This presentation, from the HEA STEM Conference 2013, reports on work undertaken at Birmingham City University, showing how students can become more employable by creating professional presences to represent themselves in the online world.

1. Using Professional Online Presences
To Enhance Computing Student
Employability
Thomas Lancaster

2. “So What?” Employability

3. Minimal Expectations For A Job
Career?
Good Degree Classification?
Well-Prepared Application Form?
Solid Performance During Job Selection Process?
University Provided Support And Training?
3

4. More Advanced Expectations?
Work Experience
Assignments Simulating Industry
Industrial Sandwich Year Placements
Participation In Student Competitions
Portfolio Of Work
Freelance Experience
Vendor Certifications
Interest In Computing Outside The Classroom
Experience With The Latest Technologies
Participation Towards Open Source Projects
Evidence Of Entrepreneurship
Project Tailored Towards Employment
4

5. How Do Students Communicate
This?
http://www-05.ibm.com/employment/uk/graduate-
programmes/apply/index.shtml
5

6. Not Enough (For
Computing?)
http://mashable.com/2011/10/23/how-recruiters-use-social-networks-to-screen-candidates-infographic
6

7. Application Forms?
7

8. Positive Online Presence

9. Students Need To…
Be aware of how they are perceived online
Take control of the information that is publicised
about them
Direct employers towards the view of them that
they want them to have
Claim ownership of the valuable social media
properties associated with them
Ensure that they are findable (to receive
opportunities)
Be required to develop themselves into a brand
Develop a Professional (Online) Presence
(=web + social media) 9

10. Computing Professionals Do
This…
http://www.tubblog.co.uk/
10

11. Academics Do This…
http://thomaslancaster.co.uk
http://thomaslancaster.co.uk/blo
g
11

12. Students Do This…
http://www.ashleyksmith.com/ 12

13. And Also…
http://www.adamtsmith.co.uk/
http://www.alaurentiu.com/
http://ayeshaprofessionalpresence.webnode.co
13
m/

14. Or They Use Third Party
Services…
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rizhwan
http://portfolio.bcu.ac.uk/user/view.php?id=59
163
14

15. Teaching Professional
Presences

16. Professional Practice UG2
2nd year module (taken over a full academic year
on BSc Computer Science and BSc Business
Information Technology)
15 credits
72 students registered (5 teaching groups)
26 weeks – 90 minutes per week
Part employability + Part research/project skills
Data collected relates to the 2011-2012 academic
year
16

17. Employability Content
Week Topic Week Topic
1 Online Professional 5 Personal Development
Representation Planning
2 The Placement Selection 6 Assessment Centre
Process Simulation
3 CV Writing And Application 7 Time Management And
Forms Planning
4 Aptitude Tests 8 Interview Techniques
17

18. Assignment Requirements
Create a Professional Online Presence (one
site of your choice)
Should support placement and job applications
(encourage real life use)
Should show creativity (answer “so what?”)
Include:
Appropriate information
CV
2 year Personal Development Plan
18

19. The Students See…
19

20. What Do Students Think?

21. Before Teaching… (59
responses)
“i think my skills are better and i think that i can offer
more than any other candidate for a job.”
“Very aware of privacy and security concerns, try to
avoid identifying myself on many websites or other
internet analogues (USENET, etc) Tend to identify
more with non-identifying username for privacy.”
“Most the efforts I have made to become more
„employable‟ have come from activities outside of
university that have no link to it.”
“I've managed to get a placement at a Digital Marketing
company in Birmingham Science Park whilst studying
at BCU.”
21

22. Post Teaching… (39 responses)
“I feel I am now professionally minded and have more a
professinal online presence than the last time I took the
questionnaire.”
How employable do you feel you are right
now?
70% 64.10%
60%
50%
40%
30% 23.08%
20%
7.69% 5.13%
10% 0.00%
0%
22

23. Would You Like To Take A
Placement Year?
90%
79.66%
80%
70% 66.67%
60%
50%
40%
33.33%
30%
20.34%
20%
10%
0%
Yes No
Pre Teaching Post Teaching
23

24. How Many Placement
Applications Have You Made?
100% 94.92%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% 46.15%
40%
28.21%
30%
20% 15.38%
10% 7.69%
5.08%
2.56%
0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
0%
0 1-3 4-6 7-9 10+
Pre Teaching Post Teaching
24

25. Which Professional Presence
Elements Do You Have?
80%
74.36%
71.19%
70% 66.67%
60%
50%
41.03%
40%
30%
20% 15.25%
10% 6.78%
0%
Facebook LinkedIn Website
Pre Teaching Post Teaching
25

26. How Professional Would People Perceive You
To Be After Searching For You On The
Internet?
60%
54.24%
48.72%
50%
40%
30.77%
30%
20% 16.95%
13.56%
10.17% 10.26% 10.26%
10%
5.08%
0.00%
0%
very unprofessional neither professional very professional
unprofessional unprofessional nor
professional
Pre Teaching Post Teaching
26

27. What Do We Think?

28. Key Challenges
Convincing students to own their web site
(students who did generally got higher marks)
Encouraging “willingness to relocate” for home
students for placements
Encouraging International students to participate
with the entire placements and employability
agenda
Convincing students to leave their Professional
Presences available online after assessments
Providing opportunities for students to continue to
develop their Professional Presences
Integrating Professional Presences into more
28
courses and beyond the Computing discipline

29. Further Resources

30. Workshop Resources
HEA Computing 2012 Workshop
“Enhancing The Employability Of Computing
Students Through An Online Professional
Presence”
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/tee/events/previous-
events/employability-workshop
Contains copies of talks and set of teaching
materials
30

31. Upcoming Workshop
HEA Computing 2013 Workshop
“Professional Presences for Academics”
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/2013/9
-May-Birmingham-STEM
Thursday 9 May 2013
Birmingham City University
31

32. Any Questions?