If your PLN can be used to help professional development post-course? Can you leverage your PLN in future endeavours?

There is a saying that says “its all about who you know”. With that being said I think it is very true and that by having any extensive PLN it could open up possibilities for future endeavours. Having many connections on the one hand gives you the opportunity to help people reach their goals by introducing them to new people, as well as on the other hand  can also allow you to use who you know to help you get places as well. Del Giudice (2014), states that in todays world communicational technology have a remarkable impact on our culture and the way we interact with each other. So this whole idea of online digital networking makes up a huge part of people being able to fulfil goals and find out about different career opportunities. For instance we can consider that after taking this course, we have just expanded our PLN. The course gave us the opportunity to collaborate and work with new people as well gain knowledge from the guest speakers who came into class. Down the line these connections that we made could be useful contacts, when trying to figure out our direction.

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities and on which platform does your emerging expertise get good exposure?

Yes I do believe that your PLN can be relied on to open professional opportunities. Again it is all about who you know and trying to emerge yourself in situations where people are going to push your learning and be able to offer you assistance and guidance. When thinking about what kind of platform could help you get good exposure for your expertise I think it depends on what you are looking for. An example would be Instagram.  That platform is no longer only about posting pictures for fun; there are people that are Instagram influencers. These people build up a following for themselves and then partner with different brands and promote their products, services or even vacation destinations. It has become a whole new kind of job. Not to the same extent, level or degree as that but I have experienced it in a small way. Where occasionally I have had clothing or jewelry brands like the pictures that I post and want me to be brand ambassador where I wear their product and tag them in my post in order for others to see and a way to get their name out there. 

With consideration to the reading and video interview, how do you ensure that you expand your PLN via social media platforms into spaces that may be outside of your comfort zone?

Sometimes going outside of your comfort zone can bring up many opportunities that you didn’t for see yourself getting into. It was very interesting to hear Amber Glauser talk about how her goal and passion in life was to be a nurse and be there to help others. She never expected herself to transition and become a representative of the technology world. But soon after she was in it she realized that there was an opportunity to combine what she loved doing (being a nurse) with this new world. It gave her the ability to be the voice and advocate for her patients because she knew what worked and didn’t work for them. She could take her background knowledge to the tech companies and steer them in a direction that would benefit both parties. It is very interesting that by being open and stepping outside of your comfort zone you can create a space for new learning and almost bring together two worlds. 

References 

Del Giudice M. (2014) From Information Society to Network Society: The Challenge. In: Social Media and Emerging Economies. SpringerBriefs in Business. Springer, Cham. https://doi-org.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/10.1007/978-3-319-02490-5_5

EDCI 338 A01 (2020, Nov 15) Glauser, A. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiWaXNfnHAg&feature=youtu.be