My Perfect Profession

I’m always so curious about what type of job people with hidradenitis suppurativa have. Hidradenitis is one of the most painful things I have ever had to deal with so I always wonder how HS Warriors are making a living while having to live with something that's so debilitating. I thought I’d talk about what I do and why it’s personally perfect for me and my HS.

I'm a librarian!

I am a public library librarian. No, I don’t shhhhh people and no, I don’t wear my hair in a bun. I don’t really like cardigans, but I do wear glasses. But I mean that’s been a thing since 4th grade so surely being a librarian has nothing to do with it.

Librarians do so much more than just read books all day and I absolutely love every single part of my job. I get to learn about new books, help people find books, talk and interact with people in the community, schedule and put on programs for patrons to attend, and I learn new things everyday. I personally also get to do graphic and web design as part of my job and I seriously love it.

Every job has its pros and cons so let me Rory Gilmore it for you and make a list of the best and worst parts of being a public library librarian with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Pros of being a librarian with HS

Reading

I don’t get to read books all day long, but I do get to read for a living. When patrons come in asking for help finding a book they might enjoy (aka readers advisory), I need to be knowledgeable on series, books, and authors. I absolutely love to read. Reading during my lunch break and coming home and reading at the end of the day is a relaxing and brings me joy. I get to read the books I want and I always have an excuse to read, now that it’s part of my job. Not to mention, it’s also a plus getting first dibs on brand new books when they come out.

Health benefits

Being a full-time librarian means I get full benefits and retirement. I have medical insurance and retirement through my job and I also get sick days, personal days, and all major holidays off (super critical things to someone with a chronic illness).

Hours

The hours really aren’t bad. Think about it - most libraries close by 9:00 pm, if not earlier. Most librarians have a 9:00 am-5:00 pm schedule and will maybe have to work 1 or 2 late nights until closing. A lot of librarians will also alternate their weekends so you’ll have off every other Saturday. And the best part, my job ends when I leave for the day. I don’t have to bring work home with me and work on anything when I’m not there. Not a bad or stressful schedule at all!

Research is part of the job

You get to learn new things and have access to different databases. That’s great for looking up ways to help your disease. Also, patrons may come in asking questions and you’ll get to learn the coolest facts, or someone might ask you to put a book on anti-inflammatory foods on hold and you’ll get to flip through it first. Librarians are life-long learners.

Online degree

I got my degree completely online. It’s the same type of degree as if I actually attend school in-person, but it was entirely online and allowed me to complete assignments and do the work more at my own pace (Keep in mind, I was in this program during my HS surgeries). St. John’s University has a completely online program for those interested!

Cons of being a librarian with HS

Sitting and walking

I’m sitting down a lot of the day. And if I’m not sitting down, that means I’m walking around the library either finding books or helping patrons. That can be problematic when my groin is flaring or it might be painful if I have to grab a book off the shelf with an armpit flare, but hey, those are what the sick and personal days are for, right?

It's not stressful, except when it is

Really, I don’t consider my job stressful. I truly love it. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t stressful moments sometimes. Like you might have to deal with a difficult patron or co-worker, or maybe your scheduled programmer doesn’t show up, or an important book or dvd is missing, or maybe the copy machine ate a patron’s important document. Stressful moments can arise and when they do, boy do they suck. But every job has stressful times, right?

Master’s degree

Unfortunately, you usually need a Master’s degree to be a certified librarian, which can get expensive and student loans are the worst. You end up making decent money as a librarian and can make more as you go up the civil service ladder, but you can’t deny university is expensive and a big decision.

Honestly, those are the only cons I can think of. I’m wracking my brain, but I really can’t think of anything else that is not so great. I mean my library doesn’t even really have a dress code so I wear Converse, shark print leggings, and Harry Potter and Captain Underpants t-shirts. I must say it’s pretty comfy for when I’m flaring. But yeah, I love being a librarian. I think it’s personally a good profession for my HS and I really love what I do.

Comment down below what you do for a living!