Blog #3

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

With the development of information technology, social networking has penetrated into people’s life as a new way of communication. Relying on the Internet, digital platform allows users to participate in it free of charge and realize the information exchange and dissemination among users, breaking through the spatial and temporal limitations of the traditional social mode. LinkedIn is now considered the digital platform that students use most to develop their professional network. Managing linkedin homepage is a necessity for a graduating student. LinkedIn not only showcases your accomplishments and professional experience, but it also gathers intelligence and insider advice on the same profession, including what’s happening in your network, news about your industry, and sharing of successful people’s experiences. As a product with social attributes, linkedin meets the needs of personal information construction.

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

As a student, you can use Facebook, Twitter, Worldpress, and even YouTube to expand your professional learning network. You don’t need to have Web editing knowledge or be a computer professional to build your own Web site on WordPress. Just follow the instructions and you’ll be able to build your website from scratch. WordPress provides a platform for students and professors to communicate and express ideas. There is no single tool to extend professional learning networks, and digital learning environments are characterized by information diversity. Moreover, it can best reflect the subject status of students, realize the will of independent learning, and find unlimited learning resources. Many network products spread information at a very fast speed, thus shortening the time for people to get information, thus greatly improving people’s work efficiency and learning efficiency.

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

Digital identity is our identity as a citizen in the digital world, which intuitively connects information to a physical person. Creating a reputation in the digital world depends on an active media landscape and digital footprint is equally important. Creating a reputation in the digital world depends on the active media field. In the online world, the more interactive and responsive you are, the more likely you are to attract the attention of others. For example, in Instagram, sharing your daily life with a positive attitude and radiating your natural charm can attract the follow of fans. Create an academic side on LinkedIn, where sharing your accomplishments and expertise is likely to catch the attention of a prospective employer.

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 believe that if employers search for my name on the Internet, they will probably find my information, but I don’t mind, because I’m optimistic and positive in my life when I present on social media, which will not bring bad impression to employers . At the same time, I believe that based on my personal account, they will know more about my personality and qualities, as well as my feedback to society.  As I mentioned earlier, I would prefer that they get to know  my academic side through relatively professional media like LinkedIn,  this is more conducive to discovering my degree of matching with the company.