A career development programme organised by 400 Level Library and Information Science students, University of Benin, for University of Benin students

1. Leveraging
Libraries for Career
Development
A talk given by
David Ofili
At a Career Development Programme for University of Benin Students
Date: October 4, 2019 | Venue: Prof. Nwadiani Hall, Faculty of Education, University of Benin

2. Career:
An occupation undertaken for a
significant period of a person's life and
with opportunities for progress.
www.oxforddictionaries.com

3. Development:
Act of improving by expanding,
enlarging or refining
WordWeb Dictionary

4. It's not every day that you find a job that
can make a world of difference in
people's lives. The right career can
provide years of enjoyment, challenge
and personal enrichment.
American Library Association: Library Careers

5. 5-Step Career Development Model

6. Step 1:
Assessment
Get to know yourself -
Begin to identify your
values, interests, skills,
personal traits and
career satisfiers in
order to identify the
ingredients of a good
career "fit"
Take self and personality assessments
Meet with a career coach for help with
assessments and early planning
Begin to identify career fields and/or
academic programs that fit your interests
and abilities
Create a draft resume and have a career
coach review it
Complete your Handshake profile

7. Step 2:
Exploration
Explore and research
career possibilities -
Learn the connections
between academic
programs, experiential
learning, previous
professional
experiences, and
careers
Gather information on different fields, industries
and companies
Decide on a major and learn what career paths a
major can offer
Conduct informational interviews with people in
fields that interest you
Explore opportunities to gain relevant work
experience, such as internships, summer jobs,
or volunteer work
Conduct career research and gather information
from valuable resources (library and online)
Attend career and networking events

8. Step 3:
Exploration
Develop your resume and
cover letter writing skills;
refine your career goals
and strategy - Through
informational
interviewing, internships,
and part-time/temporary
or summer jobs, "test the
waters" and determine a
potential career direction
Research graduate schools and visit campuses
Learn to present your goals and skills in an
elevator pitch
Develop and practice your interview skills
Test it out – for example, obtain an internship, a
volunteer position or temporary positions
Create an effective resume and cover letter
Develop a Career Action Plan

9. Sharpen your job search skills and
develop a list of potential employers
Prepare for interviews and practice
interviewing skills with a mock interview
Network with friends, parents, faculty,
alumni and others
Gather graduate school application
materials and write a personal statement
Attend events such as career fairs,
company presentations and career-
related forums with alumni
Step 4:
Implementation
Develop and implement
your job search or
graduate school strategy
- Develop the skills you
need to accomplish your
goals

10. Step 5:
Decision-Making
Make an informed and
meaningful career
decision - Gain insight
into necessary
professional development
skills to be successful
Analyze job offers/graduate school admissions and
weigh your options
Meet with a career coach to walk through your
decision-making
Consider the practical aspects of life after school and
attend advanced career development programmes to
help make this transition
Join your school’s alumni network
Refer back to your career goals, interests, strengths,
and values for guidance
Learn and practice the basics of negotiating
Take Career Readiness assessments and other
career-related psychoanalysis tests (online)

11. Where ever there’s a
need for information,
there’s a need for a
librarian

12. Career Development Services
The Library and Your Career – How It Works
Check out Whitney M. Young Jr. American Center -- http://bit.ly/joinacfblagos
Many libraries provide career development services, depending on the type
of library and their policy. Some offer everything from CV building to job
search tools and techniques, while some offer information and digital literacy
programmes which equip participants with knowledge and skills that can be
useful in myriad areas of career development.

13. Free Place to Work
Check out John Harris Library Study Carrels -- http://library.uniben.edu
Imagine a place that is air conditioned, has huge tables to spread out on,
offers free Wi-Fi, provides plenty of seats and outlets, encourages a quiet
work environment—and doesn’t require you to pay any money or deal with
crowds of people bustling through a coffee shop. The library is a great place
to work if you need to get away from the office or work remotely and need
somewhere more exciting than your couch.
The Library and Your Career – How It Works
Source: https://tinyurl.com/y6c74oc4

14. You probably already know this, but no matter what you want to learn, the
library likely has some volume in its collection that can help you out.
Libraries offer an extensive collection of print materials and digital
collections, which have increased to include e-books, e-audiobooks,
magazines, videos and more. Librarians specialize in helping the public find
resources and information they need.
Learn Something New (and Useful)
Check out Library of Congress Online Catalog -- https://catalog.loc.gov/
The Library and Your Career – How It Works
Check out John Harris Library eResources -- https://tinyurl.com/y2kh5qcj
Sources: https://tinyurl.com/y6c74oc4 | https://tinyurl.com/yxc5kern

16. Network with People
The Library and Your Career – How It Works
Check out LinkedIn -- https://www.linkedin.com/
Spending time at the library means being surrounded by many people you
live and work near. It could be a great place to meet new members of the
community and share what you’re working on professionally—potentially
even connect with someone who could help you get ahead!
Source: https://tinyurl.com/y6c74oc4

17. Testimonial
Great minds who publicly talked about the impact of libraries in their career development
Dr. Ben Carson
Former Neurosurgeon,
Best Selling Author, 17th
United States Secretary of
Housing and Urban
Development since 2017,
under the Trump
Administration
Maya Angelou Hilary Clinton
Former American poet,
singer, memoirist, and civil
rights activist.
American politician, diplomat,
lawyer, writer and public speaker.
First Lady of the United States
from 1993 to 2001, Senator from
New York from 2001 to 2009, and
the 67th United States secretary of
state from 2009 until 2013.
Rauf Aregbesola
Nigerian politician. Former
governor of Osun State
between 2010 and 2018.
Currently the Minister in
charge of the Ministry Of
Interior