Monday, December 14, 2009
Virtual Portfolio
Well done! Please self critique your blog presentation based on the feedback received from class. What kinds of things were communicately correctly? Effectively? What kinds of improvements need to be made? What would you do differently? What kinds of things do you plan on adding in the future?
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Overall I very much like my blog, and I think it was useful that I got to use it for two classes because more people got the opportunity to see it and give me feedback. The only major thing I need to improve on is adding a letter of intent at the top. Although my Welcome post does serve as a letter of intent, if I re-word the title a little bit and make it more communications specific it will be more effective. I also need to look for a different color for my links because the pink doesn't stand out enough next to the grey text. In the future I plan to continue adding work samples as well as anything relevant that will give the professional world a glimpse into who I am.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the process of putting together the blog was tough and took a lot of time and effort, the end result was most definitely worth it. My blog as a finished product is something that I am extremely proud of and would be confident to show to a prospective employer. I actually just applied for an internship with the cosmetic brand L'oreal and put off sending in my application until I had to blog completed so that they could view it. When my roommate and other friend saw the blog they asked me if I could possibly help put together one for them.
ReplyDeleteI felt that all the feedback that I got in class was very helpful. It helped me understand where my stop and weak parts were and how to correct them. I was happy with aesthetic element of my virtual portfolio. I tried my best to make it clear with a white background and black lettering accented with red and blue links and titles. The links all were functional and I even had a link in the thank you section that went to my email. I feel as though my personal strengths came across clearly in the blog. The samples of my work were good examples of my abilities and effective in showing the show as a result of my hard work and what I am capable of doing.
I have added a separate section on my Italian heritage and my speaking abilities which are important for people to read about. Doing this also allowed me to shorten my biography so that there is not so much clutter on the page. I will continue to update this virtual portfolio with new better examples of my work and additions to my resume. I definitely think that having this virtual blog will put me ahead of the others in the running for the internship.
I thought my virtual blog came together nicely. I agree, it did take a lot of time and effort to compile the entire site but I believe it was worth it. I think the additions I incorporated such as my professional selling role play and will be beneficial to show possible employers. Unfortunately, I did not receive any feedback so I did not change anything as of yet. Once I receive a grade and comments, I will go back and make the necessary corrections. I am looking forward to showing it to prospective clients one day with my past writing examples and work experience.
ReplyDeleteAs for my presentation, I spoke on behalf of TCNJ at the NCAA banquet for the DIII Women's Soccer Final Four. To be honest, I was very nervous to give this speech. At the banquet, there were 8 teams, both men’s and women’s final four teams, coaches, parents, and NCAA representatives. In the beginning of the speech, I stumbled over a few words but once I began to overcome my nervous, I believe I settled in and ended strong. I wish I gave a little more eye contact throughout the speech but I believe overall I did a good job. It was a completely different experience than speaking in front of our class of under 20 students but one that I will always remember.
I believe I did a good job presenting my blog to the class. My blog was very specifically tailored to the field I want to end in the future. Everything was set up so it effectively conveys the messages I wanted to convey. It looks very professional and polished in order to show future employers my ability to work well with technology and organizational skills. The only improvement that needed to be made was my picture. It was too small and you couldn’t really see my face. Therefore, I changed it to a picture that was closer up and showed what a happy individual I am. In aspects to my speech I would probably not change anything except I would have spoken more conversationally with the audience and read less off the computer monitor. I plan on using this virtual portfolio to impress future employers. I plan on adding information about my trip to New Orleans to my blog because I will be rebuilding there and I believe that will show employers further the leadership skills I have. I also plan on updating everything as my education and experiences grow. Especially my resume, projects and written works. Overall, I believe this virtual portfolio is really going to give me an edge once I start applying for jobs therefore, I plan on keeping it updated and relevant.
ReplyDeleteEven though creating the blog took a sufficient amount of time, seeing the finished project was worth the effort. I am glad I assembled this virtual portfolio and plan on using it in the future. I am pleased with how my blog presentation went; my blog was neat, organized, and also provided future employers with enough information to give them insight into my personality. My blog’s aesthetics were simple, clear, and effective. It was easy to navigate, the links and google documents functioned correctly, and I am glad that I included a slideshow of pictures from my trip to Australia. The slideshow made my presentation more interesting and the information about Australia was added in order to show people the impact the experience had on my life. I included strong and different writing samples to show my hard work and used the class feedback about embedding my PowerPoint presentation. Improvements that I need to make include adding more links to my blog because I feel I did not have that many and more links would make my site more interesting. Another thing that I would add to my blog would be to include a welcome video to showcase my personality and to show the viewer that I am skilled in recording and uploading videos. This blog will put me ahead of other people in the running for internship and job positions and also displays my web 2.0 skills, a quality that is desired by many companies today.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I was very pleased with the outcome of my virtual blog. Because of my interest in the advertising field I feel that this was a great way to express my creativity and knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies, skills that are essential in the advertising arena. These were communicated through my use of the “virtual handshake” video as well as slide shows of campaigns created during my courses at TCNJ. I feel I was also strong in communicating how my previous work experiences (professional and academic) provided me with transferable skills to the advertising industry. This could be seen in my use of written course work that applied to the field (i.e. research projects, analysis of photojournalism and its impact, etc.)
ReplyDeleteIn terms of improvements, I feel that shortening my posts would benefit the viewer so they do not feel as overwhelmed when entering to the site. Perhaps a condensed version of the material with an option to continue would be more appropriate. I would also like to possibly change the colors to brighten up the virtual space to show a bit more personality. I feel some side boxes that include more personal information (i.e. favorite books) would also enhance the overall appeal and let my personality shine through a bit more.
In regards to the future, I feel I will continue to update the space to ensure that the information is fresh and includes additional relevant information. As stated before, I would like to add some more side posts that show a bit more personality and uniqueness to my blog. I would also like to add some additional campaigns I created to highlight more of my interest in this field. Overall, I really enjoyed the process and ending up with well constructed piece of work that will benefit me in the search for jobs. It demanded a lot of work and patience, but it was worth it in the long run.
Creating the blog was a fun process. In the beginning I had no idea what to write, and I put it off for last minute. However, once I sat down, it was great to see that I had a lot to offer in my virtual portfolio. I really liked how the blog makes our resume "come to life." It gives our future employers a sense of who we are outside of that white piece of paper.
ReplyDeleteWhile watching the other blog presentations, I realized that I could have done more. All students had hyperlinks in their blog, and I didn't. I saw how convenient it would be for a viewer to understand what you are talking about, with hyperlinks posted to certain words such as TCNJ, Ebru TV, 94.5 WPST, etc.
Also some of my posts were too long and left unexplained. For example, for my biography, I wrote a couple of paragraphs and posted it. I went back and added a hyperlink for "more" and attached a Google Document of the Biography, so now if the viewer wants to read more, they have the option. As for left unexplained, most of my past assignments were left unexplained. Now I added a couple of sentences for each just to clarify for the viewer, what it is I am showing them.
This blog will help me a lot in the future. It will show my future employers my web 2.0 skills and put me ahead of other potential employees. I will keep updating my blog as I keep updating my resume. From now on it will go hand in hand with my cover letter, and resume, when applying for a job.
Overall I like how my blog turned out. Many things were communicated correctly. Someone reading the blog would definitely have a good understanding of my work experience, and the skills I now have from internships. Also, they would understand how I intend to apply these skills to my future career goals. My personality also comes across effectively in the blog as well. However, there are still some things I would do differently and need to change. There were a few technical things to change like the location of some links, contact information, and the format of some documents. I also would like to add more work that I have done to better showcase my background and work skills.
ReplyDeleteOverall I was very pleased with my virtual blog. Even though creating the blog took a sufficient amount of time, I still had a great time making it and was very pleased with the outcome. I plan on using this virtual blog in the future in interview and at any given job opportunity. This blog will distinguish me from other candidates by putting me ahead of other people in the running for internship or job positions and also displays my web 2.0 skills. This quality is been used by many companies. Presenting this virtual blog to the class was fun because everyone was able to see the work I put in making it and also showcase myself, my presentation, research papers and work experience. I was able to talk about my culture and been bilingual in English, Twi, and Ga. I had a PowerPoint showcasing my pictures of my projects in my manufacturing class.
ReplyDeleteLearned a lot in the process of making this blog, I was able to use Google Docs to publish my work as web page and also upload my presentations. With Google Docs I was able to upload my resume and cover letter onto my blog. Things I would have changed about the blog is making a welcome video in my language and later on translating it in English. I would also add more of my research papers and projects I did for my senior project class. This blog will put me ahead of other people in the running for internship and job positions and also displays my web 2.0 skills, a quality that is desired by many companies today.
Overall I was really proud of the way my blog came out. I spent a lot of time on it and really feel that fact shows in the quality of my blog and how well it shows off my personaility.
ReplyDeleteOverall i thought that the class review of my blog went well and I thought that all of the criticism I did recieve was definitely very helpful and insightful. Many of the weakpoints in my blog are simple fixes that can be resolved in just a matter of minutes. For instance it was suggested that I lighten up the background of my blog and correct some formatting errors in regards to hyperlinks and the formatting of my resume, which was altered when I uploaded it to google docs. I also need to be more specific in the fact that I am trying to show my diversity in regards to my work experience. I plan correct all of those errors that I made in order to make my blog much stronger for when I start giving the link to potential employers.
I learned a lot from this blog, including how I want to present myself to potential employers. I now realize that I think that my personality and passion are my greatest selling points and that I need to emphasize them, while also suplimenting them with my achievements and experience. In the future I plan to update my blog frequently with new achievements and happenings in my life. One such example is how I plan to have my personal training clients give video testimonials about my work, I feel that would give great insight as to who I am and how I approach my work. I am very grateful for this assignment because it is going to be a great asset for me in the future and I think it will really help me once I enter the job market.
Overall, creating a virtual blog was an enjoyable experience. Although it took some time to put thoughts and words together to create this blog, I was very happy with the way my blog turned out. My blog is a true representation of myself which makes me look back and think of this project much worthwhile. I feel that I did a good job in communicating my previous work and experience through my writings, examples, and pictures. My intentions with this blog was to make the reader gain a better understanding for my passions and to see that I am not your average student. In regards to improving my portfolio, I realized that I could have shortened my biography and have made some changes in my writings. I also wanted to make my portfolio more appealing in colors and font.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I didn't expect to learn so much out of doing this assignment. I have learned how to use Google DOCS, enhance my understanding on web 2.0, and put together a portfolio. I think this portfolio showcases to future employers my ability to work with web 2.0 and more importantly who Natasha Perez really is other than a GPA or a black and white resume.
I think my portfolio presentation went very well. There were a few things that made my presentation a good one. The first thing was that I made sure my audience knew what the purpose of my blog was. I had good links and a picture on it. I think it was cool that I had my speaking website on my blog. Another thing that people got to see about me is that I do volunteer work. The one thing I wish I could have changed before my presentation is to have my PowerPoint's on the blog and not as links, but that is changed now. On my blog, in the future, you will see more written papers that I do and more PowerPoint's that I will do in the future. You will also see all the places I go to speak. My blog will be updated in the future so keep checking it out.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delayed response. I did not see this blog post until now.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I beleive that my blog came together very nicely. I thought that it had a lot of information on the subjects that I wanted to focus on, such as my television show and works I have done in school. I also thought that my biography gave good insight that a normal resume would not be able to give.
I thought my presentation went well, even though I did have one major glitch when I forgot to link in some of my written works. Other than that, however, I thought the presentation went well, and since then I have fixed those links.
In the future, I can improve my blog by adding even more works that I have completed. I would also update my biography with any information that would make me seem like a better candidate for a job or internship.
Overall, I thought that my blog was well-made and professional, and gives a good representation of who I am and want to become.
When I first began to make my virtual portfolio, I just saw it as another school assignment that I had to do for a grade and I didn’t think I would ever even visit the link again. But, as the blog started coming together, I realized that this is truly an amazing tool and adds just a little something extra to my resume to put me a step ahead of the rest. I plan to continue to tweak, add, take-out, etc. my virtual portfolio in order to use it for internships and jobs in the future.
ReplyDeleteThere are several things I need to add and change. I need to add in more personal hobbies and interests other than service. Although service is a huge part of my life, I can see how when looking at my blog one may think that it’s too much or that I’m trying to push the community service aspect of my life too much. So, I will definitely go back and add things that I enjoy doing other than service and other personal fun things about myself. Another change I need to make is to put all my pictures in a slideshow rather than have them just on the blog. Next, I think I need to perhaps shorten my biography a little bit, it appears to be too much to read at first glance. The final change I need to make is to add a small description before each of the papers and presentations that I supplied links to.
Overall, I think this was a great assignment and I plan to use it for as long as I can in the future.
Designing my virtual portfolio must have been one of the most challenging tasks I’ve encountered so far during my college career. Honestly, I never thought it would be so hard for me to professionally display who I am based on my academics, work experience, history, etc. However, I felt really confident in the presentation of my resumé and cover letter because I dedicated so much of my time last Fall working with the career center. The career center was a huge help in making me feel confident in both my final drafts, especially with my final resumé. I felt my resumé correctly identified my skills, objectives and background in an effective and professional manner.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, the target audience of my virtual portfolio are public relations employers and I really wanted my virtual portfolio’s intended message to be received by these key audiences. Thus, I felt my initial efforts in correctly identifying important PR skills (writing, counseling, researching, planning) helped me provide my virtual portfolio with examples (research study, writing sample, academic descriptions) that \displayed my ability to meet those skills.
As Professor McManimon mentioned, there definitely could have been additional examples that could more effectively show my PR skills. I definitely want to improve on showing how I have the skills to be in PR. To have done it differently, I would have found a way to show my role in the Vice President of Student Affairs office and my given responsibilities in helping run events like Family Day and Orientation and in student judicials. For the future, I’m going to add sites with information on the TCNJ events of which I have been a part and a list of the TCNJ clubs that I recruited to be a part of TCNJ events.
Furthermore, I was informed that my portfolio was not designed with the appropriate outline such that the important features of my portfolio should not be on the sidebar but in the main area. So after receiving my grade, I am going to change my template and then move those important features in the main area so they can be easily recognized and accessed.
Lastly (and more importantly), I definitely need to revise some of my written sections (“Biography,” “Letter of Intent“). I had a bit of trouble with cutting the two down when first designing my portfolio. However, I realize that an inability to shorten one‘s writing does not follow the PR skills. So before any future employers see this, I am will ensure that these written sections are tightened up.
Overall, I did enjoy the final presentation of my virtual portfolio. Although it wasn’t perfect, it definitely was a learning experience. Now that I know what I need to fix, I can actually say I look forward to improving it. I think my main problem with starting my virtual portfolio because I didn’t understand what I was doing and how I was going to do it. Now that I see how the virtual portfolio is designed to work, I am strangely excited to get a chance to work with it again later this month.