he retired and we moved to a different town. He was twice made Employee of the Month. Not by the library (although that happened too), but the whole citywide City of Salem. He was (and still is), like you, a voracious reader. He was (and still is), like you, hard working.
So you might want to see what career ladders are actually available in libraries in your part of Canada.
May whatever you choose go well!
Blessings,
Siri Kirpal
There is a difference between a 'librarian' with qualifications and all, and what most people see: 'the library person'. Sometimes called clerks, sometimes called associates, they are the backbone of the public library service.
I worked as a 'page' (lowest level of clerk - a book shelver, where I worked) when I was a teenager. I decided I wanted to be a librarian - I was getting a B.A., with the intention of transferring to a school that had a MLS. Then, as I observed various libraries, I noted that most 'librarian' sit at desks or in little offices, doing paperwork, waiting for someone to come and ask questions. I didn't really want to do that - I wanted to be out front, where the books and people came together.
I worked my way up to library clerk, running a little branch on my own some days. I loved that job.
But, I had to choose between school or the library, and, although I was no longer planning to be a librarian,
I chose school. Bad, sensible choice - I should have stuck it out. But, at the time, most clerical jobs were part-time, intended for the older married women that came with the library from it's volunteer origins. Not enough to tempt a single woman at the start of her career.
In the long run, I should have stuck with it.
Don't know where you are, but I'm in the Lower Mainland of B.C. - our libraries are unionized, the pay is good, the benefits are excellent. And, I haven't checked this officially, but most of the 'clerks' are women.
Most of the males are actual librarians. You might have a good shot as a clerk, purely from a diversity aspect.
It's chiefly a public service job, dealing with the patrons, checking the books in and out, shelving, etc. If your hands are moving, lots of time to think.
From a construction background, the work is light, and your background in English can be helpful. And, there is room for advancement and specialization. If nothing else, it's a put-it-down-and-go-home-work, you can probably write in the evenings.
IE Mr. Siri and the audio-visuals. Also technical jobs in processing new books.
And the wide world of books - you see pretty much every book in the library - see what's popular, etc.
Wherever you are, Google the local libraries, see what they ask for in qualifications, and what the pay is like.
