another reflection post

As is tradition, at the end of a class for which I've been required to create an online portfolio, it's time to look at the benefits of creating that portfolio, and what my experience has been.

I can't say enough positive things about the dedication and technical skills you'll learn creating an online portfolio. More than that though, I think the lessons I've learned about personal branding are the most valuable. It's so incredibly necessary in today's current career market to set yourself apart, establish a clear, distinct and relatable personal brand, and maintain that consistently across your various media outlets.

One thing I think could be more emphasized for an online portfolio class requirement would be more consistency across social media accounts. I have several classes that require a certain number of posts per week, which ends up being nothing but a bunch of students posting clickbait articles to reach their quota. What works instead I think is teaching students to establish a really good online presence, and link that symmetrically across their various accounts; Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and their ePortfolio.

However, on the other hand, something I definitely appreciated was the fact that there wasn't a blog entry or online portfolio update required every week. This gave me more time to work on visual and communication branding on my site, making sure that less was more and that what content I did have packed more of a punch.

Overall, I'd encourage everyone to put a lot of time, thought and heart into your ePortfolio. It's not just a class project; if you truly care about it and make it a good reflection of who you are, it can become a next step to all kinds of opportunities.