Personal Web Presence

Questions (write a paragraph in response to each of these):

Describe what a successful, effective web presence means for a professional in your chosen field. What might a prospective employer look for online about you? What kinds of information and what qualities might they hope to find? And what might you be expected to compose online in order to advance in your profession?

A successful and effective web presence in my chosen field would be one that demonstrates that I am computer-savvy. It would also show that I have an interest in keeping up with technology. An employer might look to see if I participate in blogs or forums pertaining to what’s new in classroom technology for example. Employers would look to see if I maintain a personal/professional website which can show my interest in technology.

How would you describe your web presence?

Do you write on Facebook or twitter with prospective employers in mind? Do you have an active LinkedIn account? Do you maintain a personal or professional website/blog? Do you participate in any professional online communities?

I would describe my web presence as being very weak in substance. My current job doesn’t require me to do much public facing tasks so very little has been done in my creating a personal web presence. I do however update parts of the department’s wiki page and our content management system. I have a personal Facebook page which is mainly used to keep in touch with distant family members. My twitter and LinkedIn accounts are not used or updated. I have not found the need or interest until now to create a personal or professional website/blog nor do I participate in any online

communities.

What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses when it comes to building and keeping a professional web presence?
My IT background has given me skills I can use to create a digital web presence as well as maintaining it. For example I am tasked with modifying and maintaining different pages of my company’s website and wiki. One weaknesses of mine would be in the design and content I would want to display on my personal web site. My lack of creative thinking hinders my desire to build a professional web presence. I have not been big on writing so I would consider my technical writing skills to have been a weakness (This class has gone a long way in improving my writing and my confidence in it so this is not as much a weakness now). Another weakness that has hindered my building of a web presence is that I am a private person and feel uncomfortable posting things about myself even in a professional context.

What steps might you take to strengthen your professional presence online, if anything?
I would start by creating a basic web page and populating it with a small amount of information. I might even use it to reference public information about my current job like links pointing to Colorado school of mines CCIT page. Which is one of the pages I help to maintain. I would also populate my LinkedIn account with at least my professional related information. And as my comfort in having a Web identity grows I might participate in an IT related blog or two.

Do you think it’s important for employers to seek out information about possible employees online? Why or why not?
I think seeking out information online is a great tool to gather additional information about the potential candidate but I think the information should carry very little weight in determining a person’s qualification for the job (unless the position directly has to do with online work). I feel that there are valid reasons why a person may not choose to have much of an online presence and that it shouldn’t be frowned on if they don’t. Some older generations might be willing to adapt to changing technology but still prefer to separate there private life from the public. I feel that a person’s resume should speak louder and carry more weight. The candidate may feel more comfortable providing the employer with much more details then he/she would want posted on the web.

What sort of image would you like to project to possible employers? (Think about personal as well as professional qualities). How can online media help you project that image?
It’s important to me to project an image of professionalism and a strong since of work ethics to a potential employer. I also would like to show competence in my area of expertise. A professional web page detailing your skills and work experience can show an employer that you are professional and have a passion for your work. Having an up to date LinkedIn page will also provide the employer with your career interests and work ethics.