As UVic students get closer to finishing university, and look towards a future career, it becomes of increasing importance that they develop their professional network. One of the most suitable platforms for showcasing your achievements to potential employers is LinkedIn. I have a handful of friends that have set up accounts and are constantly looking to increase their LinkedIn network. The benefits to LinkedIn in comparison to a job site such as Indeed is that you can separate yourself by having a distinguishing personalized profile. In addition to LinkedIn, Facebook groups such as “Brand Ambassadors” can increase an individual’s reach within a community. I even know of some ambitious students that contact company owners directly over Instagram direct message to try to get their foot in the door. I believe that students can develop their professional networks in unconventional ways. With that being said, the best platforms are the ones on which you will encounter a high percentage of like-minded career driven individuals on.
As a student I can consider increasing my usage of platforms such as LinkedIn to expand my professional learning network. I can use my existing V&R map to identify areas where I should be increasing adding new platforms to maximize the breadth of my current professional learning network. I could increase my usage of platforms in the Resident/Institutional quadrant. Another aspect to consider when expanding my professional learning network is the quality of my digital identity. After reading the text and watching the videos, I wonder if I could take an existing personal digital ID and pivot it into a professional ID. Either way, I should align my professional identity’s values with that of the people I plan to surround myself with. If my industry peers are highly active and outgoing online, my identity should mirror that.
If an employer searched my current digital identity footprint it would be a benefit for my career path. On my current accounts I have accumulated several hundred followers from many different countries all interested in my impact on a niche market (skateboarding). Hopefully, this would show a potential employer that I have skills that other users can identify with. This would also show them that my engagement with others can be scaled across different industries, whether in investments or sales.
References:
“Digital Visitor and Resident.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Sept. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Visitor_and_Resident.
“V&R Mapping.” David White, 13 Jan. 2020, daveowhite.com/vandr/vr-mapping/.