The Presentation of Self: Performance Distinction between LinkedIn & an E-portfolio Folayemi Akinbolaji Writing with New Media

Self-presentation Online Understanding what it means to present yourself online  What does self presentation mean? A process of controlling how one is perceived by other people.  Self-presentation varies among different social media platforms but everyone who participates in social media, practices presentation of self.  LinkedIn is a social media platform geared towards professionals in various degrees or fields.  With LinkedIn, users are able to present themselves in a businesslike and professional manner for others to see.

The Project The goal of this project is to understand how to present yourself in a professional manner using two social platforms to make that happen. LinkedIn, a social media platform geared towards professionals and those seeking to gain professionalism or employment in their field of study. An E-portfolio, an institutional platform that affords students from particular institutions to showcase their work over the course of their college career. By using these two social platforms, I have presented myself in such a manner that helps me to produce an e-magazine that college students can use to model after what I have done. The purpose of the project is for others to gain an understanding of how to put themselves out there in a professional light.

The Timeline  Week 1: Create my LinkedIn account. Learn the ropes in understanding what is essential to include in my profile (such as profile picture, summary, groups, connections, etc.)  Week 2: Work on my e-portfolio more by updating my content, photos, and layout. Choose a software to begin working on producing my e-magazine  Week 3: Meet with a member of the Professional Development team that can be helpful in implementing worthy professional content onto my LinkedIn account. Take pictures to include into the e-magazine that way everything is my own.  Week 4: Begin asking friends/family/ professors to compare my presentation in reality vs. LinkedIn profile to help me further create my “How To” e-magazine

Affordances of being a Member of the LinkedIn World Because LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site, it affords college students the ability to see job opportunities and to obtain them.  LinkedIn allows its users to create a list of "connections“ which can improve a person’s credibility. Likewise employers use LinkedIn to their advantage by searching for potential employees.  Joining groups and participating within those groups aids in making additional connection with other professionals.

The Success of the Project  My e-magazine (which is still in the works) will have visuals of exemplary work that will advocate for the guidelines I have come up with, benefiting college students.  Having the advice/feedback from professors/employers who know the skill of being professional and what is primarily being advocated for in a college student such as:  Maintaining composure when challenged  Speaking and writing in a manner appropriate to the audience (e.g., different levels of formality in different contexts)  Being receptive to feedback and constructive criticism (e.g., a willingness to learn and improve)  Respecting others’ professional position, particularly those in authority (e.g., referencing people formally unless instructed otherwise)  Being on time  Being prepared for the task at hand  Using what I’ve learned to find employment/internship/or volunteer work that pertains to my field of study

Conclusion As this is the last week of my project, I am looking to get feedback from peers, family, professors, and friends about how they see me in person and online. The same will go for my e-portfolio site. I will lastly work on all photos that will be included in the magazine as well as all content to be featured. Finally, I want all final projects of each class I have taken this semester to reflect into my e-portfolio. What necessary steps need to be taken in order for a college student to present their self on a platform like an e-portfolio?