Aims and objectives
This module will:
- explore how your digital footprint can affect your professional image
- help you use online networking platforms to develop your professional profile
- explore platforms to enhance your digital skills.
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- maintain a professional online presence
- use your professional presence to connect with others and increase your employability
- build a portfolio that showcases your digital skills to employers.
5. Creating a Personal Learning Network
Using a Personal/Professional Learning Network (PLN) provides opportunities to collaborate and share information, continually develop your skills and remain competitive in the job market.
What is a PLN?
An online Personal/Professional Learning Network (PLN) is an informal learning network that uses social media to help you connect with peers and future colleagues. You can connect with a group of people who have similar professional interests to learn from them and they can also learn from you.
Creating a PLN (YouTube, 1m39s)
Read Why build personal learning networks? Reflect on how a PLN could keep you up to date with current events within your area of interest, connect with peers and enhance your employability.
How to build and grow your Personal Learning Network
- Join and follow groups in LinkedIn and Facebook based on your professional interests
- Start following relevant blogs, podcasts and YouTube channels to engage with peers
- Create a Twitter account and follow peers within your area of interest
- Once you have made connections, try to spend 10 to 20 minutes a day interacting with your peers
Use Twitter to build your PLN
As well as LinkedIn, you can use Twitter to connect with peers. You can create networks by responding with questions to recent journal articles or posts. This can lead to engaging with the author or other commentators about the topic of interest.
Popular hashtags to engage with peers
- #technology
- #datascience
- #nursing
- #chemjobs
- #phdlife
- or try searching for hashtags in your field.
You can use a tool like TweetDeck to schedule posts and follow specific hashtags and users. Make Search columns for different hashtags. Find out how to use TweetDeck.
Duration: 
Approximately 30 minutes
Graduate attributes
Knowledge and skills you can gain to contribute to your Graduate attributes:
Critical judgement
Independence and creativity
Check your knowledge
Check what you know about this topic:
Support at UQ
Access UQ services to assist you with personal or study-related issues.
