Blog Post #3

• What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

Currently, students are using multiple platforms to develop their professional network, and each platform is utilized for different purpose.  Personally, I use Facebook, Zoom, Linkedin and Google Drive the most to develop my professional network. Unlike Twitter, Facebook encourages people to sign up using their real names and personal information, which makes it easier to locate people who either attend the same school with you, or work in the same profession with you. One of the features that Facebook has, which is Facebook Messenger, is also great for group discussions. Zoom is frequently used to hold virtual meetings and to attend online courses. It is also a great way to network with others, since communicating face-to-face makes it easier for people to know each other. However, since communicating face-to-face has greater significance to most people compared with communicating through written language, communication via Zoom is often built on previous communication via other platforms. Linkedin has long been a useful platform for me and other students who wish to identify future career opportunities. Much like Facebook, people use their real names and personal information on Linkedin, which makes it more convenient to locate people from a certain profession. Linkedin also allows students to get in contact with business organizations, which provides large potential for career opportunities. Google Drive is often used for group work, especially under current circumstances where people work and study remotely. It is and effective tool through which we can share academic resources with others.

•   What can you (as a student) consider to expand your professional learning network?

As a student, I can expand my professional learning network by both putting more efforts into existing platforms and exploring new platforms. By putting more efforts into existing platforms, I could work harder on the materials I present on each platform, and make more frequent appearances on these platforms. For example, a clear and thorough personal bio on Facebook that emphasized on my education and my work experiences  would make it easier for other people to identify me as a student and as a future employee.  A carefully drafted resume would better prepare me for potential internship and job opportunities on Linkedin. More frequent appearances would keep me updated on the information on each platform, as well as showing people that I am an active user of these platforms. By exploring new platforms, I could also explore more opportunities. For example, recently, an application called Clubhouse has attracted a lot of attention online. Clubhouse is a social media platform that allows only verbal communication, and only allows sign-up through invitations. The relatively high requirements on its users (a certain level of articulacy) and the exclusiveness of this application gives it huge potential for being a professional, educational platform. Keeping an eye on these new platforms is critical for expanding my professional learning network.

•  In your network, how can you create a digital identity/reputation?

Like I mentioned earlier, I believe that the key to create a professional digital identity and establish a digital reputation is to focus on the content that I post on each platform. In order to create a professional digital identity, I would try my best to ensure that the contents I post are correct, have references to the original resources, and are updated to match the newest findings in the professional realm. I would also make sure to focus the materials in a specific professional realm. For example, if I’m trying to establish my digital identity as an economy major student, it probably wouldn’t help if I post what I eat for lunch on my social media accounts.

• Consider what a local employer would do if you applied for a job with them – can they search the content, is it of benefit to the career path, does it hinder the opportunity of employment?

I believe that it is of benefit to the career path if a local employer could search the content that I post online. In my opinion, the collective of a person’s digital marks could be seen as a portfolio of that person, which would provide great understanding of that person as a potential employee. In fact, some art major students would deliberately include their Instagram accounts and Pinterest accounts in their resumes as a way to present their work.  For example, a friend of mine who majors in graphic design would constantly update her Instagram account by posting her works, and would put her education and field of interest in her bio to attract future employers (in her case, future employers are mostly studios who would look for talents on social media). However, I do believe that me, or any other employee, should have the right to choose which part of my digital marks are the ones that I feel comfortable sharing with my future employer.