Hello everyone!

This week, I learned how to create a professional Facebook page about myself! I've had a Facebook profile for years now, but this was the first time I created a page. While your profile is personal and informal, showing your status updates, photos, and comments from your friends, a page is more business orientated, and can be used to promote yourself.  We've all heard stories about employers researching their applicants, and rejecting some after seeing their Facebook page. But have no fear! With Facebook privacy settings, you can safely keep your personal profile from prying eyes, and potential employers. At the same time, you can still promote yourself using your public profile, which contains an online resume and contact information (without the embarrassing photos). Below is a screenshot of my page, and feel free to visit me on Facebook!

My Facebook Page, uploaded from Flickr

An article on the New York Times Bits blog shows that 45% of employers use social networking sites to screen applicants, and of those, 35% were turned down due to the content on those sites. This article was written in 2009, and since then, the numbers have probably increased. When we are on the internet, it is easy to forget who might be reading the things that we post. That is one of the biggest advantages of Facebook. It allows you to be free to voice your own opinions, and relax when communicating with your friends on your profile, while still maintaining a professional image on your page. It can act as an online resume, and so much more. You can edit and personalize your page to market yourself the way you want to be seen. You can post your credentials and accomplishments as well as your hobbies and personal interests, allowing people to get to know and understand you better. Rather than friends, your page can have fans, who can like you, and receive updates of what you are doing. For those who have their own businesses, Facebook pages are also good ways to market new ideas, inform fans of promotions, and also obtain feedback on how they are doing. As you can see from the many advantages of having a page, it is something definitely worth trying.

Thank you everyone, for reading my blog, and come check out my fellow classmate Cassandra's blog, and how she plans on making use of her Facebook page!

So remember everyone, before you post something online, ask yourself - who can read this?

Introduction

Hello everyone,


Welcome to my blog!


My name is Chau Chin Yo, and I was born in Calgary, Alberta. I grew up in a large family, living with my parents, grandparents, and two brothers. I have a variety of hobbies, including reading, arts and crafts, listening to music, watching movies, playing games, and playing sports. I love spending time with my friends and family, but since many of them do not live in Edmonton, I use Skype, MSN Messenger, facebook, and texting to stay in contact with them. Moving to another city and going to university has definitely shown me the importance of social media in staying in touch with others.

Here is a picture of some of my high school friends, who are attending
universities all throughout Canada!

I am currently a second year student at the University of Alberta in Nutrition and Food Sciences, planning on transferring to a Nutrition major. I love food and health, and want to pursue a career as a Registered Dietitian in the future. As a RD, I will have to be able to communicate effectively with the people that I work with. Being able to clearly convey my ideas so that others understand is essential, and being able to network and build connections is very important as well. In this age of information, where technological advances have made communication all the more easier, the ability to make use of social media as a means of communication is becoming increasingly important. In the future, should I ever become a RD, I may need to provide people with resources and advice on health and nutrition, in which social media will be a very valuable tool. I could also make use of blogs written by other dietitians in order to stay up to date on the latest news on nutrition and food. One example of this is Nutrition Blog Network, a blog written by dietitians. 


I am very excited for Ales 204 this semester, and look forward to learning more about blogging and social media! I can't wait to read the blogs of my classmates, and learning from everyone!


Make sure to also check out the blog of fellow classmate Evelyn Cheng, who happens to be in the same program as I am, and also aims to be a RD! She mentions the importance of networking in her blog, which you can find at: http://elycheng1992.blogspot.com/