V and R Mapping.

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

For the past years social media has became not only platforms for entertainment but also for improving professional network. One of the most famous is LinkedIn, which lets students show their professional side and portray how much skills they have acquired. But lately a lot of students use their Instagram’s accounts to show their serious and professional digital identity. Instagram is a great tool to promote your business and your PLN. Through Instagram it is easier to find professional connections or people with the similar goals and profiles as you.


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

Based on Brown, “Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) are
defined as any group who engage in collaborative learning with
others outside of their everyday community of practice…”(2019). As a student it is important to search for the educational organizations and groups through social media such as: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or any private websites that are available in your country. Those organizations should be aligned to your personal beliefs and career field you are looking for. Finding accounts of those professionals and following their blogs would bring a lot of benefits to your career path. There are many ways of connecting with people, who can improve and help your PLN. One of the ways is based on my own experience of expanding my PLN. Before Covid, I attended a lot of exhibitions at Canada Place in Vancouver to built professional connections with people who share similar interest as me. Those exhibitions were listed in the website and in that website you already make connections with various companies by chatting with them and exchanging information.


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

When the first step is done finding out your PLN, next step would be keeping your digital identity clean and reputable. By that means, posting and sharing relatable content, posts that are respectable, interesting and intellectual. And extra advantage would be having an influential person following your blog or social media. This can hugely help you to create a digital identity.


●  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?

There are settings in your accounts to allow people see limited information or the information you let them see. But it is better to separate your personal account from professional as it can hinder the opportunity of employment. Sometimes some people have two accounts: one for professional use that let employer to search and view your skills and profile, second is for family and friends. Another solution is regularly filter what you post to keep your digital identity reputable.

Reference

Brown, C. (2019). Exploring the current context for professional learning networks, the conditions for their success, and research needs moving forwards. Emerald Open Research, 1, 1. https://doi.org/10.12688/emeraldopenres.12904.1