SHAWN DEWALL

GCEP/TRMA 585: Developing A Professional Online Identity Spring

2013

ONLINE IDENTITIES, PERSONAL BRANDING, SOCIAL MEDIA

LINKEDIN• LinkedIn is an online

directory for individuals and companies to connect and network their personal brand to friends, peers and colleagues, alike.

• This first assignment was an eye opening experience in a way that I was not aware of how significant and influential social media can be.

ONLINE PRIVACY• The idea of online

privacy really brings to light the balancing act of professional life, personal life, and the art of avoiding dual relationships with clients. The question I struggled with was “is it possible to have an online private life and an online professional life without the two crossing into the gray area of duality?”

TWITTER #GCEP585

• The best way to describe Twitter? Microblogging at its best!! Twitter, is about broadcasting short messages to the world, or the 53 people that “follow” you. The hope is that somehow the messages that we send out are useful and interesting to someone.• Don’t tell anyone, but I have become a Twitter addict!!!

PROFESSIONAL FACEBOOK PAGES

• This is where personal and professional facebook collide. One is set up to connect personally with friends and family. The other is set up to enhance, promote and help create our professional brand. The challenge is to keep the two completely separate. I think with every new social media tool governed by the populace, the task of complete separation becomes difficult to achieve.

GOOGLE PLUS (G+)• Circles, hangouts, and video

chats…oh my! Google Plus has been describes as “skype with a social element to it” Families or groups of friends with people scattered around the world can be connected visually as opposed to simple messages that do not including face time. On a professional level I think Google Plus has a huge up-side to it. What a great way to connect with colleagues or with educational mentors. If one cannot physically be in the room with peers, one can visually and verbally be present amongst the learning tree.

BLOGS: BLOGGER, WORDPRESS, TUMBLR

• I can see myself “blogging in the future, but as of now in the present time I do not think I can dedicate the time needed to “blog” successfully. Or should I say, have well-rounded knowledge to write about something that could influence change on a grand scale. To me blogging equates to being a professional and as stated “I’m not there…yet!!!”

LEARNING FROM MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS & ORGANIZATIONS

• It kind of goes back to the old saying of “knowledge is power” One way to get the knowledge? Talk with someone who knows or has experienced what we are experiencing. Reading a text book is one thing, but if we as students can connect with someone that can help light the way for us and lend support, we will be better off because of that connection. I have personally found my learning environment to be Twitter. I have been highly motivated and influenced by the possibilities that present themselves daily. Not only is knowledge power, it is a gift!

MANAGING YOUR ONLINE IDENTITY

• With all the social media gatherings that happen instantaneously it can be difficult and somewhat overwhelming to try to manage all the media avenues that are out there for us to use. Hence the word ‘manage” not “control” As I move forward as a student and continue to plan for a career as a therapist it is important for me to remember which one of these avenues is a necessity compared to which ones are for entertainment purposes. We have reached the level of “managed” when we are no longer overwhelmed by it all.

PORTFOLIOS & PROFILES

http://about.me/shawn.dewall

CURATION TOOLS: SCOOP.IT/PINTEREST

SOCIAL MEDIA ETHICS FOR THERAPISTS

• Scoop it is a great way to scrape together the things that mean a lot to us as therapists, students, and simply as human beings. This is a place where we can gather subjects we are passionate about. It is also a great way to sell who we are as professionals. If a possible client is doing research for a therapist and they run across our scoop-it site then the site would give them a good idea of who we are and what drives us as people. It allows others the ability to connect with us through the same ideals and interests.

WEBSITES & DOMAIN NAMESAs a student, I am not ready for this step yet; someday, just not today. This assignment was an eye opener as far as what it truly takes to create and sustain a personal brand that will be marketable to others. The challenge is to be different, unique, but most importantly genuine.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE GOALS & STRATEGIES

• We all have the power to make a difference in our world. The hard part is figuring out HOW to make that difference. Social media is a great place to start. Where else can we reach thousands of people without leaving our homes. Use the technology that we have and put it to important use. Let our passions dance with the social media bug to help out where are feet have gotten tired. Change the world one conversation at a time. Ready…set…go!!!

SLIDESHARE• I love the idea of being

able to create a resume via slideshare. What an amazing way to sell ourselves. Personality does not come across over a typed out resume, but with slideshare it can. There is no doubt I plan on using this tool in the future.

FINAL THOUGHTS• I can honestly say that all my

preconceived ideals about what I thought social media represented were wrong. I have been humbled and I say that happily. This is a world that I had no idea existed to the magnitude that it did and continues to be magnified in growth. I have all intention of being connected and staying connected as I do my best to become a hopeful bright eyed therapist, someday. Thank you for your guidance along our journey.