get ahead - go digital

Get ahead – go digital

January 2010By Ben Cotton

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Introduction• Studied BA (Hons) Public Relations and graduated in 2008

• Currently on Leeds Met’s Graduate Trainee programme

• Worked in the Leeds Met press office, Yorkshire CCC PR dept and PR research centre

• Recently accepted a role at Edelman

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PR Assessment

• Presentations

• Essays

• Reports

• Exams

• Competitive pitch

• Portfolio

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A bit of background

• PR e-portfolios were unprecedented in the UK

• Robert French of Auburn University was a pioneer

• Encouraged by lecturer

• Spoke to Auburn University students

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Portfolios

• Portfolio is a PR course requirement – 15 items with rationale

• Have been common in creative industries for years

• Bridge the gap between academic and practical

• Boost employability

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Why go digital?

• Something different

• A challenge

• Enhance with several forms of media

• Potentially a much larger audience

• Look professional

• Easily updated

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Electronic vs. Paper

• No paper vs. lots and lots of paper

• Cheap vs. some expense

• Demonstrate web 2.0 skills vs. cutting and sticking

• Email link vs. show hard copy

• Stand out from the crowd vs. follow the crowd

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Digital Footprint

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Personal SEO

• March 2006, Business Week: ‘You Are What You Post’

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Personal SEO

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Result

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Then I thought…

• I really enjoyed making my e-portfolio

• I’m actually really interested (I surprised myself!) in them

• I want to find out more

• What can I do?

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The answer

• In February 2009 I wrote an article for Behind the Spin magazine

• I carried out interviews with PR senior managers, academics, graduates and current students

• Finding out their opinion on e-portfolios

• Benefits, pitfalls, anecdotes and words of advice

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Academic Perspective

Robert French, Auburn University:

• E-portfolios give you a broader audience

• Allow you to illustrate skills in an online environment

• Make the interactive process faster via email, chat and social networking sites

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Academic Perspective

Karen Russell, Georgia University:

‘They also show creativity and initiative on the student’s part. So even if those particular skills aren’t needed, the applicant might gain from being seen as a person with those qualities.’

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Employer Perspective

Stephen Waddington, MD Speed Communications:

‘e-portfolios are a superb shop window into an individual’s skills and expertise. They enable a student to demonstrate the extent of their knowledge in an open and transparent way.’

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Pitfalls

• Client confidentiality

• Personal privacy

• Extremely public

• Could look stupid and damage reputation

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Graduate Perspective

Dave Turnbull, Skywrite Communications Graduate:

‘I believe that being able to produce something a little different, whilst also demonstrating proficiency with technology is something that appeals to employers.’

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Student Perspective

Emma Long, Leeds Met final year student:

‘I would like to think that an e-portfolio will give me a competitive edge – whether it be showing a good use of new media skills or simply because employers are able to see a sample of work a lot sooner.’

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Result

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Result

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Wadds online

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Employer Tip!

Roger Warner, MD Content & Motion:

‘To really impress, why not give a presentation of your e-portfolio and show results using a combination of Google Analytics, press cuttings and testimonials.’

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Employer Tip!

Stephen Waddington, MD Speed Communications:

‘Inevitably employers are using Google as a personal reputation engine and scrutinising these types of sites to review an individual’s career history and work ahead of hiring an individual.’

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Conclusions

• E-portfolios will not replace hard copy portfolios – just supplement the recruitment process

• Consensus was ‘although an e-portfolio won’t get you the job on its own – it could certainly be a deciding factor’

• Nobody thought e-portfolios were a bad idea

• It’s not just about e-portfolios – it’s about being active across a range of social media

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Q&A

Any questions?

Thank you

Contact details

contact@ben-cotton.com

www.twitter.com/bencotton

www.socialwebthing.com

www.linkedin.com/in/bencotton

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