Keynote speech delivered at the Nordic Careers Network Conference on 2 June 2010, focussing on web 2.0 technologies and social media and their use and effectiveness in higher education careers work. Relates different technologies to DOTS model and maps their effectiveness for different CDL (career development learning) activities.

1. ‘Net’-working in the 21st Century: Opportunity or Challenge? Helen Pownall University of Manchester, UK

2. The Internet – Is It a Useful Tool for Our Toolkit? The internet, web 2.0 and social media How the web and social media impact on careers work Some of the opportunities presented by the internet Some of the challenges and concerns Is it worth it? Tips for making it work

3. Early Visions of the Internet…

4. “The advance of computer and telecommunications technologies holds great promise for individuals and society. From convenience for consumers and efficiency in commerce to improved public health and safety and increased participation in democratic institutions, these technologies can fundamentally transform our lives.” Bruce Koball, computer technologist and consultant (1992)

5. “I had (and still have) a dream that the Web could be less of a television channel and more of an interactive sea of shared knowledge. I imagine it immersing us as a warm, friendly environment made of the things we and our friends have seen, heard, believe or have figured out. I would like it to bring our friends and colleagues closer, in that by working on this knowledge together we can come to better understandings.” Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the Internet and HTML (1995)

6. The Internet - 2010 netbook iPhone Facebook Skype blog Twitter LinkedIn live chat

8. 24/7 ‘always on’ culture and erosion of privacy

9. No quality control – hard to assess validity

11. ‘GenerationY’ Web 2.0 Usage Survey of Use of Online and Interactive ToolsUniversity of Manchester Careers Service, UK (March 2010)747 students and graduates responded

12. Impact of the Internet on Careers Work ‘Generation Y’ – our core client group Changes to the graduate job market Importance of managing your online profile The potential for careers professionals to: Do things better (more efficiently or more effectively) Solve existing problems Try completely new things Key role for careers professionals as finders and ‘sense-makers’

13. Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0 WEB 2.0 Immediacy Permanence WEB 1.0 Two-waycommunication One-wayinformation

14. Web Tools for Careers Work What can we (and our clients) use web tools for? ‘Whistle-stop tour’ of UK careers service examples

15. Blogs – sharing time-sensitive or highly specific information, less formallywww.manchester.ac.uk/careers/blogs

16. Delicious – organising and tagging your favourite resources(social bookmarking)www.delicious.com/manchestercareers Useful websites organised by ‘tags’

17. RSS Feeds - getting info about the specific jobs your students wantwww.netvibes.com/postgradcareers Jobs feeds from different websites

18. Discussion Forums – connecting students, employers, alumni and careers staff in a non-public spacewww.manchester.ac.uk/careers/forums IBM discussion thread in our ‘Employer & Alumni Zone’

19. Facebook – the friendly face of your Careers Servicewww.facebook.com/brunelPCC

20. LinkedIn – linking you with employers and other contactswww.linkedin.com UK HE Careers Professionals Group

21. Twitter – gathering, sifting and ‘re-tweeting’ information and communicating with employers and studentswww.manchester.ac.uk/careers/twitter Hootsuite, an application for managing Twitter messages

22. LiveGuidance – talking to students in a one-to-one IM chatwww.manchester.ac.uk/careers/liveguidance LivePerson ‘operator console’

23. How effective are they? New technologies appear to us a lot of possibilities in our careers work, but how effective are they for our core work? Can we map different web tools against core career development learning tasks?

24. OPPORTUNITIES SELF DECISIONS Core Career Development Learning Tasks 5 CDL Tasks Improving self-awareness (skills, interests, values, motivations etc) Researching opportunities(types of work) Making career decisions Finding opportunities (e.g. job search) Application process (CVs, interviews etc) DOTS Model Tony Watts & Bill Law TRANSITIONS (APPLICATIONS)

26. Challenges and Concerns “I’m not a techie. I don’t understand all this newfangled technology and social media.” “There’s so much out there – I don’t know where to start!” “I’m worried about my privacy!” “Gen Y-ers don’t want us in ‘their space’” “If we offer online services, it’ll make students (even more) lazy and they won’t bother coming in to see us.”

27. Challenges and Concerns – Part 2! “I just don’t have time for this!” “Students won’t use it. They just want to see someone in person.” “We could invest a lot of time in [Twitter] and then in a few months the world will have moved on to something else.” “Will we be surplus to requirements in the brave new world of the web? Why do students need a careers adviser when they can just get on Wikijob or tweet a recruiter direct?”

28. So Is It Worth It? YES Very positive feedback from actual users of our interactive services Success stories: e.g. students have obtained jobs through Twitter and blogs The future is here and we can’t ignore it! BUT we have learned that… Raising awareness is challenging – need to be patient More time is needed than initially envisaged Getting staff on board has been as challenging as getting students on board

29. You’re More Likely to BeSuccessful if… You know what you’re problem you’re trying to solve and… …You don’t start with the technology You ask employers and students what they want (and listen to them!) You do it because you want to, not because you feel like you have to You prioritise – don’t try to do everything An enthusiast drives the project You train colleagues (and yourself)

30. You’re More Likely to BeSuccessful if… (part 2!) You’re adaptable and willing to change your approach – learn as you go You work out how much time is needed and how you will make it (and then add 50%!) You get the support of techie people (either in careers or in the central IT support service) Friendly note to managers: a technological solution is rarely a less resource-intensive one

31. Make technology the servant, not the master.

32. Contact Helen Pownall Careers Consultant, with special responsibility for web and interactive technologies) MLP, Careers & Employability Division University of Manchester, UK Email: helen.pownall@manchester.ac.uk Phone: +44 161 275 2828 (careers switchboard) LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/helenpownall Twitter: www.twitter.com/helenpownall Slides available at: www.slideshare.com/helenpownall