Reflections On Readings Article Review Examples

1. What would YOU like to discuss further from today’s readings and why?

Article #1. Managing Your Digital Footprint by Dave Willmer

I believe this article is useful since it tells the truth and teaches how to manage digital footprints. I would like to further discuss that people should learn how to manage their digital footprint and use Internet as an advantage to show their potentials to new employers. This is the WHY. I am as well as my generation was born in digital age and information is the easiest thing to find. It was very useful for me to know that my social life and all my online stuff will be checked by my future employer before I graduate the university. Now I will be aware and try to improve my footprints, will pay more attention what I am writing on my blogs, and join professional groups. First of all it will be interesting and useful for me. Moreover I am sure my future employer will estimate it. However I argue that online history should be one of the most important factors in people’s career. I think professional skills and personal qualities should be tested first. Anyway we should accept our modern life as it is and adapt to its conditions by changing its challenges to our opportunities.

Article #2. We Googled You by Diane Coutu

I do believe this article is a corroboration of the first article and this kind of situations often happen in real life. I would like to further discuss that nowadays nearly all employers google their potential candidates even before they foot the office door and I strongly recommend Fred to hire Mimi in spite of her negative digital footprint. This is the WHY. I agree that googling the candidate will give the employer a more holistic view of the candidate however companies should understand that people are different and if they don’t find any negative information about the candidate in social sites it doesn’t mean his absolute innocence; because you see no evil, it certainly doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. So I do advise Fred to hire Mimi as hiring another “clean” person with average talent may be much more dangerous for the company. As Mimi is described as aggressively creative, original, opinionated and a risk taker she is the right person for the position. If I were Mimi I would follow the steps of managing my digital footprint and write an article about present China’s recovered economy after their strike. Now I understand why one of my friends who is older than me deleted all his photos on Instagram and Facebook and replaced them with business photos before applying for a job.
2. What is your key learning or take-away from today’s readings?
Article #1. Managing Your Digital Footprint by Dave Willmer
As I am a student now and I will certainly search job in future, this article is a good reminder for me to check my own digital footprints before it does anyone else. As for me if I am interested in someone I also google his or her name and see what kind of person he or she is. My first key learning from this article is that successful digital footprints may give people competitive advantage and negative information left after them may hurt their opportunities or even reputation. Moreover people always should keep in their minds that their family members especially their children also use internet. My second learning I gained form the reading is steps how to manage digital footprints. I do believe they are much more useful and necessary for me and from today I will check my online reputation and improve it trying simple steps described in the article. Since my online footprints are like tattoo, once you have, it will stay with you.

Article #2. We Googled You by Diane Coutu

Nowadays nothing can stay secret due to Internet and even complete strangers can tell a great deal about us especially bad footprints may damage our career until we don’t learn to manage them. This article is vividly useful for every student as it shows the negative impact of Internet on the career development. One of the key learnings from this article is that online image is really important in future job and can hurt your opportunities more than I thought. Especially if you have a political story in past like Mimi had. I will keep in mind this case for a long time as a day will come when I will be in charge to hire people and will be faced a dilemma as Fred does. Another key learning is I should practice defensive googling from now in order to avoid negative impacts of online articles and so on. As the article says “part of living in a networked society is learning how to accessorize our digital bodies, just as we learn to put on the appropriate clothes to go to the office.”