Education and Career Guidance Resources for Students (Secondary & Above)

Introduction

In your schooling years, you will be exposed to a multitude of experiences and start to develop preferences and dislikes, and may also wonder what kind of work you would like to do upon leaving school.

The types of jobs and specialisations available today are more varied than before. It is important to start thinking about long-terms goals and aspirations and start gearing your life towards achieving them.

Being aware of your passions, interests and values is a key step in your career exploration at any stage. With guidance from your parents, teachers and counsellors and some management of expectations, you can be better informed and equipped with a detailed roadmap to help you get started on your dream vocation.

Besides deepening your technical knowledge, it would be good to also sharpen your soft skills in areas such as communication, emotional intelligence and resource management. A skillful application of both hard and soft skills will benefit you greatly in your studies as well as at work and enable you to reach greater heights in both your personal and professional spheres of life.

This guide provides recommended resources on education and career guidance for students (secondary to tertiary levels) that are available from NLB as well as on the Internet. As the guide is not intended to be comprehensive, interested readers should search the NLB catalogue or the Internet for more resources

Books

(listed in alphabetical order)

• A* in exams: Tips and advice for exam success

by Ross Dickinson and Richard Benson

Call no.: 371.30281 DIC

With the right amount of revision, preparation, planning and a healthy dose of good strategies, you can approach your exams with the right mindset to pass and succeed. This is a step-by-step guidebook on how to revise well for exams and ace them.

All rights reserved, West Sussex, Chichester: Summersdale Publishers Ltd., 2015.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• Career development: All-in-one

by Shamash Alidina

Call No.: 331.702 ALI

Seven books that cover mindfulness, project management, leadership, time management, business writing, presentations and negotiations are packed into one volume, giving you a one-stop shop for your professional development. Discover the practices that build a successful career.

All rights reserved, Hoboken, NJ : John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2017.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• How to write a thesis

by Umberto Eco

Call No.: 378.242 ECO

Any student who needs to write a thesis may face difficulties along the way. Renowned author and university professor Umberto Eco provides valuable tips from start to end for completing any thesis. Beyond that, he also offers sound lessons on critical thinking and information curation.

All rights reserved, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2015.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook

• Job hunting in 4 weeks : The complete guide to success

by David McWhir, Hilton Catt, Patricia Scudamore, Mo Shapiro and Alison Straw.

Call No.: 650.14 MAC

Teach yourself to get that job you want within four weeks with this four-in-one guide that includes CVs, job-hunting tips, cover letter writing techniques, and interview skills. Learn and apply something new every day for a month to gear up for a successful job search.

All rights reserved, London: John Murray Learning, 2015.

• LinkedIn for dummies

by Elad Joel

Call No.: 650.1302854678 ELA

LinkedIn is the social media of choice for career development and networking. It has tons of potential for building up and showcasing one’s achievements and potential. This guide teaches you how to fully utilize this powerful tool with step-by-step instructions and handy tips.

All rights reserved, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2016.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• Perfect phrases for negotiating salary and job offers: Hundreds of ready-to-use phrases to help you get the best possible salary, perks, or promotion

by Matthew J. DeLuca and Nanette F. DeLuca

Call No.: 650.14 PER

How do you negotiate salaries and job offers without coming across as too bold or sounding like a pushover? This book provides quick, easy steps to prepare you for that conversation with your manager, giving you the correct vocabulary to use in order to gain a competitive edge.

All rights reserved, Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• Preparing youths for the workplace

by Jessie Ee and Agnes Chang

Call No.: 371.227 PRE

Written for youths and those guiding them, this book explains the current demand and urgent need to strengthen and develop deep skills as well as work competencies to prepare them for a fulfilling career path. Readers can learn to smoothly transition from school to the job market, manage their emotions and be aware of their strengths to engage and relate to others in new workplaces.

All rights reserved, Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., 2015.

• Quiet power: The secret strengths of introverts

by Susan Cain, Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz

Call no.: 155.418232 CAI

Are you an introvert at school, or do you know someone who is? Discover how an introvert would see the school world, and the challenges of not being extroverted. Read about actual kids who have tackled these challenges and made their mark in their own way. From this book, learn that introverts are as valued as anyone else, and are great people too!

All rights reserved, New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2016.

• She’s so boss: The girl entrepreneur’s guide to imagining, creating & kicking ass

by Stacy Kravetz

Call no.: 658.421 KRA

From inspiration to execution, included here are concrete steps for every young entrepreneur, creator and leader to achieve success. Featuring profiles of successful girl bosses who turned their passions into their business, this title is suitable for boys and girls alike who aspire to be a boss of their own.

All rights reserved, New York: Quercus, 2017.

• Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn for teens: How to turn a loss into a win

by John C. Maxwell

Call no.: 158 MAX

John C. Maxwell adapts his bestseller for teens, featuring stories of real life figures who overcame adversity early in their lives and who turned that loss into a gain of knowledge. He provides a roadmap for teens to become true learners, someone who wins in the face of problems, failures and losses.

All rights reserved, New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2015.

• The A-Z of careers and jobs

Call No.: 331.702 A

From accountant to zoologist, this one-stop guide provides insights into over 300 different careers. Find out what jobs and careers are out there, and see what kind of qualifications are needed and how much remuneration is provided for different jobs. A perfect starting point for students and school leavers, this book is updated yearly.

All rights reserved, London : Kogan Page Ltd, 2017.

• The career playbook: Essential advice for today’s aspiring young professional

by James M Citrin

Call No.: 650.14 CIT

With actionable advice for every step of a career, this book helps fresh school-leavers land, launch and thrive in their new jobs. Packed with first-person advice from graduates and young professionals, as well as perspectives from seasoned CEOs and leaders, this is an encouraging and useful resource.

All rights reserved, New York: Crown Business, 2015.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• The high school survival guide: Your roadmap to studying, socializing and succeeding

by Jessica Holsman

Call no.: 373.18 HOL

You are told to study for exams and assignments but how exactly are you supposed to do it? This book shares study tips and tricks to help you stay organised, write assignments and complete exams, but also goes beyond that to show you how to manage stress and have a well-balanced school life.

All rights reserved, Coral Gables, FL: Mango Media Inc., 2016.

• What color is your parachute? For teens: Discover yourself, design your future, and plan for your dream job

by Carol Christen

Call no.: 650.140835 CHR

Based on the classic career guide by Richard N. Bolles, this guide has been adapted for teens to help them identify their interests and passions early to enable them to make informed decisions on their future education path. With activities and advice on the current job market, this book aims to prepare teens for their future career goals.

All rights reserved, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2015.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• What color is your parachute?

by Richard N. Bolles

Call No.: 650.1405 WCYP

This practical manual for job-hunters and career-changers provides a how-to guide for every part of a job search, from personal self-development to writing resumes, acing interviews and conducting negotiations. Updated annually, you can find out what is new in the world, and also learn from what has worked since the first edition was published in 1970.

All rights reserved, Berkeley, Calif. : Ten Speed Press, 2018.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

• You got this!: Unleash your awesomeness, find your path, and change your world

by Maya S. Penn

Call no.: 650.1 PEN

Maya Penn started a company, became an award-winning eco-designer, founded a non-profit and gave three TED talks, all by the age of fifteen. In this book, she shares how she did it, what she went through, and what to avoid. An inspiring read for any teenager, especially those trying to discover their passion.

All rights reserved, New York: North Star Way, 2016.

This title is also available as an ebook on Overdrive. myLibrary ID is required to access this ebook.

Accessing National Library Board Singapore Resources

Accessing the Print Materials

You can search the library catalogue (for physical materials) in the library and from home (http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg). The easy search function allows you to search/browse by author, title, keyword, subject and ISBN/ISSN whereas the advanced search allows you to narrow your searches to specific media types or language holdings. In both instances, you will also be able to limit your search to specific libraries by clicking on the “limit by branch” option.

To search Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s Holdings

If you wish to search for only materials available in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, please always click on the “Limit by Branch” button at the bottom of the page, after you have keyed in your search term. This brings you to a new page whereby you will be able to select the library of your choice. Choose “Lee Kong Chian Reference Library” and select “yes” under the “Display only items available in the selected branch below” and then click on search.

Things to note:

Once you have identified the title that you need, please double-check the following information and write down the necessary info:

i. The “Status” of the item: the item is not available in the library, if the status displayed is “in transit”, “in process” or “not ready for loan”.

ii. Double-check that the item is in Lee Kong Chian Reference Library under “Branch”.

iii. Write down the Location Code and the Call Number of the item. This helps you to locate the item within Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. Please refer to the table below for more information (Note: Please feel free to approach the counter staff for help in locating the books.)

All featured books and periodicals are located at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

Accessing the Databases

The National Library Board (NLB)’s eResources are free for all NLB members. Click here to find out how to register as a member.

If you’re having problems registering or logging in, please contact us. If you wish to find information in the databases but am not sure where to begin, or need recommendations on which databases to use, please use the “Ask A Librarian” function or send an email to ref@nlb.gov.sg for help. The librarian will get back to you within three working days.

Author

Kevin Seet

The information in this resource guide is valid as at October 2018 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2018.