Post #2

V&R Mapping

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

As we are living in a digital age where students shuffle between a variety of learning apps and social platforms. The most common tool I can think of for students to develop their professional network is definitely LinkedIn, which allows students to more accurately find people with the same experience as themselves, to exchange ideas with each other, and to help them find their ideal internship or job faster.
Personally, I also use platforms like Quora, MatterMost, MS Team, Zoom regularly and I find them very effective. For Quora, I am allowed to ask or answer any questions posted to the site, which other users can then engage with (like comment, share, etc.), I think It’s a great way for students to have long, in-depth conversations with other thought leaders about specific topics. By looking at someone’s profile, you can see what other questions they have asked or answered to questions, and what other professional topics they know about. MatterMost, MS Team, Zoom, they provide a place for students to have more connections with their professors and classmates, on these platforms, students can interact with each other more directly and easily, which makes learning more efficient.

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

Professional learning networks are all about working together, be reciprocal and resourceful (Author, Guest). As a student, I think the first step to expand the PLNs is to join online communication actively, like LinkedIn and Quora. By filling in the study/work experience and topics of interest, users can find new people with the same experience or professionals in the field they wish to enter. The platforms give me opportunities to connect with these people, ask questions, exchange ideas, and further expand my professional learning network.
In addition, setting up a blog site is a great way to expand the professional learning network. Blogs provide an arena for sharing users’ educational perspectives around the world. People can spread their passions and find like-minded individuals. From there, students can develop lasting relationships and planned projects, also their ideas can be re-shared as a link.

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

I think digital reputation is important because universities and employers may look at information about you when deciding whether to accept or hire you, so a person’s digital reputation can influence their decision, for better or worse. In order to create a digital reputation, I will make sure that every message I post is considered, avoiding extreme ideas and elements that could bring negative influence to others. Also, it’s necessary for me to have different accounts for different functions, for example, on LinkedIn, I share more about my academic and work experience, which is more professional, while on Instagram, I tend to share small things that happen in my daily life or funny content, as I usually only interact with friends or family members, thus keeping my professional identity and personal identity separate online.
As digital identities can reflect all the actions a person has done online, so we must present the best version of ourselves on any social platform.

● 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 think it is very likely and inevitable that when applying for a job, the candidate will be Googled by the employer to see the social media profiles because they are a more realistic representation of the candidate’s usual online behavior, so whether or not this is a beneficial employment opportunity depends only on the candidate’s usual digital identity.
For example, on LinkedIn, users generally present their study and work experience clearly, and if the candidate has a lot of academic achievements or work experience, this investigation will prove the candidate’s ability and improve employment opportunities. However, if a candidate has posted extreme views, comments or content that affects others, these will make the candidate look less professional, so it is very likely to reduce employment opportunities.
Of course, candidates can choose to delete their previous inappropriate comments in advance or set their accounts to be closed to the public, but any actions will leave traces on the network, even though the user has deleted it, so think before posting any information is necessary.

● V&R Map Reflection:
I thought it was very interesting to complete this V&R map, which made me revisit the platforms I use for personal or institutional purposes, and whether I am a visitor or resident of these platforms, also thinking about whether these could affect my professional digital identity.
I found that I use a similar number of resident and visitor platforms, some of which I use daily for professional contact or connecting with friends, and some of which I rarely use for entertainment or shopping. Also, another thing I found interesting is that I had the least access to professional tools as a visitor and the most as a resident. This map has renewed my awareness of social media use and the impact they can have on digital identity.

• Reference:

Author, Guest. “20 Tips for Creating a Professional Learning Network – Getting Smart by Miriam Clifford.” Getting Smart, 17 Jan. 2013, www.gettingsmart.com/2013/01/20-tips-for-creating-a-professional-learning-network/.