eP Part 1
As I enroll in more Communication courses, curating my ePortfolio becomes gradually easier. Fortunately, I use a general ePortfolio so that I can add new courses and accomplishments. This enables me to focus less on how to create a website and focus more on the design element and organization of my site. Because I have spent an extensive amount of time curating my ePortfolio, I am very confident of my online presence. I believe that this ePortfolio represents me well both professionally and personally. It is a tool that I use often to show people the skills that I have acquired in school and in extracurricular activities. Since gaining a position as an Old Dominion University ePortfolio Assistant, I have learned numerous skills from my supervisors, coworkers, and tutees, and I believe that these skills are integrated well in my ePortfolio. To improve my page, I made some design changes, like adding more transitions, to make everything flow together while still maintaining professionalism. I believe that this class will allow me to make my page have a better equilibrium between my personal life and my career/academic goals.
Between work, family, and school, I would say that my life is generally balanced. I have a wonderful support system that prevents me from stretching myself too thin. To improve the balance, I should make more time for gaining and maintaining friendships. Professionally, I am a confident and energetic individual. Personally, I want to be more confident and open to meeting new people and taking chances on new experiences.
Curation Option 1: Seek Insight
To improve my ePortfolio, I made an appointment with ePortfolio assistant, Makayla Wray. She told me that I can change some of the images on my blog page to correlate better with Communication. I plan on making these changes so that the photos relate to Communication but also match the design of the page. Makayla told me that she appreciated the color scheme of my ePortfolio. She noted that pink is usually not seen as a professional color, yet my website appears modern and sophisticated.
As for content advice, Makayla said that she wants my career goals to be further defined. Currently, I have minimal information about my ideal career. I plan on using ODU’s career resources to better pinpoint my occupational goals. Overall, I am very glad that I made an appointment because her insight identified elements in need of improvement. Likewise, Makayla also praised my ePortfolio for its readability and organization.
eP 2: Problem Posing
For this assignment, I created a research proposal encompassing the importance of creative an inclusive workplace environment. I evaluate the ways in which companies attempt to do this as well as examine research that gives suggestions on how long-standing companies can make such changes.
eP 4: Public Presentation
COMM 305 Presentation video
eP 5: Reflection
I have been curating my Communication ePortfolio for a year so far, and I have encountered many difficulties along the way. This semester, the most challenging part of developing my ePortfolio was ensuring that my resume and Curriculum Vita were constantly updated. I was granted many wonderful opportunities this semester from the Perry Honors College and working as an ePortfolio Assistant. I found that I always needed to include new additions on my resume and CV. Updating my website takes time because I want every element to flow smoothly and give a seamless experience. Luckily, curating the ePortfolio is easier than creating one from scratch. I was fortunate that I had prior knowledge about adding assignments to my ePortfolio. Overall, my I am proud of my website, but there is always work to be done.
I believe that I improved my professional presence after completing my ePortfolio because I have secured an internship this summer. Having an ePortfolio showcased my qualifications for the job, making me stand out amongst other applicants. Having an ePortfolio also presents my accomplishments and goals better than a traditional resume. It also depicts my growth and versatility as a student. I am completing my double major in Psychology and Communication. My ePortfolio allows me to show that I have knowledge of both disciplines and use that knowledge daily. Furthermore, having a complete ePortfolio is an impressive accomplishment. Most students do not have an ePortfolio that features all of their classwork from their college career. Taking the time to curate such a detailed site shows that I am determined and goal-oriented. Most of all, I am proud that my site shows my personality but also remains professional.
Advice that I would give to future students is to use the resources that are available on campus. I feel that too many students are unaware of ePortfolio Assistance, the Writing Center, and Career Development Services. These services will improve the professional presence of all students. Having an extra set of eyes to review an ePortfolio is useful during the curation process because the feedback offers insight to the perspectives of others. I see my ePortfolio in one way, but the other assistants offer me wonderful suggestions from design to page navigation. My ePortfolio looks entirely different now than during the first stages of development. I would also tell students to use their websites beyond the class. Most students create an ePortfolio solely for a course that requires it. Websites are brilliant tools for showing student progress. Websites also help students identify their goals, as well as elaborate on those goals to those who visit their website.
My favorite assignment for work-life communication was my literature review because I was able to write about a topic that affects me and others who look like me. I was also really interested in the available research on this topic. The research discussed concepts and ideas that I had not thought about before writing this paper. I believe my literature review is well-organized and showcases concepts that I have learned throughout the semester. I felt that my paper was strong and something I can proudly present on my ePortfolio. I am also proud of the screencast that I created for the final presentation. Overall, the literature review helps show that I can effectively analyze scholarly journal articles and compile my observations to make a coherent argument.
My view of work-life balance has changed before the beginning of the course. I thought because the name of the course was “Professional Communication” it would be more geared toward public speaking and dressing properly in the workplace. However, it opened my eyes to the many processes of organization management and how many of us fail to separate our professional and personal lives. Learning about the numerous Communication theories made me more knowledgeable of the discipline as a whole. Because of this course, I will try my best to be less of a workaholic and enjoy my personal life more.