Unfortunately, it was not too difficult to come up with this list. If truth be told, it could have been a top 100. Despite the large list, it still amazes me how few people are familiar with the privacy settings of their favourite social networks and the impact this will have upon their digital footprint and Personal SEO . I always urge caution and advise people not to say anything they would not like their grandparents to hear or alternatively, think along the lines that you don’t own your Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg does.

In addition, I’ve decided to break with tradition and put this list into a presentation deck. I normally put together written lists, which generally prove popular in terms of views. However, we often tell our clients the importance of making content ‘social’ so it can be shared, commented upon and embedded elsewhere. So I thought I’d start following some of my own advice.

I’d be interested to hear your views on the deck and please do let me know of any other stories of people who have committed social media #epic #fails or indeed, great successes.

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I was privileged to be asked by Iwi Ugiagbe-Green to speak at an institution where I spent 5 great years as a student and then employee. The audience was made up of current students and graduate trainees who either have an e-portfolio or are giving it some serious consideration.

Iwi is running a project called Pebble-pad PDA use Placement Pilot Scheme (PUPPS) which records the experiences of people using Pepplepad software. I’ve played around with Pebblepad before and it is a good piece of kit that enables you to make an e-portfolio quickly and easily. However, it does all this behind a closed (invitation only) door and lacks a vanity URL facility. So whilst, Peppblepad is a great tool for educators to record thoughts and reflect, it could be enhanced to improve its use as an employability tool.

Anyone who knows me well, will vouch that I’m fascinated by recording achievement and, generally, I feel universities should do more to encourage students to record their work and experiences – and help them to put this online. I’m adamant that this is the way forward and if done well, will significantly boost a graduate’s employability prospects. I was delighted to hear what Iwi was up to and she presented her e-portfolios which she has used for professional development.

As I mentioned in the presentation, graduates are forever being told ‘it’s a tough world out there’ and ‘you need to stand out from the crowd’, but are given very little specific guidance. So I included a fantastic example, by Laura Tosney who produced a video application for a job at 33 Digital – so good in fact, I’ve embedded it into this post. She knows how to stand out from the crowd – and she got the job.

It was also great to have a chat with Iwi and discuss where she sees e-portfolios being utilised at Leeds Met, as well as the other issues, such as personal privacy, client confidentiality and how much information do people really want to give away online.

I would argue that the horse has already bolted for the Y Generation and we all have extensive digital footprints. Instead, we should look to enhance not minimise our digital footprint with some Personal SEO techniques.

Below is a copy of the presentation – if you attended the session I would delighted to hear your feedback or any questions you may have. You can find out more of my thoughts and presentations on e-portfolios here.

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As a QPR fan, a club who like many, have sailed rather close to the wind in recent times, the concept of supporters owning part or all of  their club has always interested me and I was only too delighted to help out after SD Communications Manager, Kevin Rye got in contact via Twitter.

As I mentioned in the presentation I think social media can be used effectively for people to congregate, communicate and mobilise around a cause or campaign, such as sports club ownership. I hope the session provided a useful introduction to social media and that the case studies and tools featured helped demystify some of the platforms out there.

I was also lucky enough to attend Dr John Beech’s session which looked at the tell-tale signs of a club whose finances are not as healthy as they proclaim. It was an insightful, humourous session and for those with an interest in football club ownership, I recommend checking out his Football Management blog.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed presenting and I must say it was an afternoon well spent, meeting passionate, committed supporters all in one place. There were many inspiring people in attendance and it is always somewhat humbling to meet those who freely dedicate untold hours to a cause close their heart. With regard to SD, it is great to see a democratic, co-operative, self-help movement that wants to garner grassroots support for genuine change and supporter representation. I look forward to working with them again in the future.

You can find out more about this year’s conference from the #sdvision Twitter stream. Below is a copy of the presentation – if you attended the session I would delighted to hear your feedback or any questions you may have.

Thanks is also due to my Edelman colleague and Watford supporter Matt Churchill for the hours of hard work he too put into the presentation.

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Sophia is currently an MSc Strategic PR and Communications Management student at Stirling University and I must say what a pleasant surprise (and honour) it is to hear that I’d ‘inspired’ Sophia. I think it’s a great video and is a lot more effective that a simple deck of slides.

You can find out more information about Sophia from her Tweets, blog or Linked In profile.

The presentation details my thoughts on Personal SEO and how this is often a more accurate description of what people term ‘personal brand’. It contains quotes from senior PR colleagues and explains how blogging, putting real work online and networking can generate strong Personal SEO.

It’s always great to meet current PR students and see how other university’s ‘do’ PR education. I was impressed by this group of young people and look forward to seeing how they get on in the industry.

Here is a copy of the presentation – if you have any questions, please do get in touch.

In recent weeks a couple of people have asked for a copy of the slides so here they are – if you have any questions do get on touch.

I presented alongside my colleagues Professor Anne Gregory and Paul Willis and highlighted practical issues in social media using a variety of case studies.

It was great to meet such an inquisitive group of people, from a variety of backgrounds and look forward to seeing how their careers progress.

Here is a copy of the presentation – if you have any questions, please do get in touch.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and both Charlotte Britton and Stephen Waddington have penned thoughtful blogs on the session.

Charlotte Britton who is a Director at Republic of Yorkshire and Chair of Yorkshire and Humber Young Directors Forum at Institute of Directors will also be giving her views as an employer.

Nick Halafihi a Leeds Met Lecturer and some of his Carnegie Sport & Education students will provide a case study on how first year students are utilising their e-portfolio.

A Twitter feed has been created for the event #LeedsMetLL – so please feel free to follow the event, comment , ask questions and leave feedback. We’ll do our best to reply to everyone.

Here is a copy of the presentation  – if you have any questions, please do get in touch.