For the past few years, we’ve been blogging in classes. Some of those students have turned those experiences into valuable job resources post-graduation.

Every once in awhile, I like to post updates on some of the graduates. Here are the some of the latest bits of news from grads with jobs. The new graduates, or soon to be graduates, will follow.

• Erin Caldwell: In an email from Edelman (Washington, D.C.) vice president Mike Krempasky – via Edelman me2revolution president Rick Murray, titled “The least surprising promotion you’ll hear about,” I learned that Erin has received a “promotion to Account Executive.” She now heads up activities for one of their premiere clients. Great news.
• Diana Keating: Now leads the communications/marketing and advertising activities for W. P. Cary, New York, a leading global real estate investment firm. No kidding. The story behind this is great, but too long to share here. Diana’s terrific.
• Jessica Stephens: Departed Publicis for Elle Magazine in New York. Jessica is working with the advertising departments for Luxury Goods and American Apparel. This kind of work has been Jessica’s dream and she is very happy. Jessica is in the photo to the right.
• Melanie Sollid: Melanie is the publications & marketing manager for a non-profit in DC, The Student National Medical Association. The student portfolio work I’ll discuss below (in their Style & Design class) is directly related to the work she does today.
• Paige Bagby: Paige is with a public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. (She never wants me to mention the name.) Recently, I received an IM chat from Paige with the following, “Robert, you will be so proud… I have a blogging question for you… I’ve introduced the idea of blogging to the firm, and got a very positive response.” Some of their principals may begin to blog. Pretty cool.

Actually, all of these ladies are terrific. There are others, too. I’m just trying to find the emails. When I do, I’ll post again.

One of the reasons I bring this up? Each of these students, and others, have pointed to class activities as being helpful in acquiring their initial jobs. To make them more valuable to the students, I’m considering altering some of our activities. I’d like your feedback, please.

So, like the blogging activities for those previous students, we’ve also done some portfolio creation projects. For the last five or so years, I’ve been requiring students to create digital portfolios. They have been created in several forms.

…should I continue this practice and require all future students to create these digital portfoliios?

This past semester’s group has completed their portfolios.

They used open source templates from oswd.org and worked with the HTML/CSS. They also used the following software: Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash, SnagIt, Skype, HotRecorder, Audacity and a little program to create a branded / personalized browser – BrowserBob. They use that browser to create a CD-ROM version of the portfolio. The Flash template came from FlashKit.com.

We aren’t trying to create Web designers or graphic artists with this project. We are trying to give our students exposure to these tools so that they may better understand how to incorporate them into a campaign for a future client. Awareness and familiarity are our goals.

Here is a sampling. Some of the students decided to get a domain and hosting to put their resumes / portfolios online. I hope the others will follow their lead and send me the links.

• Kristin Hill
• Christin D. Eubanks
• Adam Keeshan
• Mary Kneeland Metcalf
• Elizabeth Wood Rodgers
• Ashley Erin Robertson

What if I make this site / domain aspect a required part of the course? You know, have the students get their own domain and post the final project to the site. It will then serve the purpose of a simple resume / portfolio they may share with potential employers. Send a link to the site. No attachments necessary.

Here are two former students, listed above, who already have jobs in New York City and Washington, D.C. I believe having their resumes online helped them.

• Diana Keating’s Resume
• Erin M.Caldwell

Also, with the domain, they will get their own email address. This is important because they quite literally live in their school supplied account. It, however, gets turned off about six months after they graduate.

The students could also launch a blog on their new hosted site and use that to help build search engine placement for their site. In fact, we could get the domain and site in the first week of class. Launch the blog. This way they are four months along in developing search placement when the semester is over.

Suggestions and comments are appreciated.