Hello!
This week, I will share some of my opinions regard to something we are all familiar with. These days, there are only a few of us who don’t have social media accounts, we use social networks both as a tool to find what we are looking for and as a place where we interact with others through the things we choose to share that belong to our identity which eventually become a social identity.
Students are one of the greater audiences among other users who are more active on digital platforms. While there are more digital platforms for social use there are less and specific digital platforms for institutional use. LinkedIn is one of the professional networks that students use frequently to make meaningful connections that will help them to land a job that aligns with their work field. I believe like myself, we students use other digital platforms for personal purposes for a professional purpose. Instagram, one of the well know social media platforms can be used to gather information about the professionalism we are interested in in a way of reaching out to organizations and people in the organizations, especially these days we have greater access to digital identity that reveals values, beliefs, interest and more information.
Expanding one’s professional learning network is essential for personal and career growth. Furthermore, when it comes to expanding professional learning network (PLN), students could consider
- Joining Professional Associations
- Attending Conferences and Workshops
- Networking Events
- Online Networking
- Informational Interviews
- Mentorship Programs
- Online Forums and Communities
- Volunteering
- Guest Lectures and Seminars
- Cross-Disciplinary Connections
- Maintain Relationships
- Work on Personal Branding
- Alumni Networks
- Collaborate on Projects
These ways can be personalized based on the strengths and weaknesses of students and focus on a few of them they find most beneficial without being stuck with only one way to expand PLN.
However, some limitations could prevent PLN while there could be other promotions to enhance PLN. Some of the limitations could be hesitation to share any information, on that reveals the digital identity of the user that is valuable for others to get to know who they are viewing. This hesitation could be linked to a level of trust that is derived from a lack of knowledge of privacy and security in social networks. On the other hand, confidence in a social network can boost one’s self-esteem which can lead to a share of quality information that will be believed to be secure and available only who are interested in this would result in a positive change. More, legal compliance and credibility can provide a secure environment for students when interacting with others for the sake of professional success.
Students like me can consider some aspects of professional social networking mentioned above and come up with great ideas to build a healthy environment for personal growth. In this manner, I would personally improve my knowledge about PLN and get active in social networking events. This could change in the future but, online networking and maintaining relationships are the methods I use to create my reputation. However, in the future, I believe attending workshops and conferences will be the main part of my PLN. For sure I will try many ways and find the ones best work with me after I start to work on my career that will help me to gain credibility while building a healthy digital identity.
Before publishing this blog, I should admit that I don’t have a good digital identity that aligns with the desired work field I am interested in. I should be concerned about it, but right now I am goal oriented to finish school successfully. I am aware of my digital identity and will put a good effort to enhance my social media presence in a way it will align with who I am!
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