KASEY NIXON

GCEP/TRMA 585: Developing A Professional Online Identity Spring 2013

ONLINE IDENTITIES, PERSONAL BRANDING, SOCIAL MEDIA

LINKEDIN

• Is the resume’ as we know it a thing of the past? LinkedIn allows you to tell the world about your

professional accomplishments in a more interactive way than a resume allows, while simultaneously connecting you with others in the field.

ONLINE PRIVACY

• It seems everything we do online is vulnerable. In the mental health field, we need to be sure we are not only protecting ourselves, but the people we are striving to help. Social media can be a powerful tool, or dangerous territory. We decide which

TWITTER #GCEP585

• Twitter has been one of the most useful tools we have explored in this class. Not only do we get to have a voice about the subjects we are passionate about, but we can also have a direct connection with the experts in our field. The “big whigs” are no longer out of reach, and soon, they will be tuning in to what WE have to say. I find that to be pretty amazing….

PROFESSIONAL FACEBOOK PAGES

• To facebook? Or not to facebook? That is the question… • Although facebook has its strengths, our

professional image and the sanctity of our clients’ confidentiality is at serious risk on facebook. It is my opinion that facebook presents challenges that may outweigh the benefits. My conclusion is to tread these waters carefully.

GOOGLE PLUS (G+)

• “Facebook on steroids” Google + Seems to be able to do everything. As a professional, the available tools will be incredibly useful, but everything I just stated about facebook holds true, but multiplied because of the even great capabilities of this platform.

BLOGS: BLOGGER, WORDPRESS, TUMBLR

• Got something to say? Here’s your chance. Blogging allows us to express our thoughts, opinions, and expertise in a way that can really make an impact. My thoughts on blogging have dramatically shifted through this course. Much of the most useful course material came straight from blogs.

LEARNING FROM MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS & ORGANIZATIONS

• I feel truly blessed to have had the opportunity to learn directly from celebrated professionals in our field such as Julie Hanks and Dr. Keely Kolmes. Seeing their examples of how to utilize social media tools in the mental health field has opened up a whole new world for me. I plan to take their lessons and apply them to my own career.

MANAGING YOUR ONLINE IDENTITY

• Everything we do online shapes how we will be perceived. If we hope to build an effective professional presence, we have to be mindful of every single thing we do online. We heard many of the horror stories in our discussions, I personally can say the message will not be lost on me.

PORTFOLIOS & PROFILES

http://about.me/kasey_nixon

CURATION TOOLS: SCOOP.IT/PINTERESTSOCIAL MEDIA ETHICS FOR THERAPISTS

• Gathering the info and bringing it to your doorstep…. That’s what I think of when I think of tools like scoop.it and pinterest. The amount of info out there can be overwhelming. These tools allow people to find trusted sources and rely on them to uncover the most relevant information.

WEBSITES & DOMAIN NAMES

It’s not as hard as it looks…•With so many website design programs available (many for free!), creating a great website is really easy. As professionals, especially in a private practice, a personal website may be the most important way that clients will find you and decide if you are the right fit for them. •http://www. …………………fill in the blank with something that will make it easy for clients to find and remember you. If I can make a website, anyone can do it.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE GOALS & STRATEGIES

Where the rubber meets the roadSo what are we really going to do with all of these tools we have been examining? That’s the exciting part! We have seen how others in the field are making an impact, now it is our turn to do the same. Each of us will make personal decisions about what we want our online activity to look like and what our goals are. I am still developing my personal goals and strategies for creating positive change. I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

SLIDESHARE

• Can’t make it to the presentation? No problem! With SlideShare, we have access to a wealth of information from professional presenters in our field. If we need a quick rundown of a special topic, this is a great way to obtain the key points from trusted sources. • Yet another way to market oneself. I was especially

intrigued by the idea of using a slideshow detailing one’s career accomplishments instead of an old-fashioned resume’. We saw several great examples in this week’s material. I may give this a try myself someday.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Much of this course was new to me. As I have mentioned throughout the course discussions, I was fairly naïve about the world of social media (except facebook of course!). There are tools that we examined that will become major components of my career, while others will go by the wayside. For me, the most significant subjects we discussed were the issues of online identity, security, and confidentiality and the topic of using these tools to effect change in the world. The power of social media and technology is overwhelming. I hope to harness that power to be a positive agent of change throughout my counseling career. Thanks everyone for a great course! - Kasey