get ahead - go digital
DESCRIPTION
Ben Cotton gave a presentation to academic staff at Leeds Met on the value of e-portfolios as a method of assessment and tool to record achievement.TRANSCRIPT
Get ahead – go digital
January 2010By Ben Cotton
[email protected]/bencottonwww.socialwebthing.comwww.linkedin.com/in/bencotton
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#LeedsMetLL
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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
www.twitter.com/bencotton
www.socialwebthing.com
www.linkedin.com/in/bencotton
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