{"id":10184,"date":"2025-10-09T09:39:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:39:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/?p=10184"},"modified":"2025-10-09T09:42:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:42:46","slug":"charting-your-path-career-advice-ucts-library-and-information-science-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/2025\/10\/09\/charting-your-path-career-advice-ucts-library-and-information-science-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Charting Your Path: Career Advice: UCT\u2019s Library and Information Science School"},"content":{"rendered":"

The University of Cape Town (UCT) recently hosted a career panel for students completing their Post Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Studies (PGDipLIS) on 4 September 2025. Among the three panelists was Ria Olivier, Principal Investigator at the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA), who shared her experiences and insights alongside colleagues from related fields, offering students a glimpse into the skills, lessons, and opportunities that shape successful careers in information and archival work.
\nMeet the panelists:
\nAwot Gebregziabher<\/strong>, Senior Librarian for Science & Engineering, UCT
\nKate Whittaker<\/strong>, Digital Learning Consultant and Web Accessibility Tester
\nRia Olivier<\/strong>, Principal Investigator, Project Manager and Digital Archivist, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa<\/p>\n

The session began with each panellist reflecting on their career journeys and introducing the organisations they currently work with. From there, the discussion turned to the skills required in their day-to-day roles
\nCore skills that stand the test of time<\/strong>
\nAwot noted that rather than simply doing what is required, one should \u201cgo above and beyond\u201d, taking pride in delivering their best effort. This not only benefits colleagues and users but also brings a sense of personal satisfaction, a point that drew nods of agreement from the audience. She highlighted that to avoid stagnation, it is essential to keep inspiration alive and look for opportunities to make work more efficient. One strategy is tackling a task the hard way first, to fully grasp it, and then finding ways to streamline the process. Over time, this creates a smoother and more sustainable workflow.<\/em>
\nRia said, \u201cthe core principles I learned through my library and information science studies remain relevant decades later\u201d. Whether managing budgets, curating collections, or writing proposals and grants, those fundamentals still guide her work. She noted that even as technology and terminology evolve, the basics of cataloguing, curation, and user studies continue to apply. Ria explained how her background in user studies directly shaped the design of both the ALSA and SANAP websites, since \u201cyou need to understand your audience\u2019s needs\u201d. To illustrate the lasting value of those fundamentals, Ria shared a light-hearted moment: once, when she needed information for her work, she remembered jotting it down as a student. After digging through an old box, she found her notes on yellowing pages, a story that drew laughter from the students in the room.<\/em>
\nKate described how abstract thinking and adaptability have been key throughout her career. She may have started with cataloguing skills but soon discovered that \u201ccataloguing becomes metadata, and metadata becomes SEO (search engine optimisation).\u201d She explained how systems thinking supported her early work in secretary roles, giving her a strong grasp of databases and information structures.<\/em>
\nHer expertise in metadata also helps her assign precise keywords to publications, ensuring they are findable and discoverable, even when working with multiple titles on very similar topics. <\/em>
\nKate\u2019s current role focuses on digital accessibility, where her priority is making sure information can be accessed by a wide range of users, including people with disabilities, older users who may struggle with devices, and communities in rural areas with limited tech experience.<\/em>
\nWhat panelists wished they\u2019d known as students<\/strong>
\nRia wished she had discovered the Myers-Briggs personality test earlier, as it revealed her motivations and what truly energised her. \u201cFor me, I love information. I want to know about everything!\u201d she said. She advised students to pursue opportunities that bring genuine satisfaction, while also recognising their own limits: \u201cKnow what you can do and what you can\u2019t do.\u201d She encouraged students to seize opportunities for further study, noting that while a doctorate may not necessarily make you better at your job, it can enhance credibility, influence how others perceive you, and set you apart.<\/em>
\nAwot reflected that she could have sought help in the library much earlier in her studies. She recalled thinking as a student that librarians were \u201cjust there to sit behind the counter,\u201d a comment that drew laughter from the students. She encouraged them not to hold back, noting that speaking to librarians and using available resources can make a real difference in academic success. <\/em>
\nLooking back on her studies, Kate said she wished she had trusted more in the idea that \u201cthere is something out there\u201d, a career where she could contribute in a meaningful and passionate way. Her advice to students was to never hesitate to ask questions, as many of the opportunities that came her way arose simply from being curious and open to engaging with others.<\/em><\/p>\n

Panelists\u2019 advice to students entering the workforce<\/strong>
\nThe panel closed with practical career advice. Ria said, \u201cKeep your social media profiles professional as employers will definitely have a look.\u201d She also encouraged students to prepare a clear CV, show passion in their work, and prioritise networking and visibility. Awot highlighted the value of volunteering, noting that it demonstrates initiative, builds experience, and provides valuable references. Kate encouraged students to trust their instincts, stay open to opportunities, and above all, believe in themselves as they build a meaningful career.<\/em>
\nClosing reflections<\/strong>
\nThis career panel reminded students that while career paths are rarely linear, core skills, curiosity, and passion remain timeless guides.
\nFor ALSA, Ria\u2019s participation was also a chance to show how the skills taught in library and information science extend far beyond traditional roles, even as far as preserving and sharing South Africa\u2019s Antarctic heritage.<\/p>\n

ALSA  thanks  Dr Safia Lagerdien and Dr Theresa de Young from the Department of Knowledge and Information Stewardship at UCT for this opportunity.<\/p>\n

Text : Dana Jellin – Assistant Digital Archivist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Cape Town (UCT) recently hosted a career panel for students completing their Post Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Studies (PGDipLIS) on 4 September 2025. Among the three panelists was Ria Olivier, Principal Investigator at the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA), who shared her experiences and insights alongside colleagues from related […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9816,"featured_media":10186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[178],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/files\/2025\/10\/uctkis-panel-post.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6ZWWZ-2Eg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9816"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10184"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10194,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10184\/revisions\/10194"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/antarcticlegacy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}