Unit 9 Lab 1: Creating a Professional Profile
Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Compare and contrast various networking strategies for making professional contacts.
Identify strategies for avoiding the pitfalls of social networking.
Develop strategies for benefitting from social media and networking activities while avoiding the pitfalls.
Create a plan for regularly updating a résumé as skills, ability, and experience change.
Create an error-free professional résumé and sample cover letter.

Required Setup and Resources
Skills for Living a Rich Life, Chapters 21 and 24
Computer with Internet access
Printer

Recommended Procedures
Unlike many other social media websites (Facebook, MySpace, message boards, etc.), LinkedIn is primarily a professional networking and job search tool. As a future professional in your career field, it will be highly beneficial for you to have a professional profile that future employers can search for, see, and use to vet you for potential employment.

Additionally, ITT Technical Institute provides a service through ePortfolio that you can use in a similar manner. 1. Go to LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com) and create a professional social media profile. 2. Read through and then follow the tips for “Connecting with Business Colleagues through LinkedIn” on pp. 538-539 of Skills for Living a Rich Life. 3. The final product should look very similar to a résumé and should include at least the following information: * Career objective or personal statement * Area of residence (at least city/state) * Current and previous employment (at least the last three jobs) * Relevant duties performed in each position * Education * Educational accolades * Specific skills related to this prospective career 4. Make sure you add connections with as many family, friends,