Using Professional Online Presences To Enhance Computing Student Employability

Thomas Lancaster

“So What?” Employability

3

Good Degree Classification?

Well-Prepared Application Form?

Solid Performance During Job Selection Process?

University Provided Support And Training?

Minimal Expectations For A Job Career?

4

Work Experience

Assignments Simulating Industry

Industrial Sandwich Year Placements

Participation In Student Competitions

Portfolio Of Work

Freelance Experience

Vendor Certifications

Interest In Computing Outside The Classroom

Experience With The Latest Technologies

Participation Towards Open Source Projects

Evidence Of Entrepreneurship

Project Tailored Towards Employment

More Advanced Expectations?

5

http://www-05.ibm.com/employment/uk/graduate-programmes/apply/index.shtml

How Do Students Communicate This?

6

Not Enough (For Computing?)

http://mashable.com/2011/10/23/how-recruiters-use-social-networks-to-screen-candidates-infographic

7

Application Forms?

Positive Online Presence

9

Be aware of how they are perceived online

Take control of the information that is publicised about them

Direct employers towards the view of them that they want them to have

Claim ownership of the valuable social media properties associated with them

Ensure that they are findable (to receive opportunities)

Be required to develop themselves into a brand

Develop a Professional (Online) Presence(=web + social media)

Students Need To…

10

Computing Professionals Do This…

http://www.tubblog.co.uk/

11

Academics Do This…

http://thomaslancaster.co.uk

http://thomaslancaster.co.uk/blog

12

Students Do This…

http://www.ashleyksmith.com/

13

And Also…

http://www.adamtsmith.co.uk/

http://www.alaurentiu.com/

http://ayeshaprofessionalpresence.webnode.com/

14

Or They Use Third Party Services…

http://www.linkedin.com/in/rizhwan

http://portfolio.bcu.ac.uk/user/view.php?id=59163

Teaching Professional Presences

16

2nd year module (taken over a full academic year on BSc Computer Science and BSc Business Information Technology)

15 credits

72 students registered (5 teaching groups)

26 weeks – 90 minutes per week

Part employability + Part research/project skills

Data collected relates to the 2011-2012 academic year

Professional Practice UG2

17

Employability Content

Week

Topic Week Topic

1 Online Professional Representation

5 Personal Development Planning

2 The Placement Selection Process

6 Assessment Centre Simulation

3 CV Writing And Application Forms

7 Time Management And Planning

4 Aptitude Tests 8 Interview Techniques

18

Create a Professional Online Presence (one site of your choice)

Should support placement and job applications (encourage real life use)

Should show creativity (answer “so what?”)

Include:

Appropriate information

CV

2 year Personal Development Plan

Assignment Requirements

19

The Students See…

What Do Students Think?

21

“i think my skills are better and i think that i can offer more than any other candidate for a job.”

“Very aware of privacy and security concerns, try to avoid identifying myself on many websites or other internet analogues (USENET, etc) Tend to identify more with non-identifying username for privacy.”

“Most the efforts I have made to become more ‘employable’ have come from activities outside of university that have no link to it.”

“I've managed to get a placement at a Digital Marketing company in Birmingham Science Park whilst studying at BCU.”

Before Teaching… (59 responses)

22

“I feel I am now professionally minded and have more a professinal online presence than the last time I took the questionnaire.”

Post Teaching… (39 responses)

0%

20%

40%

60%

0.00%7.69%

64.10%

23.08%

5.13%

How employable do you feel you are right now?

23

Would You Like To Take A Placement Year?

Yes No0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

79.66%

66.67%

20.34%

33.33%

Pre Teaching Post Teaching

24

How Many Placement Applications Have You Made?

0 1-3 4-6 7-9 10+0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100% 94.92%

5.08%0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

46.15%

28.21%

15.38%

7.69%2.56%

Pre Teaching Post Teaching

25

Which Professional Presence Elements Do You Have?

Facebook LinkedIn Website0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

71.19%

6.78%

15.25%

74.36%

66.67%

41.03%

Pre Teaching Post Teaching

26

How Professional Would People Perceive You To Be After Searching For You On The Internet?

very

unp

rofe

ssio

nal

unpr

ofes

sion

al

neith

er u

npro

fess

iona

l nor

pro

fess

iona

l

prof

essio

nal

very

pro

fess

iona

l0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

10.17%13.56%

54.24%

16.95%

5.08%0.00%

10.26%

48.72%

30.77%

10.26%

Pre Teaching Post Teaching

What Do We Think?

28

Convincing students to own their web site (students who did generally got higher marks)

Encouraging “willingness to relocate” for home students for placements

Encouraging International students to participate with the entire placements and employability agenda

Convincing students to leave their Professional Presences available online after assessments

Providing opportunities for students to continue to develop their Professional Presences

Integrating Professional Presences into more courses and beyond the Computing discipline

Key Challenges

Further Resources

30

HEA Computing 2012 Workshop

“Enhancing The Employability Of Computing Students Through An Online Professional Presence”

http://www.bcu.ac.uk/tee/events/previous-events/employability-workshop

Contains copies of talks and set of teaching materials

Workshop Resources

31

HEA Computing 2013 Workshop

“Professional Presences for Academics”

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/2013/9-May-Birmingham-STEM

Thursday 9 May 2013

Birmingham City University

Upcoming Workshop

Any Questions?