Kirsty Burnside

What is this lecture all about?

In week six of my Personal Development and Employability module at Liverpool JMU, lecturer Gemma Dale presented a lecture on effective CV’s. She explains:

• The basis of a cv
• Personal Statement
• What qualifications, experience, additional information
• Finally, top tips for the perfect cv.

An effective CV, short for curriculum vitae, is a personal marketing document used to market yourself to prospective employers. It should demonstrate your professional history, skills, abilities, achievements and a small summary about yourself. Ultimately, it should feature why you’re the elite individual for the job.

Why I wanted to complete this lecture?

I decided to participate within this lecture as a curriculum vitae is essential when applying for jobs. With bearing the end of my studies and opening opportunities in the business world. I thought it would be ideal to strengthen my current CV as it outlines details that Gemma told us to avoid in a professional CV.

My intake and feedback from this lecture

I feel that the overall presentation of this lecture was fruitful, Gemma’s delivery was clear and direct, she explained the core aspects efficiently and explained in detail how to successfully update our CVs. This lecture has provided me with greater knowledge that previously I didn’t know.

I feel like I have learned a lot from this lecture as it has given me a basis of what is essential to include and also provide us with two different templates and an ideal professional example of what needs to be included.  I also feel the tips she provided, that I wasn’t known of such as Date of Birth, not including a picture and finally including professional social media links such of Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Overall, I don’t feel like I had any sort of negative experience with this lecture although the only concern I had was Gemma didn’t discuss how to create a professional cover letter.

The above outdated CV is completely unprofessional and doesn’t meet any of the tips and discussion that Gemma explained within the lecture. Such as;

• 2 pages maximum
• Includes a DOB
• Includes social media links
• Includes hobbies
• Includes references
• Personal statement is unprofessional

After attending this lecture, I decided to amend and enhance my cv for the purpose of applying for graduate jobs. In addition to this I contacted a family friend who specialises in human resources and recruiting, they have kindly agreed to assess my curriculum vitae and present me with ideal chances to enhance it. This will in turn prepare me to explore and apply for ideal marketing jobs. (I am currently waiting to meet with Jade, although due to Covid-19, this has been delayed.) Due to the delay I took it upon myself to research ideal professional CVs and create a draft awaiting my meeting with Jade.

This lecture was presented in Liverpool JMU by lecturer Gemma Dale, she explained in detail the ways in which to present, top tips and how to create the perfect elevator pitch. It was presented through an eye catching powerpoint, shown in brief below;

As well as the presentation, Gemma also showed us a TedTalk by Briar Goldberg on various steps before presenting, it is a small article going into further detail about the audience, their goals and also explains about communication is the key to success. This tied in with Gemma presentation perfectly.

A Youtube Video called “Death by Powerpoint” was also presented to us, this explained the correct and incorrect ways to create a perfect powerpoint, with techniques such as more pictures than words, colours of the slides and also font size.

Gemma also presented how to create a perfect elevator pitch, she included the following key points: Short description•Who you are•Your key skills•Your qualifications•Why someone should hire you•Put it into one, good quality slide.

Overall as always Gemma presented the lecture well, providing knowledge on important aspects of business that is essential for the future. She kept us all in tact by mixing it up with both videos and not talking continually. The top tips were brief but explained in clear detail all the different aspects to present with impact and keep to audience enhanced. As a whole i don’t think i could comment on a negative experience, i feel i have gained new skills that i will need to build and enhance for my professional future, as i would like to go into the world of marketing or potentially become a teacher in the near future.

After attending this lecture, i researched various online MOOC’s provided on FutureLearn, ‘Presenting your work with impact’ is one of the courses available which is a two week course. After the completion of University work i am going to complete this, although the skills gained within this lecture, i will use in other modules when presenting powerpoint presentations, this will be very effective in the undergoing of my Business Consultancy module.

Tell Me More….

I recently attended a wellbeing at work lecture within my Personal Development and Employability Module, within Liverpool John Moores University. It was conducted by Lecturer Gemma Dale.                                                                                                                                                                                     Gemma went into detail on the 6 dimensions of health, work life balance, situational factors and wellbeing, individual differences and also how to create a personal wellbeing plan.

What is Mental Health?

Mental Health refers to our cognitive, behavioural and emotional wellbeing, it is all about how we think, feel and behave. The term mental health is sometimes used to mean an absence of a mental disorder. Mental Health can affect many aspects such as daily life, relationships and even physical health.

Examples of Mental Health

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Bipolar Disorder
• Eating Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Schizophrenia
• Substance Abuse & Addiction

My Involvement and Feedback from this Lecture.

This lecture was of interest, as I personally suffer from mental health issues. I not only thought it would be of value to gain knowledge for the future but to also share experiences with others.  As a final year student, I would like to fall into the world of marketing, therefore engaging in this lecture, provides myself with valuable knowledge to approach employability with an open mind. In today’s society, work and home life balance is a struggle for most, therefore your personal wellbeing at work is critical.

Gemma stated, ‘Wellbeing is where each individual realises their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to their community.’

During this lecture, Gemma made everyone feel comfortable and settled, as well as reassuring us through different activities such as the ‘what’s in your bucket’ and ‘the wheel of LIFE balance’ exercises, that there is different ways of approaching stress and mental health issues, through being resilient, resting, exercing, healthy eating and ensuring us to continually connect with others.

Before participating in this lecture, I was hesitant on the overall outcome, although after attending, it has made me open my eyes to the overall topic of wellbeing, I feel that personally I don’t cope according to the various aspects of my life, i.e work life stress, dealing with University and other personal problems, although Gemma has provided evidence that with being positive, resilient and taking a step back will open my eyes in a different light.

After attending this lecture, I have realised that individual differences such as personality and self-esteem can have a direct effect on stress outcomes not only in a place of work but in personal life. This is due to individuals reacting in distinctive ways, therefore I have decided to complete my personal wellbeing plan.  Thus completing research, I also felt it was beneficial to look at the impact social media has on wellbeing, this will be discussed within an additional blog.

Within the module I am currently sitting, lecturer Gemma Dale presented to us the use of Social Media Professionally, as my overall blog has the basis of social media and how to present yourself in a professional manner, i though that it would be ideal to present my understanding of this lecture within a post. Gemma highlighted on three parts within this lecture: why is social media important, platforms and tips for success.

Importance of social media

Firstly Gemma presented a short 3 minute video by Erik Qualman, it illustrates key facts and provides a wide eye opener on how Social Media affects the public. One key part of the video stood out for me the most “53% of millenniums would rather loose their sense of smell, than their technology”

Platforms

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Tips for Success

Gemma presented a list of twelve tips for successful use of professional social media. These are as follows;

• Personally Policy
• Get the image right
• Write your elevator pitch
• Pick your platforms
• Decide on your message and audience
• Play to your strengths
• Have dialogue
• Be yourself
• Get involved
• Share often and usefully
• Stay Safe
• Have a plan

My intake and feedback from this lecture.

Overall i feel the presentation of this lecture was effective and had clear understanding. Gemma’s delivery was casted efficiently to the group, she introduced all the core aspects and provided me with knowledge i was unaware of.

I feel that this lecture has clearly defined the importance of social media and opened my eyes on how businesses use social media. It’s an overwhelming statistic that 90% of employers use social media platforms to hirer individuals. Gemma also showcased her own LinkedIn and personal twitter, so we would catch a feel for how an effective social media platform operate, this give me the base to correct my profile. Overall, I don’t feel like I had any sort of negative experience with this lecture although I fell we should have focused in more on the hiring process through social media, a guest speaker or a business owner to display what employers look for in candidates.

What is the MOOC all about?

Digital Skills: Social Media is an online course available on Future Learn. The course is run by Accenture PLC, an Irish-dominated professional service company, that provides services in strategy, consulting, digital technology and operations.  This two-week course accommodates core learning outcomes with both lectures and online exams to benefit individuals. These cover;

• An explanation of social media, building and enhancing your brand, the utmost platform suited for myself.
• How social media is relevant for businesses.
• The importance of social media strategy

Why did I choose to complete this?

As explained in blog one social media is websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

 I choose to participate within this course, as I wanted to self-educate on the world of social media both personally and professionally, as stated in MOOC 1, social media platforms are rapidly evolving therefore keeping up to date and gaining knowledge on areas I am unsure of will benefit me in the future.

My involvement within the course

Overall my impression of the course was a success, I intensely enjoyed taking the time to complete this course, I feel that I have gained knowledge on both professional and personal social media platforms, it has opened my eyes on what target markets I should focus on for both my accounts and overall give me the basis to successfully update my social media.

They introduced learners to Jay a motivational and lifestyle vlogger, he worked within digital strategy and innovation, his job was to market to business owners the value of latest technology, he introduced how crucial social media was both personally and professionally within the lecture expanding on how important social media was for gaining employability. The only downfall of this, was that Jay was only shown within one lecture, I felt that if Accenture continued to use the same motivational speakers throughout it would have engaged users exceedingly.

Another positive of this MOOC was the lecturer choose to give feedback under each individual assessment question explaining the importance of social media platform. I achieved an overall of 80% within these examinations.

Since completion, I have again reviewed my LinkedIn profile, as on week two this discussed both the use and importance of LinkedIn and Twitter. I also decided to activate a professional Twitter account, as when engaging with the course it gave the following top tips to effectively start up, these are as follows 1. Engage and follow, 2. Interact, 3. Listen and Manage.

What is this MOOC all about?

Creating a Professional Online Presence is an online course available on Future Learn. The course is run by professionals from the University of Leeds. This two-week course contains core learning outcomes with both lectures and online exams to benefit individuals. These cover;

• An explanation of professional online presence, benefits, direct and indirect activities.
• How to evaluate and improve your personal professional presence.
• Effective communication strategies and comparing of different social media platforms.

Within the MOOC, you can evaluate your progress each week via the progress button, where it informs learners of results and provides material for the next week.

Why did I choose to complete this?

In today’s society, the use of social media platforms is rapidly growing, businesses are evolving and enhancing on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Thus completing this course will benefit how I present myself in a professional light and increase future employability.

As a Final Year student bearing near to the end of my studies, employability is a huge concern, due to this I felt it was adequate to update and enhance my skills on social media, as I only use It for a personal benefit, not professionally and I am not entirely sure the sufficient way to do so.

My Involvement within the Course.

Overall my perception of the course was a success, I thoroughly enjoyed taking part and fell that I have gained skills and knowledge for the future. It has enlightened my perception of social media, that it can be used in a professional way.

Within the course we had to complete a plan based on how to improve our online presence with the content already provided, I achieved a score of 80%, as I went into detail on the consideration of LinkedIn and twitter, as well as the to start a blog due to my interest in Marketing/ Digital Marketing. I have always struggled with LinkedIn, as I was never entirely sure how to connect with professionals, what to say/ approach them but this course provided me with the confidence and information on how to do so through a short five-minute video.

I also feel that completing the course online at my own pace was a successful attribute, as a busy young lady I could fit this extra learning into my everyday life.

The only concern I had while accomplishing this course, was the comment box, it was considered as a ‘useful learning technique’ although the delay on replying from the lectures was lengthily, they also didn’t answer in an experienced way,  it was disconnected  and rushed, as if they didn’t want to be disturbed.

Since completion, I have reviewed my LinkedIn profile, updating areas such as; my bio, expanding my achievements, work experience, considered taking a amassed professional photo. I also have taken apon myself to become more involved and active within LinkedIn, show casing recent achievements, such as this course and the consideration of evolving in the world of Digital Marketing.

I have also recently constructed a professional twitter account, separate from my personal account, to follow inspirational and professional users, this will inturn benefit my employability in the future as I am making connections with the society of marketing.

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So what really is Social Media?

Maya E Dollarhide indicates “Social Media is computer based technology that facilitates the use of sharing ideas, thoughts and information through the building of virtual networks and communities” This gives the initial though of is social media just a basis for communication technologically?

In my own opinion, i feel social media in today’s society is a variety of platforms for the means of communication, network career opportunities, finding people with similar interests, sharing thoughts, feelings insight and emotions. It isn’t just for finding and communicating with friends and family, social media can be used professionally to showcase individual’s key skills and interest, for businesses and professionals to connect for careers.

Social Media History

When did Social Media really start evolving?

From early 20th century, technology rapidly evolved. After the first super computers were created in the 1940s, engineers and scientists began to develop ways to create networks through computers, this then lead to the making of the Internet. Between 1960 and 1980 the formation of the Internet greatly emerged with the use of email, relay chats and virtual newspapers had been created.

By the late 1990s, the first social media site was created called Six Degrees, it enabled users to upload profiles and make friends with other users. After the invention of blogging, social media started booming. In the early 2000’s sites such as Linkedin, MySpace and YouTube surfaced, creating a new way for people to communicate and share with each other across distances.

By 2006, Facebook(2004) and Twitter surfaced the world of Social Media, Shortly after platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Tumblr were available for users throughout the world.

Today, the above sites remain some of the most popular social media platforms with over 2 Billion users monthly.

Top 7 Social Media Platforms

With the variety of Social Media Platforms available in today’s society, below describes the top 7 platforms and how many active monthly users are using each platform.

Professional and Personal Social Media Account

What is the difference between a personal and professional Social Media Account?

Personal Social Media Profile

A Personal Social Media Profile is considered an unprofessional account that you can post whatever is felt necessary, above states what to post within personal accounts.

Professional Social Media Profile

A Professional Social Media account, is felt where you should “show off your best self”, It shouldn’t just include what you choose to publish about yourself. Honorable achievements that others have shared about you should also be included, this is things such as;

• professional (eg when you were announced as a new hire in a company newsletter)
• educational (eg you were once featured on your school website for winning an essay prize)
• related to a sport or other hobby (eg you were top scorer in a five-a-side football game).

“Breathe, its a bad day not a bad life”

Within this online learning course, Young People and their Mental Health, i completed a course of various meetings, lectures, online tests and discussions over a period of five weeks, each week consisted of a two hour study period per week. This entailed key learning aspects such as:

• Topic of mental health, understanding of the various types of mental illnesses
• Means of responding to youth struggling with their mental health
• Understanding learning difficulties and mental health

With the combined core aspects within the course, i was intrigued to fully develop skills and the various offered services and coping mechanises when struggling. As someone who struggles with their mental health, i though that this online course would not only be beneficial for myself, but to help others and provide an overall understanding of how mental health can affect individuals in various ways.

In today’s society, social media is used vastly within young adolescents, professionals and adults, with every growing statistics showing that it has a large impact on an individuals mental health, if that be via using social media platforms professionally or for personal use.

My feedback and intake of the MOOC

Overall, i throughly enjoyed taking the time to complete this course, it opened my eyes to the extent of various ways others can be effect both with disabilities and not. I feel that the overall course was successful, as it provided an insight into various techniques and means of responding to others, it introduced the website Young Minds, it entails various courses, quiz’s and personal blogs that people struggling with their mental health uploaded. The extent of the learning was also very interesting, it wasn’t just continuous word after word, they provided graphs, blurbs on how you feel, online assessments and again guest speakers.

With the MOOC available on Future Learn, they offer free courses to individuals wanting to build knowledge on an area of interest, although when selecting this course i was unaware that you had to upgrade to finish the course. This would of cost a fee of £39. This was a negative experience as i was already in due course with my blog posts and had already completed my other MOOC based on Mental Health. In turn i had to start from scratch after completing this online MOOC, for the last five week period. Therefore i had to create a brand new blog, rethink my topic of interest and finally complete two new MOOC’s.

Since completing what i could of this MOOC and taking into perspective the various options available, i decided to set small but achievable targets to help myself and also have set a period of time that i gain access to my social media, i.e 1 hour for professional use, 1 hour of personal use each day.