Student Testimonials
Anonymous Student Feedback
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Anon Student 1: This has been such a useful class and I have found applying my knowledge all through out the semester. I used my WIX page as sample work on a couple of applications and now have two jobs lined up for after I graduate next week.​
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Anon Student 2: I can't say enough positive things about the dedication and technical skills you'll learn creating an online portfolio. More than that though, I think the lessons I've learned about personal branding are the most valuable. It's so incredibly necessary in today's current career market to set yourself apart, establish a clear, distinct and relatable personal brand, and maintain that consistently across your various media outlets.
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Anon Student 3: I see the benefits the ePortfolio can bring in furthering my career goals. Prior to taking the Internship course, I really had no exposure to an ePortfolio. Now I completely understand how it is essential to have as undergraduate seeking employment. I like the flexibility it offers, and the ability to highlight accomplishments and skills, which is limited with a resume only. I continue to see areas where I can make adjustment/improvements as it continues to be a work in progress for me.
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Norfolk, VA
"Wix is a creative, interesting way to showcase yourself, your work, your experience and your personality- all in one single forum. Over the past four years, I have used Wix for a variety of different courses. The easiest part of Wix is picking your theme, there are numerous platforms in which you can chose from and most themes layout your Wix in a organized manner. The most challenging part of Wix is learning all that Wix has to offer. At first, Wix is a little overwhelming, but once you get the hang of it you are able to publish your work in a way that has never been seen before. Wix is a always evolving platform which allows you to try a variety of different options until you find your best fit. I have made many changes in the past year to my Wix including different themes, pictures, organization, and format. I am still learning the ins and outs of Wix but with help and guidance I am confident with how my page turned out. I would love to learn more about graphics and image slides to incorporate a different aspect to my Wix this semester."
Norfolk, VA
"Creating and developing an ePortfolio was a completely new experience for me. At first I was a little worried when I saw in the class criteria that we would be doing this. I feared it would be too challenging and also overwhelming. But it ended up being extremely rewarding!
The creation of an ePortfolio has helped me improve my professional presence because it helped to show that I can be technologically diverse. It also has allowed me to clean up my resume to look more professional. I realized through the creation of the ePortfolio that I lacked a lot of professional social media presence that some employers are keen on. This includes platforms such LinkedIn and Facebook. So, working on that will be a way I can advance my portfolio even more to get my face out there and display my professional creativity and achievements.
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What I liked the most about my ePortfolio is that I could include my creative side when developing my profile. It showcases my personality through the colors and patterns while also looking clean, sleek and professional. The overall curation process was extremely fun and easy to adjust to. It was one of my top concerns, figuring out how to make my ePortfolio look good and standout, without being to unprofessional or overbearing. But ended up going smoothly and my layout became my favorite thing about my portfolio. I was able to include all aspects of me, including my current fashion experience effectively."
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Leesburg, VA
"The ePortfolio encouraged me to think objectively and critically about professional communication by allowing me to reflect on what is most important to present in regards to my professional self. It is common knowledge that many employers search for potential employees on the web to see what comes up. Creating an ePortfolio compelled me to think about how I could utilize the web in order to assist me in presenting my professional self to a prospective employer. Unlike a simple resume or cover letter, the ePortfolio really allowed me to expand upon the work I’ve done and I definitely anticipate utilizing one in my future endeavors.“
"It has been about 2 years now since I completed COMM 305 (and about a year and a half since I’ve graduated!) and although it has taken me a little while, I have really come to appreciate the value of the ePortfolio project you had us complete. To speak honestly, at the time, I fulfilled the requirements but didn’t necessarily recognize the full value. However, I have since used the skills gained throughout the course of the ePortfolio assignment on numerous occasions. Most recently to create my own website/blog page to document my family’s latest adventure (linked above)! (Social platforms: Facebook.com/livingthevantasy, @livingthevantasy.com)
I was the late-stage (27 year old) student taking your course remotely and submitting my assignments from various locations as my family and I traveled throughout the Western U.S. in our conversion van. I actually remember filming and submitting a video for your class while perched atop the roof of my van, taking advantage of the only spot I could get reception while on a rock climbing trip to the Alabama Hills in the desert foothills of the Sierra Nevada's.
I think I can honestly say that without the skills gained in your class I would never have even attempted to tackle a task such as web design/building. I feel very fortunate for the skills I walked away with."
Virginia Beach, VA
"The concept of creating an ePortfolio was very new to me after taking three years off of school, I was nervous about creating a scholarly presence for myself on the internet and insecure about sharing my academic projects online. I am appreciative that ODU has kept up with current communication methods, and I look forward to building my portfolio as a supplement to my resume. I recently read an article which mentioned that employers are now more interested in viewing online portfolios for prospect employees as a means to view their work instead of relying on their credentials presented through a resume. Over all I think the creation and curation of the ePortfolio is highly beneficial to students."
Williamsburg, VA
"One of my favorite aspects of this course (COMM 351) is the development of the e-Portfolio. While personal learning and growth through reading and course lectures has helped me immensely, I really appreciate having a formal record that I can point employers at beyond listing my GPA and offering a list of courses I've completed. I'm currently working as a technical writer in the medical field and my colleagues/superiors have gained a lot of insight into my skill set from being able to easily review and read through work samples that I've compiled for previous e-Portfolios. It's been a great way of going beyond a simple résumé to clearly illustrate how my college degree has prepared me to tackle real world situations in the workplace."
Norfolk, VA
Just like any other student starting an Internship course I honestly thought that it would be a breeze. Do a few hours of work, log it, and keep it moving (we have tons of other work to finish, right?). That wasn't the case in Dr. Lefever's COMM 368 course. There, she taught us the importance of effectively representing ourselves to the digital world by creating an ePortfolio. Sure, you may have a LinkedIn but does it showcase your writing skill, creative ability, or even who you are as a young professional? Over the course of 16 weeks I learned how to set objectives for myself, write a blog, create a functional website, and have professionals take a look into who I was and what I have to offer. I am grateful for being exposed to this resource and it is awesome that the communication department is looking to make this a part of more courses.
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Don't let the workload intimidate you because it is well worth it in the end. Your ePortfolio will set you apart from the rest because it shows you have the ability to not only create but to curate as well. Make sure that you are writing those blog posts, doing the best you can on class projects, and snap a great head shot so those professionals can put a face to a name! It looks good on applications to Grad school (trust me), job applications, and it is a great conversation starter at networking events. Pair this with your business card and you are sure to be a hit!
"Before this course I had never thought before of having a professional presence online although I had a minimal LinkedIn account its importance was never realized. With completing this course it has brought the importance of creating a professional presence online to the forefront and I have made big improvements from the start of the semester. Throughout this semester I have improved my LinkedIn account with more professional information and skills, created a Monster.com account in which I have gotten a lot of good feedback from with the assistance of this course, improved my current resume profiles, and created a nice WIX page. In culmination of all these improvements I now have a stronger professional presence online and more appealing to potential employers."
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“After completing my ePortfolio, I believe that my professional presence has improved ten-fold. I have really narrowed down how I want to present myself to future employers and how I would like others to see me as a colleague and professional. I really enjoyed having a space to write my research interests. The template that I chose for my website was made specifically for science professionals. It has places set up for you to put past research as well as current and future works. I think I like this set up so much because it makes me feel like I am actually doing important research. Even though none of mine experiments are published, this feature still allows me to share my work in an appealing way to others. Even though I probably disliked making the ‘about me’ section the most, I think I am most proud of that section. I believe that it showcases my qualities well and sets me apart from others in my job market.
For future students that are creating a portfolio, I would recommend one major piece of advice. Being someone who has never created an ePortfolio, I tackled the major task of designing the portfolio very early on in the semester. I think this helped me out tremendously. It took an extended amount of time to set everything up the way I wanted to. Doing the set up at the very beginning of the semester and not wasting any time was beneficial because it allowed me to focus on this entirely. At the beginning of the semester there are not nearly as many projects, papers, and exams. Had I not created my portfolio early, I honestly don’t think I would be satisfied with the layout because I wouldn’t have had the time necessary to put in. Therefore, I think the most important advice I can give is to get the ball rolling and start creating your ePortfolio as soon as possible. Once that is completed, all you have to do is add things and manage as the semester goes on.