using professional online presences to enhance computing student employability
DESCRIPTION
This presentation, from the HEA STEM Conference 2013, reports on work undertaken at Birmingham City University, showing how students can become more employable by creating professional presences to represent themselves in the online world.TRANSCRIPT
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?