Due: Jan. 24.
For this assignment, you have at least three possibilities. If you are interested in working in a special library or information center, go to the Special Library Job Exploration option below. If you are interested in developing your own consulting or information brokering business, go to the Information Business Exploration option below. If you are interested in working in the competitive intelligence field, go to the Competitive Intelligence Career Exploration section below.
If you're on the fence and can't make up your mind among these options, read all three sections below and put together a sample of jobs and businesses and then reflect on what characteristics and opportunities might provide an ideal situation for you.
Your final write-up will probably be 2-3 pages long and won't take you long, but the process of locating, choosing and thinking about possibilities may consume a fair amount of time.
Note on Resources. The Online journal often carries descriptions of particular special libraries/information centers and the kinds of jobs people do in them. They occasionally carry a description of an information brokering business as well. Ellis Mount's recent edition of his special libraries/information centers textbook (4th ed on reserve) contains an appendix of descriptions of traditional and alternative career positions. Some of the readings listed as suggested on Jan. 10 (for Jan. 17) will provide good background and pointers. Check out knowledge management job listings at eKnowledgeCenter.com or on Brint.com or the CI Resource Index. Other sources include the job listings at Career Planning and Placement on campus, notices in periodicals from the Medical Library Association, the Law Library Association, the American Society of Information Science, etc., or listings of job announcements found on the Internet. You may also choose to describe a real situation or position based on a visit, interview and/or observation.
Special Library Job Exploration. Locate five special library (or information management) jobs that interest you. You can find job listings in a variety of places (see above). The listings do not have to be current. Or you can select existing positions. For each job listing or position you choose, provide the following information:
If you have other information such as the size of the company (by number of employees or by annual sales or by another measure), salary range for the position of interest, and/or other aspects of importance of you, please include these as well.
- Job Title
- Name of Information Unit
- Name and Location of Overall Organization
- Type of Organization (business, area of interest)(public, private or governmental)
When you have completed your list, analyze what factors about these jobs make them attractive to you. From this data, your past experience, and your reflections, describe what would be an ideal job.
Information Business Exploration. This is a variation on the assignment above. Use the Burwell World Directory of information brokers or other resources from those listed above or elsewhere to locate five information businesses of interest to you. Provide some brief data about each business:
If you have additional information about the size of the company, its specialization(s), the length of time it's been in business, and pricing information on services, please include as well.
- Name of Business and Principals
- Location
- Type of Business
- Services Offered
When you have completed your data collection, analyze the factors that interest you about these businesses. Reflect on your strengths, past experiences and interests in order to describe what would be an ideal information consulting business for you.
Competitive Intelligence Career Exploration. This is another variation. Here your focus will be on examining positions in competitive intelligence and the people who hold them. I haven't seen many descriptions of positions although the Competitive Intelligence Review describes the work that people in this field do. Two of our graduates hold positions in this area: Tom Miller and John Macmullen. I'm hoping to have one or both come and talk with us this semester.
Try to identify 3-5 jobs in this area that would be of interest to you. List them with:
- Job title
- Reporting structure and home department
- Name and location of organization
- Kind of organization (type of business)
Other information about the size of the company, salary ranges, description of expectations will be of interest as well. When you have completed the list, analyze what factors about these jobs make them attractive to you. From the data with your past experiences, reflect on what would be an ideal position in this field for you.
Revised 1/03/01.
If you have questions, please contact Evelyn Daniel.
