Feature image by Miles Loewen on Unsplash
Using My PLN for Growth
As my PLN grows, so do I and I am still learning how to get the most out of it. I actively use my PLN to encourage professional growth and learning by leveraging multiple social media platforms to connect with peers and experts in my field. By being more active on social media in a professional setting, I am now exposed to others in my field and who I can learn from. After following someone, I receive suggestions to follow other similar accounts who follow a trend of the first person’s content. Just liking posts has increased my chances of seeing that person again on my feed or having the platform give me suggestions on who to follow next. I have started to use LinkedIn to enhance my networking capabilities by being able to join relevant group discussions and participate. Participating in these group discussions are a little scary so I haven’t really used my voice that much yet, just the like or repost button. Additionally, Reddit’s specialized forums allow for niche deep dives and lots of peer collaboration on topics, which I discovered through the Analysis of a Learning community assignment. By engaging within these communities (not limited to Reddit and LinkedIn), I can stay up to date and informed on news in areas I’m interested in. I find Reddit is less intimidating to use as you are not posting a question directly to those you look up to, so I feel there is less pressure and judgment. However, once I feel comfortable in my knowledge on a topic, LinkedIn is where you can connect with specialists to give you more insight. I say this because I get nervous speaking with specialist when I have little knowledge of the topic, so educating myself first on reddit with external resources before going to LinkedIn is what makes me comfortable. Spreading across a few discussions or forums allows me to find diverse perspectives’ which also helps my professional development.
Engaging with my Community
Since I am just starting off with my PLN, I have not fully engaged in all the discussion groups/ forums I’ve joined. It is a little daunting to be honest, putting your opinion out there alongside numerous professionals and specialists, so for those discussions I stick to mainly commenting with a question or liking the post. I don’t have the confidence yet to pull my own audience with a post, but hopefully in the future when I have something I am working on that I am proud to share and get other’s perspectives, I will post and keep those interested updated. On Instagram, a platform I haven’t been hugely reliant on for my PLN, I find it easier to share content. With the ability to repost something to your story, it shows your support of others ideas and it broadcast’s that to your following to get the idea out. LinkedIn also has this feature which I enjoy because those who follow you can see what you are interested in and expose them to new ideas, news and concepts.
Building a Supportive PLN
To continue to build my PLN, I have taken steps to expand my reach with different approach’s. I initially focused on finding key individuals in my field by joining different groups and forums on topics I am interested, such as ‘Microbiology Professionals’ on LinkedIn. I try to engage by asking questions and liking posts to establish my presence and willingness to connect with like-minded professionals. By following professionals I am interested in, I stay updated on conversation’s they are having as they happen and participate in ones I find particularly interesting. As I gain confidence in my presence online, I plan to reach out personally to individuals with the learning communities I am apart of to build professional relationships and connections. By doing this I hope to create a network of peers, mentors, and curious onlookers who can provide diverse support and resources to collaborate on discussions. Â
On the forum ‘Microbiology Professionals‘, I found this video that briefly explains the human microbiome and it’s importance as it has been the focus of lots of research lately and I find it interesting. Check it out if you’re interested!
Expanding my PLN
My long-term goals for my PLN include expanding my network internationally to include experts in their niche specialities from their respective corners of the world. This is interesting with science because not everyone in different countries are working on the same project, or even same area, and it is interesting to see what others are researching or developing that meets their nations needs. To achieve this, I plan to leverage global platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit to expose myself to global discussions within an international learning community. Collaborating through social media allows for different ideas and perspectives to be heard and addressed. By engaging and continuously expanding, I want my PLN to be as diverse and dynamic as possible, consisting of an international community By contributing to global conversations, I aim for others to join so we can create a place of online engagement that brings people together to share our interests and learn from each other. By doing this, we create an engaging online community where everyone can gain insights and build connections from around the world.
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