Sandbox:Developing a Professional Profile

Introduction

An online identity is one of the more complex issues to tackle as it relates to digital competency. As Internet users we have developed an online identity in both passive and active ways. Simply by owning an networked computer we passively trail content with our IP address search history. Actively we participate in building our profile through social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more. The cultivation process of selecting information about ourselves to share on these sites is how we want to portray our identities to friends, family, strangers and often potential partners and colleagues. The issue of what we share and where becomes a difficult question as we think "who" we want to portray online.

"Individuals are multifaceted. Identity is prismatic..." _{(Christopher Poole, creator of 4Chan})

Poole correctly identifies one of the key issues of online identity. Who we are to friends, family, colleagues and strangers varies significantly. Add the internet as an intermediary between our interactions with these groups of people and what information we provide and how we interact can be affected. Think about it. Is your interaction with your family affected by the technology you use to communicate with them? Think about all forms of communication: email, images posted on Flickr or Instagram, comments or updates on Facebook.

Why does this matter when building a profile? When you are building a profile you need to ask yourself: What do I want people to think about me? This becomes especially important as you begin to think about developing a professional profile that is separate from your personal profile. Professional profiles have a very different set of "rules" when managing your identity. This unit will discuss some of the issues and tools used to develop a professional online identity.

Watch the following video introduction to learn about the unit expectations and requirements:

In Progress

Research Objects

There are numerous ways to approach the idea of online identity and profile development. On an academic or intellectual level, online identity raises questions about how the web has created a new social space that can either be a place where we replicate our in-person identity or develop a new identity due to the relative anonymity of the internet. The idea of an online identity in this respect has raised questions about reliability of identity development online and whether an online identity can provide a free space for exploration and expression of oneself.

In a more practical conversation about profile development, the use of online profiles have become a part of the job search and screening process for job seekers and employers. Traditionally the resume package was used as the sole device for making decisions about whether to employ individuals. With the increase in information about individuals becoming more easily available online, the process of job screening has begun to include a review of a candidates online identity, also know as their "digital tattoo."

The research tools listed below explore both the intellectual and practical aspects of profile development. Select the area you are most interested in exploring.

Research Objects Activity For this section of the unit: Rate 3 of your peers' professional profile research objects. Write one review of a professional profile research object provided. This can be a review of one of the objects listed here or an object provided by one of your peers. Find a new professional profile research object(s) and provide an analysis of the object.

Sample Research Objects

Intellectual Approach

Practical Approach

Tools

There are numerous online profile tools but each differ based on the following:

Identity
Social Group
Functionality

Many of the online profile tools represent different "facets" of your identity that you would place online (e.g. professional, personal, academic, etc.). Additionally social groups will provide different types of information in these profile tools depending on the purpose for the profile. For example, LinkedIn is for professional employment identity purposes. Finally, the functionality of the social tool will depend on the content need for presentation (e.g. previous work history, research and writing, etc.). This makes careful select of the tool important.

When reviewing the tools below, consider the following questions;

What kind of community has developed inside the tool?
What kind of information do users provide in their profiles?
Is there a merging of professional and personal identities in the profiles?
What kind of unique functions do you find when reviewing the tools?

Tools Activity For this section of the unit: Rate 3 of your peers' reviews of the professional profile tools. Write one review of a tool provided. This can be a review of one of the tools listed here or a tool mentioned by one of your peers. Find a new professional profile tool(s)and provide an analysis of the tool.

Sample Tools

Scholarly Profile

Scholars, academics and researchers use the following tools to highlight their academic identity. This will include publications, presentations, awards and distinctions, and current research interests.

Employment/Business Profile

These tools are used by business, prospective empolyers, employee associations and job seekers.

LinkedIn

Unified Web Profile

The unified we profile tools provide a simple landing page for all your social media content on a single webpage containing your profile. You can have several unified web profiles.

Use Cases

Now that you have an understanding of the tools and issues related to developing an online professional profile, the following use cases demonstrate the application of some of the tools. These use cases illustrate:

Best practices related to developing a professional profile
Comparative uses of similar profile tools
The benefits of merging and separating personal and professional profiles.

Use Case Activity For this section of the unit: Rate 3 of your peers professional profile use cases. Write a review of a use case provided. This can be a review of a use case listed here or a case mentioned by one of your peers. Create your own use case study by using a tool. Share a link and description of your professional profile object.

Sample Use Cases

References

Textual

Belmont, V. (n.d.). Veronica belmont. Retrieved from About.me website: http://about.me/veronica
Internet Society. (2013). Online identity overview. Retrieved from Internet Society website: http://www.internetsociety.org/online-identity-overview#overlay-context=
Henning, V. (n.d.). Victor henning. Retrieved from Mendeley website: http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/victor-henning/
Krotoski, A. (2012, April 19). Online identity: Is authenticity or anonymity more important? The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/19/online-identity-authenticity-anonymity
Online Identity. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity
Reppler. (2011, September 27). Managing your online image across social networks. Retrieved from The Reppler Effect website: http://blog.reppler.com/2011/09/27/managing-your-online-image-across-social-networks/
Vicknair,J., Elkersh,D., Yancey,K., & Budden, M. (2010). The use of social networking websites as a recruiting tool for employers. American Journal of Business Education, 3(11),7.

Video

Brenner, T. (2013, March 2). Digital Literacies - ETMOOC [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAvs13jgQjI&feature=youtu.be
Ostrow, A. (2011, August 1). TED Talks - After Your Final Status Update [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D03n5dAmBSE)
Wilkoff, B. (2013, March 2). Your Identity is Plural [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym-luruu6kY

Images

Reppler. (2011, September 27). Job Screening with Social Networks [infographic]. Retrieved from http://blog.reppler.com/2011/09/27/managing-your-online-image-across-social-networks/