CAREER ADVISOR

All reasonable questions related to careers, skill development or employment related issues – sent to advisor@skill-link.com - would be addressed in this section every week.

Q1: What is your advice for a career in library and information sciences?
I am a 26-year-old Kuwaiti (female) who has just enrolled in a Master of Library and Information Sciences degree. This is the science of storing and retrieving information. I worked as a translator for four years and I decided to change my career. I reached that decision, despite the fact that my society does not appreciate this field of specialization, for two main reasons:

1. First because I have a dream of establishing and running a bookshop dedicated for children and be able to provide services for them.
2. And second because I wanted to be a specialist in information and this field was the only one available in my country since I had difficulties in traveling abroad.

My real concern is if I made the right decision, I feel sometimes disappointed of how the society looks at this science and I am really confused whether it is what I want or not.

I want to be an information and system analyst but what are these I am not sure about. I would gratefully appreciate if you help to identify the available careers in that field and the basic requirements (training and skills) I should have. Also, tell me if this career line is in demand in the job market or not.

B. M. A. (Kuwait)

Replying:

Dear Miss A.

This is a Big Mac question, or a combo question J

Let us start by repeating ourselves by saying that studying something one likes and looks forward to dedicating his professional life to is good (and advisable). The problem lies in the fact that you may not be sure if this is what you like or not. Nobody - but YOU can find this out.

When you mention 'information & systems analyst' this is not related to libraries; but rather a career in information systems and IT, which is a different field that we are not addressing here.

Your first argument was about wanting to establish and manage a bookshop for kids. We think this is a very interesting undertaking and very suitable for a young lady, especially for a society like Kuwait. Parents are keen on developing their children and make them read. We would worry if your project would have been a bookshop for adults; these unfortunately in our part of the world read less and less (compared to 50 years ago). Thus you could be on the right track. The only thing is that such a project does not require a master's degree in libraries. A degree in management, accounting or marketing would be more useful for you to run this small enterprise. And without any additional degrees you would do as well. If you really want to do something special, you could learn web site developments and some graphics tool, and launch a website for your 'future' book store, where people can browse the titles you carry, book reviews and maybe order online (if it is too hot to go shopping or transportation is not easily arranged for them).

If we get to where a graduate degree in Libraries and Information Sciences is needed, then we should mention university & research centers libraries, a national library or that of a key government entity (eg. Central Bank, Ministry of Petroleum etc.), a development fund, a serious publication (such as El Araby) or a diplomatic mission (eg. The US Embassy). These by nature do not hire a large number every year; so you have to know the opportunities are rather limited, specially that due to your personal situation you cannot be seeking opportunities in other countries. Currently the largest recruiter for such skills would be entities like the Alexandria Library and the UNESCO. Of course the greatest place on earth for a qualified librarian would be the Library of Congress in the USA J

So finally, check if you really like that specialization, otherwise go for your own bookstore, without the time and effort spent in studying for a master's degree.

We hope the above was of some use to you.
Good Luck.

Q2: What are the computer skills most needed nowadays?
My question is: what are the computer skills most in demand nowadays? In other words, which computer programs are favorable to find a good job?

R. A. (Egypt)

Replying:

Dear Mr. A

Actually, nowadays the skills of using computers are required everywhere most of the time "maybe except when brushing your teeth J"

Basically, a computer user has to have word processing skills, spreadsheets skills, presentations skills, and organizing/filing skills, plus emailing/Internet skills.

Word Processing skills include a considerably fast typing speed e.g. 40 words per minute, and knowing how to compose a letter, a memo, a fax in a professional manner. The most common applications in this category are Microsoft Word and IBM/Lotus Word Pro.

Spreadsheet skills are about how to deal visually with data in columns and rows: i.e. sorting, performing mathematical / statistical / logical functions, charting, and formatting a presentable layout. The most common applications in this category are Microsoft Excel and IBM/Lotus 123.

Presentation skills are mostly required when presenting a new idea to someone, which is most probable in our everyday real life. Here you have an organized sequence of thoughts that need to be shown out in a logical and, preferably, artistic manner. The most common applications in this category are Microsoft PowerPoint and IBM/Lotus Freelance.

Organizing skills are necessary because any saved work on the computer is translated into files. A competent computer user has to know where to locate his files, back them up for emergencies, organize related files under one root. Also, every job has its schedules, tasks, deadlines, and reminders. Thus, it's necessary to keep track of your daily plans. The most common applications for organizing your tasks and contacts are Microsoft Outlook, IBM/Lotus Organizer, and Norton ACT.

Internet knowledge is a must in this digital age. Since you have to keep your self updated with information every hour, get in contact with other distant people in a matter of seconds, download programs and files for personal/professional use, etc. For Internet browsing and surfing, the most common applications (browsers) are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape's Communicator. Good Email systems are included with browsers, such as Microsoft's Outlook Express and Netscape's Mail.

All of the above has to be combined with printing skills: how to print, surprisingly, this considered a luxury for most of the professional users, which is a faulty consideration, where not knowing how to use printers and troubleshoot them, wastes a lot of time in the process of getting hard copies of the computer output. So, it's a must to know how to print, especially in a professional networked environment where printing problems are the most dominating with many users around in the office.

The above addressed computer knowledge for general professionals, not the IT technical staff. If your question was more towards being an IT professional, then more advanced tools are available of course. For database and application development ORACLE would be useful to know. For simpler PC based application, Access and Visual Basic are common. Since websites and e-businesses are growing, acquiring java and HTML development skills could be also advised. Again, the field is very vast, the options are unlimited and you have to be interested in a particular aspect of it, to identify what is it you need to be experienced in.

We hope the above was of some use.
Good Luck

Q3: What are the chances of a non Arabic speaker to get a job in Egypt?
I am considering a move to Egypt and that would mean getting a job. However, I speak only English - no Arabic, but I'm willing to learn. Is that an impossible situation or are there companies that would hire me and allow me to learn while I work? If yes, what kind of companies should I target for my search?
Also, I've got excellent experience writing, editing, proofreading and years of experience working as an Executive Secretary. However, I note in most of the ads posted on a job sites (not skill-link.com) that there seems to be an age restriction. How stringent are most companies in enforcing that "No one over 25 need apply" rule?

J L (England)

Replying:

Dear Ms. L

It is possible to find a job in Egypt without the Arabic language although your options are somehow limited. Most business in Egypt is conducted in English but often correspondence will be received in Arabic or you may need to converse in Arabic to non -English speakers. For this reason most of the Executive Secretarial positions require fluent English and Arabic, although very occasionally you may find a Multinational Company looking for a native English speaker.

On the other hand there are sectors where just being a native speaker is enough; for example the Education field. It is possible to find a job teaching English either in a School, Nursery or a language center without having had prior experience in this field. One thing that you must take into consideration when moving to Egypt from overseas is the Salary scale, you will be paid at a local rate unless you find a position with an Expatriate contract.

If the Education field was something that interested you, my advice to you would be to obtain the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate in order to be qualified to work for an International Language center or International school in Cairo or Alexandria. Having the TEFL certificate would put you in a much higher salary bracket. Check out the courses, as it may be a lot cheaper to take this in Cairo than in your home country.
Having experience in writing, editing and proof reading is also an advantage as there are several English Language publications in Egypt who quite often require native English speakers.

With regard to the age factor: this is not a stringent rule unless it is a company looking in particular for a Junior employee.

We hope the above was of some use.
Good Luck

Note from the editor: 
Employer names and inquiry sender names were withheld for confidentiality

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