4. Operating in a digital world
Building online networks
There are social networks created specifically for professionals and businesses. Some advantages of creating a professional online account to compliment your resume include:
- a strong professional brand
- visibility in an online recruitment world
- access to daily feeds with relevant posts
- ability to search and apply for jobs
- ability to showcase your work through video, documents and other mediums such as my ePortfolio
- increased discoverability as employers can actively search for you.
Charles Sturt University ePortfolio
Your Charles Sturt University ePortfolio provides a platform that enables you to:
- track and showcase the development of competency and professional skills while studying
- reflect on skills developed outside of study which illustrate your employability skills such as volunteering and work experiences.
LinkedIn is a popular professional networking site that allows individuals and companies to establish a network. This enables you to follow or interact with people you work with, or are interested in collaborating with. Your LinkedIn profile is usually the first thing that appears in a Google search.
Creating a Personal Learning Network (PLN)
A Personal/Professional Learning Network (PLN) is an informal learning network that uses social media to help you connect with peers and future colleagues. It can be described as “a situation where nobody knows everything, everyone knows something, and what any given member knows is accessible to any other member upon request on an ad hoc basis” (Jenkins. (2006). Fans, bloggers, and gamer: Exploring participatory culture).
Watch Creating a PLN (YouTube, 1m39s)
Using a PLN provides opportunities to collaborate and share information, continually develop your skills and remain competitive in the job market.
How to build and grow your PLN
Consider the following when starting your PLN:
- spend 10 to 20 minutes a day interacting with your peers
- create a Twitter account and follow peers within your area of interest
- join and follow groups in LinkedIn and Facebook based on your professional interests
- start following relevant blogs, podcasts and YouTube channels to engage with peers.
X (previously Twitter), Bluesky or Mastodon
Popular tools like Twitter, Bluesky or Mastodon can be used to build a PLN. Having an X, Bluesky or Mastodon account and using it regularly will allow you to connect with peers. You can create networks by responding with questions to recent journal articles, or online posts allowing engagement with the author or other commentators.
Communication
In your professional life, it is likely you will communicate online regularly via different mediums, including email, messaging and online meetings. The Communicate and Collaborate module explains different strategies for communicating effectively.
