Task:
Answer the questions in Part I and make your own list of activities and interests: from watching the telly to something more work-related:
Questions in part 1: In order to identify your strengths, take a good look at yourself, your tasks at work, your career, your life: what do you like to do? What do you dislike? Do you remember the last time you felt that feeling of deep satisfaction after creating, building, completing something? What was it about? What skills do you need to do the things you like? These skills are your strengths; they stem from your interests.
Tasks at work:
I do enjoy the helpdesk service, I remember I used to enjoy the reference desk service when I started my career. At first, I thought it was probably because I got to know people more by it but honestly I am not too sure I am that social. I am not sanguine by nature and I am naturally shy even though I know my close friends would raise their eyebrows if they happen to read this. Despite the fact that I am shy with people I hardly know, I am always at home when I need to help them. I enjoyed teaching back in my country when I would stand in front of students and teach them about library use, but found out I quite enjoyed doing this virtually in my present job too.
What skills do I need to do this? Customer service skills, communication skills,. funny enough, I feel I do not have enough of this. Ability to troubleshoot, yes, queries do come up from patrons that you do not know answers to forthrightly and you must give a workable answer there and then.
What do I dislike? I dislike desk work a bit. I am sure my colleagues would dispute this because I hardly get up once I’m at work.
Career:
If I was asked whether I like librarianship before I went to Library school many years ago, I would scream a loud ‘No’. But now I enjoy my career. I like the relationship my career shares with new technologies. I like the way librarians are breaking out, by their activities and quests for knowledge, from the mould they’ve been placed.
Skills needed for my career are good research skills, good general knowledge of all subjects, computer skills and the ability to learn new technologies easily. Ability to embrace change (You must have loads of those, things do change constantly), project management, evaluation, customer services etc.
What don’t I like about my career? I don’t like the pseudo nature my career has. Different interpretations are given to librarianship in different environments especially with us working in the academia. In my country where I started my career, HE librarians are part of the academia, whereas in other countries, librarians are not. Even where librarians are classified as part of the academia, a librarian cannot become a professor. There was a lot of hot debate then on what the peak of the career should be. Some suggested librarians who cannot become University Librarian (Chief Librarian, Director of library as the case may be in different settings) should become Professors or be given some unique nomenclature to bring about a sort of climax at the end of their career (since not everybody can become the head of a library in their career life).
My life:
I like trying my hands on new things. My hobbies are sewing (I do a lot these days), decorating, making things in general and sharing with people who are interested. I like reading novels, I like watching TV, I like acting (I did act in some movies (my country of course) and my kids enjoy watching them on youtube. I am generally an indoor person but I like going to the cinema too. I like friendships, deep friendships not fickle ones. (I’ve been lucky to enjoy a few at different times in my life and even though we are separated by many waters, they are still the best) What else? I enjoy travelling, even though I’ve done less of that lately. I love going to the church (I am a deaconess and I enjoy serving in the church)
Skills needed for all these I think are a positive attitude. I like doing whatever pleases me that would not hurt others. I believe it’s only one life I have to live and I should spread my ‘fragrance’ wherever I go so people would remember me for who I am. I love doing what I enjoy.
What don’t I like, maybe the limitations I encounter that are beyond my control. I dislike it when people use me or take me for granted too.
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