Assignment - Create an Online Branding Site
A professional persona goes beyond "dress for success." In today's online environments, we need a to convey professionalism not only in our personal appearance-voice, posture, and attitude- but also in our online presence through websites and social media. Some social media sites (such as LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook) allow us to do this, but we also need a personal website over which we have total control and which demonstrates our business persona as a marketable brand.
Task - Create a website to showcase your personal brand.
Selecting material - Some samples of your work say more about you than others. Think about the kinds of skills needed in the career path for your major (management, marketing, finance, supply chain/logistics. etc.) and choose material that reflects that profession. Select items that demonstrate organization, clarity, conciseness, and professional appearance. Think about page layout and design, group or independent work, diversity and variety, etc.
- Select materials based on quality.
- Select materials that demonstrate learning. For instance, if a particular piece demonstrates your understanding of persuasive methods, include it. If a piece demonstrates, your ability to offer clear concise instructions, include it.
- Select materials that will have long-term value and usefulness.
Designing the Portfolio - How seriously should I take the design of my portfolio? You should take the design very seriously. Your professionalism is the main and only consideration. Don't become amaturish or sloppy here, because the message a shabby portfolio sends is that you don't take yourself seriously. Once this impression gets made, it is nearly impossible to change. People make judgements about you very quickly, and everything you place on your portfolio says something about you, as does the arrangement, packaging, and display of those materials.
For this assignment, use a the free web-builder service Wix website. Wix is an easy-to-use service and has plenty of professionally styled background templates that you can modify to suit your own situation. At a minimum, your portfolio should have the following features:
A Home page (sometimes called "title" page) that gives your name, title, photograph, and a headline (the picture of yourself should show you in a professional manner (no selfish, group pictures, or casual scenes in which you appear-Think "Professional")
A Professional Summary Page (where you include your Personal Statement/elevator speech).
A Resume Page that shows an "image file" of your resume (do not upload a Word file)
Optional pages may include one or more pages that demonstrate skills such as:
- Communications
- Technology
- Project Management
- Financial Systems
- etc. (For example, if you have publications, awards, or other special recognitions, you may wish to place them on your portfolio as well.)
Testimonials page (ask three different people to write short testimonials about you, your work ethic, or other professional attribute)
Contact page (give only a professional email address on this page; do not put a physical address or a home phone number). Include any and all of your social media pages that are not for your casual personal use (such as LinkedIn). Your navigation bar should look something like this:
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Home
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Professional Summary
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Resume
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Optional Pages
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Testimonials
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References
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Contact
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