Module: Professional Persona

Concepts of a professional persona, building a portfolio site in WordPress, initiating your professional network.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the concepts of a professional persona

You understand what a professional persona is, why it is important, and what you need to do to create an effective one.

Create a professional portfolio

You have designed and implemented a website providing a portfolio of your professional accomplishments and writings.

Create high quality technical writing

You demonstrate the ability to write professional-quality technical essays or to have significantly improved your skill at this task since your last essay.

Develop professional networks

You have demonstrated the capability to join two professional networks (LinkedIn, TechHui) and set up appropriate profiles.

Readings

Professional Persona

Concepts of a professional persona: email, portfolio site, projects, technical writing, networking

screencast 10 min

Building a professional portfolio in WordPress

Guided tour of configuring a WordPress site for use as a professional portfolio

Screencast 18 min

A skeletal professional portfolio

The example portfolio site created in the screencast

Professional portfolio style guide

Guidelines for creating a usable and effective professional portfolio

Computer science students: learn how to write!

“The single most important skill I learned in university while getting a degree in Computer Science was how to write better. Everything important you do in your professional life is about communication.”

Teach yourself programming in 10 years

“Researchers have shown it takes about ten years to develop expertise in any of a wide variety of areas, including chess playing, music composition, telegraph operation, painting, piano playing, swimming, tennis, and research in neuropsychology and topology.”

Experiential Learning

A04: Create a professional portfolio

Learn how to design and implement your professional portfolio.

A05: Open source software and the three prime directives

Analyze an open source software project to see if it conforms to the three prime directives

A06: Join TechHui

Learn how to join TechHui and participate in discussions.

A07: Join LinkedIn

Learn how to join LinkedIn and set up your profile.

Assessments

Professional portfolios

Outcomes assessed: Understand the concepts of a professional persona, Create a professional portfolio

This assessment verified that students implemented a professional portfolio that satisfied the guidelines in the Professional Portfolio Style Guide.

Discussion:

  • Some portfolios failed checklist items (remove commenting mechanism, poor home page picture, navbar does not link directly to PDF resume, home page not informative)
  • Some resumes were poor quality (comic sans font)

Professional networks

Outcomes assessed: Develop professional networks, Create high quality technical writing

This assessment verified that students learned how to join the TechHui and LinkedIn professional networks and set up appropriate profiles.

Discussion:

  • The students who did not appeared to be intending to drop the class.