Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course?
I think that PLNs can be especially helpful to learn more about your profession, and the different ways to do things. PLNs can serve as an extra resource for finding out different ways to apply your knowledge to different jobs as well. For example, as a psychology student, I have learned that a great way to use your degree can be through marketing techniques since we study different ways to grab people’s attention, and also how to shift people’s perspectives. This is something that I learned through a PLN and is not something that I would have thought of. Furthermore, PLN serves as a great way to help you apply what you know to different settings, helping to broaden your network. Additionally, PLNs help to keep you updated on new techniques and skills to use in your career, outside of an academic setting.
Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?
PLNs have the opportunity to be used in many different ways. People use them to learn more about interests, to find out news, and to connect with others to help with professional development. I know personally, I can use my PLN to connect with others when looking for professional jobs. When looking for jobs I will look on social media for announcements, but I also reach out to different companies that I am interested in working with, as well as reach out to people in my PLN to see if they know if anyone is hiring. Additionally, by having a PLN on social media I can showcase to others what I am capable of doing and what I can bring to a company. Furthermore, I can use my PLN to help with professional development, because by hiring me companies not only get my assets but also get my connections with other people, helping for further collaboration on ideas. So not only does my PLN help me find jobs, but it helps future employers’ benefit from my connections.
Hey Catrionaborys,
I really liked your blog post, keep up the good work! In the question “Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?”, you mentioned how you look on social media for job postings/announcements. This was a real eye opener for me, I’ve never really realized how much we depend on social media when it comes to finding jobs. It’s crazy to think about how much of a big role social media plays in our lives, be it professional or personal.