BLOG #2

Above is my Visitor and Resident Map, which demonstrates my daily usage of social media. According to the OLCC Research, being in resident mode means we will interact with people and leave our social traces. As you can see, I use a lot of chatting applications, such as Wechat and Whatsapp to stay connect with people. Also, banking applications are the other portion of leaving my social traces on the internet. When I am in resident mode, Google and AppleMusic are two applications that I use the most without interacting with others. For shopping applications like Taobao and Lululemon, I do not usually click the [Contact Us] bottom. Therefore, I put them in the visitor section.

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

I think most students will use LinkedIn and Facebook to develop their professional network. LinkedIn is one of the most wildly used platforms for people to find their careers. However, LinkedIn and Facebook are not the only approaches for professional use. Since many students rely heavily on social media and their accounts are sometimes linked to Twitter, Instagram, and even Youtube. In addition, these platforms are also an approach for people to promote themselves. For example, some employers (or brands even) would figure out who they choose by watching thousands of videos made by various YouTubers. Thus, I think those platforms should also be considered when students are developing their professional network nowadays. That also implies people should use social media more wisely and politely since online social traces can be permanent.

What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

As I mentioned before, digital platforms are a useful tool for students to expand their PLN by promoting themselves. Certainly, Youtube is not the only way. A social circle is an important idea. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram, also are important for expanding professional learning networks by allowing others to see your posts. Besides, you can choose to expand your social circle simply by adding groups on Discord, Wechat, and Mattermost. A larger social group may be helpful for your career. More importantly, I think people should treasure their classmates or friends in universities. The reason is you never know whether you are going to connect with or help each other in the future.

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

I usually create two accounts on each platform. One is for my close friends and family. For this type of accounts, I will set the account privately, which means people should visit by asking permission. The other is publicly accessible. My digital identity will be shown by my public account. For creating a digital identity, what I need to do is post general information on digital platforms. Comments are a huge source for people to have a brief idea of you before they dig deeper into your social accounts. Therefore, for having a good reputation, what we should do is sharing our opinions with respect.

Find out what a local employer would do if you applied for a job with them?

If I applied for a job, the first thing the employer would check is obviously my resume. This is the employer’s first impression. For better understanding each candidate, I think many employers would like to find out their future employees’ personalities, abilities, and character. Again, LinkedIn will be considered a useful reference for employers. Through LinkedIn, an employer will not only figure out his/her potential employees’ working experiences and abilities but more importantly social media accounts. Since an individual’s social account closely relates to his/ her digital identity (or even real-life identity), people should pay more attention while using social media.