Let me start by telling you that many people you see behind the check-out desk at the library are not “librarians,” as in they have not completed a master’s degree in library science. You didn’t know librarians had master’s degrees, either? Next I’m going to tell you that librarians don’t read all day long. That’s not true, either?!

Tired of the misconceptions and, of course, the “quiet voices” and “bun-wearing” jokes, I decided to seek out a venue to educate people on the dynamic careers of librarians. It turns out that there are several print and online magazines that accept career profiles and/or profiles of individuals in distinct careers. Most are written for high school and college students or adults going back to school or changing careers.

My husband is a software engineer, my neighbor is a pediatric nurse, and my sister-in-law is a watercolor artist. Reflect upon the work experiences you have had (we all know many writers did not start out as writers) and all the people you know with interesting or unique jobs. All of these people are potential sources for career profiles.

When writing career profiles, think about the readers who may have no background information but who may be interested in that type of profession. They will curious about the education and skills needed, potential income ranges, what a typical day is like, interesting aspects of the job, and future growth and development opportunities within this career track. Most of us have stereotypes about certain jobs. Think about how you can make this job a potential career for students and adults who are considering or reconsidering their professional future.

Paying Markets for Career Profiles

CareerFOCUS
Guidelines: https://www.careerfocusmagazine.com/contribute_focus.php
Payment: $0.30-$0.50 / word

College PreView
DirectAIM
First Opportunity
Guidelines: https://www.careerfocusmagazine.com/contribute_directaim.php (same guidelines for all three magazines)
Payment: $0.30-$0.50 / word

CollegeBound Teen Magazine
Website: https://www.collegeboundmag.com.
Market Listing: https://www.writersweekly.com/markets/collegeboundmagazine.html
Pays: $100 – $125 for features of 800 – 1200 words; $50 – $75 for shorter
departmental pieces; depending on length and research required.

Equal Opportunity
Woman Engineer
Minority Engineer
CAREERS & the disABLED
Hispanic Career World
African-American Career World
Workforce Diversity for Engineering & IT Professionals
Website: https://www.eop.com (same website for all seven magazines)
Market Listing: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=5475
Pays: $0.10/word

Fabjob.com
Guidelines: https://www.fabjob.com/writers.html
Pays for articles and books.

Currently on hiatus as a librarian, Angela Leeper is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and author of Juneteenth: A Day to Celebrate Freedom from Slavery, among other children’s books.