All coming to an end...

Well this is my last blog post for ALES 204 but good news is I think I am going to continue a personal blog to keep in touch with some friends in other places. I found blogging a great way to share information, and fast! Instead of writing 10 different e-mails or messages to friends that all same similar things, I can just post it all on a blog and share the link with them and they can comment in return! My views regarding social media have definitely been changed, and for the better! First I would like to confess I absolutely love Twitter. It is fun to follow people and it is fun just to say "I'm twittering" or "hold on I just need to tweet". I found it nifty that I could follow conferences, papers, professionals and have them - the professionals such as RD's - tweet back to me or follow me because they liked my tweets! I think it is a great form of communication and you should sign up if you haven't already!

Here is a link to a great twitter funny: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guillaumebrunet/3651935557/
(I do not have permission to post the photo, but I can the the link)

I really enjoyed how Dr. Laccetti showed us how to use social media educationally and professionally. I feel this is one of the most useful courses I have taken in University. There is not one thing I learnt in the course that I didn't find applicable to my education or future professional career. I think Dr. Laccetti did a great job at revamping the course and overcame quite a feat! Learning how to make and present powerpoint presentations was one the best things I learnt and I actually applied it to some other courses this term.

When I read Erin's last blog post I really agree with what she said about the future of social media. Whether you agree with it or not, it is here to stay.  And due to the ever changing methods of communicating, it is important for individuals to keep an open mind when it comes to these changes. So often we say "no" to changes but the most important value I learnt this term is embracing changes, creates opportunities. Realizing the opportunities you can create for yourself by communicating with others and sharing your qualities, experiences and interests is important to your success in the future. However it is important to keep in mind it could also lead to failure sharing inappropriate information or pictures that leave you with a tarnished image. What you put on the internet will forever be on there, so remember to be careful!

Figure 1. http://www.onbile.com/info/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/social-media-images.jpg. Retrieved April 13, 2012.

I look forward to using the skills I learnt in the class throughout the rest of my Nutrition and Food degree and into my career!

The following classmates also provide insight to me and shared similar views and for that I have commented on their blogs:

Clara T
Cassandra H
Tess Beaton
Rheon Fisher
Erin Hyrcan

LinkedIn...to the future

Learning about LinkedIn, is probably one of the most useful business-type media tools to know about. It is a website designed to all individuals to build professional networks. The networks that can be built can be for business ventures, business opportunities, potential employers, potential employee, education and many more options. The website provides articles in a news feed that are personalized to you, based upon the information that is provided in your LinkedIn profile. Because I am a student studying nutrition and food, and will soon be looking for a job, the articles they provide in my feed are job interview tips and what to look for in employers, as well as health, wellness and fitness articles. They also reference industries that I may be interested in knowing more about based off my LinkedIn profile.

Learning in ALES 204 about LinkedIn I now have a new resource to help me find a job when I graduate. I can use the website in the mean time to build a professional network within the industry of my choice and hopefully will have many options and guidance about what I am looking for in a specific career.

Before LinkedIn I just relied on my resume and on website such as www.kijiji.com, www.edmontonjobshop.ca, etc, but because of ALES 204 I am realizing there are SO many more options...options that to me are so helpful and wonderful! There are also other resources to use to create professional profiles and networks. Stace K in my ALES 204 class wrote a good blog about the use of Facebook and had a great link in it about how employers use Facebook. Her website is http://stace-k.blogspot.ca/

Since I am currently working on my LinkedIn profile, I do not have very much information on it yet. I am looking forward to adding and building to it, and hope I can build a great network of people around me that are just as passionate about their interests as I am about mine.Who knows maybe I'll find my future employer on there?

http://jorgensundberg.net/sites/default/files/linkedin.png