Consider our guest and their steps in building a podcast relying on a PLN. Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course? If yes, how? If not, what limitations exist?
Our guest for this week, Mo Amir, builds his podcast using his PLN. In the past two more years, he has successfully invited numerous politicians and guests in different fields. He uses Twitter to make connections with local media, local journalists, local politicians, and gradually enlarge his PLN. Amir talks about how reputation and credibility can help him attract more guests to participate in his podcast. Personally, my PLN may help my professional development, but it is limited since I don’t have a Twitter account. After listening to Amir’s experience on podcasting, I considered creating a Twitter account to expand my PLN. Giudice et al. stated that “the Internet is the top media application nowadays due to its high level of interactivity” (Giudice et al., 2014). Current social media platforms build rely on internet connections which brought the opportunity for people to expand their PLN through online communications. Thus, maintaining an active online presence and sharing ideas online helps create networks and build relationships.

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?
“…considering the increase in interactivity and the way it relates to the media, the latter need to be described as a dynamic process that involves different levels of interaction not only between specific senders and receivers but also between economies and technologies and commercialization and globalization of media markets.“ – Giudice et al., 2014
The increasing use of media is associated with the increase in interactivity. PLN is about interacting with different people and making connections. Such that Amir uses his PLN to acquire opportunities to invite guests in different fields, my PLN helps me meet different people and further brings more job opportunities for me as well.

Reference:

Del Giudice, M. (2013). From information society to network society: The challenge. (pp. 71-88). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02490-5_5

Miller, J. & Amir, M.(2021, October 24). EDCI PODCAST – 2021-10-24 Mo Amir YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgoDet6pwaI.