Get Ahead - Go Digital

Get ahead – go digital January 2010 By Ben Cotton [email_address] www.twitter.com/bencotton www.socialwebthing.com www.linkedin.com/in/bencotton www .ben -cotton .com

#LeedsMetLL www .ben -cotton .com

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com PR Assessment
Presentations
Essays
Reports
Exams
Competitive pitch
Portfolio

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com Why go digital?
Something different
A challenge
Enhance with several forms of media
Potentially a much larger audience
Look professional
Easily updated

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com Digital Footprint

www .ben -cotton .com Personal SEO
March 2006, Business Week: ‘You Are What You Post’

www .ben -cotton .com Personal SEO

www .ben -cotton .com Result

www .ben -cotton .com 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?

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com 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.’

www .ben -cotton .com 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.’

www .ben -cotton .com Pitfalls
Client confidentiality
Personal privacy
Extremely public
Could look stupid and damage reputation

www .ben -cotton .com 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.’

www .ben -cotton .com 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.’

www .ben -cotton .com Result

www .ben -cotton .com Wadds online

www .ben -cotton .com 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.’

www .ben -cotton .com 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.’

www .ben -cotton .com 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

www .ben -cotton .com Q&A Any questions?

Thank you Contact details [email_address] www.twitter.com/bencotton www.socialwebthing.com www.linkedin.com/in/bencotton www .ben -cotton .com

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Get Ahead - Go Digital

by Ben Cotton

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