Friday 27 January 2012

Marketing Yourself Through Facebook

I had the opportunity to make a professional Facebook page this week in ALES 204. I have used and managed pages for associations and businesses, but I never thought to market myself in this way. This page is much different from that of your personal page. It allows you to market yourself to future employers without them having to see your personal page. Personal pages can be difficult to keep strictly professional, as much of the public content can build up over time.

Briggs, N. (2012). Professional Facebook Page [Screenshot]. Retrieved from http://www.facebook.com



Having a Facebook page such as the one displayed in the snapshot above can be extremely beneficial. For many employers who search Google looking for prospective applicants, ’a professional and well written Facebook page is a must. I was able to organize my information, goals and experience and lay it out in a simple, easy to read format.  The fact it is easy to update and can be updated at any time, or anywhere, makes Facebook a perfect place to add  information for prospective employers searching for that great employee.  



I am currently managing a professional page for the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.  I am now finding that creating and managing these pages is quite simple.   ALES 204 has taught me how to properly present myself in a business-like manner and with professionalism. Lindsay, another student from ALES 204 shares a similar view in her blog


I do have concerns over displaying my personal information to the public.  Concerns of identity theft are rampant on the internet and one has to be careful when putting too much personal information on-line.  Not all those viewing your page are trustworthy.  I have read a few articles where information or photos were taken from a Facebook page and re-used to discredit the person, or for more serious offences.  Although one would like to believe the information found on these pages is worthwhile, can you always believe it?  There is no proof to verify the information, but to interview the prospective employee.



Wednesday 18 January 2012

Hello Everyone!

Szabo, M. (2011). Jet and Nicole Briggs [Photograph].

My name is Nicole Briggs. I come from the small town of Gibbons, Alberta. Agriculture has always been a large part of my life. I spent the first 14 years of my life living on and helping out with the family dairy farm. Currently, I live on a ranch where our family raises Quarter Horses, Paints and longhorn cattle. I spent 9 years in the equine project of the 4-H program. Throughout my years in 4-H I found a love for speaking.  In 2010, I was the Provincial 4-H Presentations Champion. I now travel around the area giving workshops to clubs about both public speaking and presentations.
Rodeo has also been a large part of my life and by large part; I mean practically my entire life! I was a member of the Alberta High School Rodeo Association for 4 years. My passion for speaking gave me the opportunity to compete for the Alberta High School Rodeo Queen title in 2008. I represented Alberta at the world’s largest rodeo, the National High School Finals Rodeo, in Farmington, New Mexico. I competed against 45 other rodeo queens from throughout the United States, Canada and Australia, where I placed in the top ten. This competition consisted of speeches, personal interviews and impromptu questions.  I then travelled throughout North America representing Alberta and the sport of rodeo, giving workshops and speaking to people throughout my travels. 

I am currently in my second year at the University of Alberta taking a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. I hope to attend Veterinary School at the University of Calgary or the Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Communication will play an extremely important role in this profession.  Having the ability to communicate to different types of people will be one the most important aspects. Also, the use of social media and the internet is needed in order to research new scientific articles and journals in order to stay up-to-date with the current medical procedures and discoveries. It can also be used to easily communicate ideas with other people within the profession.
I hope to be able to use what I learn in the ALES 204 course in my profession and also apply it to what I am currently involved in. At the moment, I am the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Finals Coordinator. This job involves helping organize the Canadian National College Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, Alberta at the end of March. As an association, we are trying to use social media (Facebook and Twitter) to get information out to the public and the members about upcoming events. The association uses a website but we are finding that information can be accessed quicker by the members using social media sites. By frequently using Twitter and Blogger in this class, I am excited to learn more and help the association by using social media and the internet. I look forward to what I will learn this semester during the ALES 204 (Communication Theory and Practice) class.

Copeman, M. (2011). Canadian National College Finals Rodeo Breakaway N. Briggs [Photograph].  
To see what other ALES 204 students have to say visit their blog.