V&R Map

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

There are several digital platforms which allows students to develop their own professional network. First of all, LinkedIn enables students to present their professional profile and build relationship with their precedents. Second, twitter is effective for students to get in touch with some famous figures who may be willing to share their own experience and knowledge. Third, Whats App, the chatting service software, is also an essential platform because it contains our friends, teachers, classmates and so on. In this way, it’s beneficial in retaining the existing professional ties.

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

To expand their professional learning network, the students can participate in career related forum or discussion group. Nowadays, people are all eager to communicate with people who share some similarities with themselves. Thus, it would be easy to find some online discussion group. Once entered the group, the students can exchange ideas with other students who are aimed at the same kind of job or their precedents who can offer some suggestions or even job opportunities.

• How does data privacy and security limit and/or promote a PLN?

Close attention to data privacy on one hand can prevent people from being trapped and utilized, however, on the other hand, it may hinder sincere conversations. It has been revealed that many digital platforms are actually collecting user’s data. Being analyzing such information, the company can depict the user’s relationship network and provide targeted advertisements to the users. However, if we are afraid of being devalued as a group of data for the big companies and thus completely shut ourselves from the online interactions we may lose more.

• Question: Discover what an employer would find based on your V+R Map if you applied for a job with them?

I think what visitor and resident map can expose is our time arrangement, lifestyle preference, and professional presence. If my employer checks my map, he would find that most of my time is devoted to the learning and working process because I am a resident for the platforms of kindle and pages. He may also find that I have enough passion for my own life and keeps exploring possibilities of my own lifestyle.

• V&R Map