CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION             Background to the study

Choosing a career is a complex issue with a lot of implications for the student since it determines the kind of profession they plan to pursue in life. Motivation for choosing a career varies because many socio- economic factors account for a person’s choice of work (Wattles, 2009). It can also be emphasized that a person’s career can affect the individual’s future in relation to their lifestyle, status, income, and job satisfaction.

According to Kerka (1998) “career choice is influenced by multiple factors including personality, interests, self-concept, cultural identity, globalization, socialization, role model, social support and available resources” (p.5). Bandura, Barbaranelli, Capara, & Pastorelli (2001) indicated that individuals undertaking career choice are “influenced by several factors including the context in which they live, their personal aptitudes, social contacts and educational attainment” (p.200). To Hewitt (2010) cited in Kochung and Migunde (2011), a greater number of people are persuaded by their parents to choose a career they approve. According to him, others follow the careers that have opened for them as a result of their educational choices. “Some also follow their passion regardless of how much or little it will make them. While others choose the career that give high income” (p.81).

In a study conducted by Natalie (2006), children growing up through the contact they have with parents, the public and school are able to discover careers which eventually become their choice. Kazi & Akhlaq (2017) citing James (2000) enumerated several factors that influence career choice. To them the home environment is a critical influence on choosing or deciding on a career, because

that is where the child begins to develop his or her personality. As the child receives training from the parents they impart certain values in them. Furthermore they stated that another major influence of career choice is the media. The media usually focus on global issues, fashion and trends. These documentaries portray career such as Medicine, Law and Accounting as prestigious, thus attracting students to them. At times these attractions become determining factor in choosing a career. According to Ezeani (2013), career refers to “the major life domains which engage the individual in multiple roles, such as worker, family member, community participant and leisure–time participant” (p.18). However other scholars’ see a career “as the sequence of occupations, jobs and positions held during the course of life” (Ezeani, 2013, p.18).

The online Business Dictionary (2018) defines a career as “The progress and actions taken by a person throughout a lifetime, especially those related to that person’s occupation. A career is often composed of the jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period of time, rather than just referring to one position”.

The online Cambridge Dictionary (2018) also defines a career as “The job or series of jobs that you do during your working life. Especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money”. We all possess varied abilities, experiences, prospects and interests, therefore there’s no single career that is best for everybody. Therefore an individual must choose the career that best suits him or her putting into consideration the factors that may influence their decision.

Kelly-Plate & Volz-Patton (1991) have suggested that one way to identify a career choice is by looking at what things you enjoy doing better than others. The things you really love to do combine with your abilities and personality will give you important clues to finding the right career. Several researchers have investigated factors influencing student’s career choice in various fields of specialization. In a study conducted by Zotorvie (2016) about the “major factors that influence the

career choice among the professional level students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana”, showed that the most imperative factors that the students focused on in choosing a career included factors such as students interests in the profession, availability of work, high salary expectations, status and teacher impact. Further studies conducted by Puja (2001) & Mvungi (2009) cited in Woasey (2015) showed that majority of students who completed secondary school in Tanzania were unaware of the career they would like to pursue because they did not receive appropriate advice and direction. This could affect them when they enter the University since majority of them lacked the knowledge necessary to choose a field that would be suitable for them.

Librarians are professionals who are dedicated to serve all sort of people by helping them access timely and accurate information, thereby contributing immensely to the development of society. Librarians deal with human knowledge. They organize and make these knowledge accessible. The work they do is noble, complex, rich, stimulating, rewarding and a fantastic career choice. It is obvious that for the work of a librarian to be attractive to young people it must be appealing and rewarding. This requires that the librarian must demonstrate certain qualities to make their status justified in the present dispensation. Some of these qualities include management and leadership skills, competency, research and contribution towards the profession and information communication and technology skills.

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