Prompts:

  • What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?
  • What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?
  • How does data privacy and security limit and/or promote a PLN?
  • In your network, how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?
  • Consider how an employer would respond if you applied for a job with them and they assessed your social media presence via your digital identity.

Developing Professional Networks for Students

Many students turn to LinkedIn develop their professional network. Personally, most if not all my friends who are looking to apply for co-ops or jobs have a LinkedIn. It helps students create a network of professionals already in the field.

Expanding Professional Learning Networks

For many students it can be intimidating to try to create, never mind expand upon a professional learning network, which is why it is important to learn to get over such fears. These fears are only barriers to expansion and success.

For practical steps, a student may begin to:

  1. Talk to professors about their experience in the field and ask to connect to individuals that the professor knows
  2. Aim to just look for more individuals in the field that they can connect with through professional social media like LinkedIn
  3. Connect with co-op coordinators, they are often in tough with alumni in the same field or other professionals

The Effects of Data Privacy and Security on PLNs

I think that data privacy and security both limits and promotes digital identity. Data privacy is a growing concern for most individuals as their online presence is able to be dissected by others on the internet. So I think that data privacy and security can limit PLNs because many people are afraid of personal information being leaked or spread online. Many people don’t put their photos on their account which can make connecting to others difficult as they don’t know if this is the right account.

Although, I think that privacy and security can also promote PLNs because once you have established a reputation online this helps create community. Once it is established that someone is trustworthy (for example through security measures), more people are likely to join that community if it aligns with their beliefs. Ultimately, privacy and security online is an important topic to discuss as more and more individuals become a part of the online community.

Creating a Digital Identity/ Reputation

Within a digital community/ network, creating a digital identity or reputation is easy. All you have to do is start contributing. For example, within my personal network all the posts I interact with through liking the posts or commenting or sending the post to friends is all interactions that I am creating within this network. Additionally, creating my own posts is also a form of interaction because my friends are able to like the post and engage with it. Our digital identities are crafted through our interactions on the platform.

Employer Response to my Social Media

If my employer saw my social media, I think they would response neutrally or positively depending on which social media of mine they found. For my personal social media, I think my potential employer would respond neutrally. I don’t have anything inappropriate on my account or anything related to any jobs. For my professional network, I have chosen to put my accomplishments and other details about my past employment. I think this would help a potential employer get a better sense of me so I think they would response neutrally.

Reflection on Group Activity

In the group activity, we all shared our visitor and resident map. This was insightful because I was able to see how my other peers interact with the internet. I was able to compare their visitor and resident maps to mine. From this, I was able to gather that most of us had a stark contrast between professional and personal interactions online. The different dimensions of the map are all important for us to reflect on as it demonstrates how we behave on the internet and how that may affect our digital identity.

Here is a picture of my visitor and resident map.