Facebook e-Resume....I Like!

Just when I thought I knew all that Facebook could offer, I get introduced to the concept of a Facebook resume.  The idea of creating a page used solely to represent myself as a professional did not ever dawn on me.  This is a great way to 'sell yourself' to the potential employer by giving them a better idea of who you are, but still keeping your personal life separate.  This assignment has been effective in demonstrating how versatile social media can be.  Follow the link to view the e-Resume I created on Facebook. It will give you a bit more information about me!

To elaborate and clarify some of the information on my Facebook page, I have completed a degree in Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta back in 2002. So I am currently working on my second degree! After finishing my first degree, I worked for 6 years in the field of environmental consulting. During this time, I gained experience working around the oil sands in Fort McMurray, Alberta.  I had the amazing opportunity to assist in some research my company was conducting to discover new techniques in reclaiming the land that had been mined.  In addition to this, I also took part in large-scale soil and vegetation surveys where I analyzed soil profiles and identified plant species.  Personally, I always enjoyed catching sight of wildlife while working. Some of my favourite encounters included a baby Black Bear, a Great Grey Owl and a Lynx!!  After careful consideration, I made the move to change my career. A tough decision, but the right one in the end. I have no regrets about the time I spent in my former career and I greatly value all of the amazing experiences I never would have had.  I am so excited to be on a new path and I look forward to new challenges.

Working in that industry, it was certainly clear that communication played a huge role when dealing with the public and, more importantly, for the health and safety of all those around you. This is something I'm sure Laura will learn throughout her education and future work experience.  I do recall several instances where some personal communications on Facebook ended up resulting in threatened legal action on the company I was working for at the time.  These serious cases involved photos of co-workers without their required safety gear, while they were still on the worksite.  The less serious cases involved "bad mouthing" co-workers on friends-of-friends walls.  After hearing about this at a staff meeting, it became quite apparent how powerful the misuse of social media can be. If you don't have something appropriate to post, don't post it at all!

References
Facebook screen capture. Retrieved December 6, 2001 from http://flic.kr/p/aRJBNk and http://flic.kr/p/aRVT2t

Introduction...

Hello Everyone!  My name is Jenny Brown and I have a philosophy on food. It is really simple, and pretty much common sense, but it seems to be something we have lost touch with as the world got too busy.  In a nutshell, this is it; we need to remind ourselves to invest time and thought into planning and preparing balanced, enjoyable meals of reasonable proportions.  With the pace of life getting faster and faster, this simple concept became lost to quick and convenient, super-sized foods and beverages which had fewer nutrients and many more calories.  This evolving lifestyle led to the battle of the bulge which resulted in the development of radical, “fad” diets, some of which were cutting out really nutritious foods!!  Once the market boomed on these miracle diets, more and more evolved and the followers lost sight of a very simple concept.

My developing interest in the field of health care, most specifically nutrition, is not a surprising one.  Growing up, I had the privilege of learning about the nutrients in our food, as well as, the multitude of health benefits associated with regular exercise.  I was surrounded by health professionals who not only supplied me with this knowledge, but also a level of paranoia due to too much information at too young an age.  Imagine a 10 year-old at a birthday party telling other kids that the nitrates in their hot dogs were bad for them!  At that age, I didn’t quite understand the concept of “there is a time and a place for everything”.  Throughout my teenage years and into my twenties, I became very active in martial arts and wall/rock climbing.  This period in my life instilled my love of physical activity which has stayed with me to this day.  In recent years, I joined a ballroom dance club and started receiving instruction privately in order to compete.  Due to the intensity of my daily routine during this time, I became very conscience of the physical changes to my body and began paying close attention to my diet; in particular maintaining a balanced caloric intake with a good supply of nutrients.  Several other dancers in the club were dietitians, and conversations with them really got me motivated into pursuing it as a new career.

Fast forward to present day!  I am currently pursuing a degree in Nutrition at the University of Alberta.  Upon successful completion of my degree, much like my fellow classmate Angelina, I hope to be accepted into the Dietitian Internship Program and become a Registered Dietitian.  Based on my job shadowing experience, I am most interested in the area of nutritional science that focuses on treating individuals dealing with chronic diseases, such as cancer and diabetes, as well as those managing obesity.  Other areas of interest include maternal and paediatric nutrition.  These are just a few areas in which a dietitian can be employed.  The diverse opportunities available indicate the importance of communication skills required to be successful in this field.  A dietitian is expected to counsel patients individually, educate groups during nutritional workshops, prepare written reports for other health care professionals to assess, and present the latest news in nutrition at conferences.  Being able to communicate (and network) effectively on paper, online and in person, will help to ensure success in this profession.  The Dietitians of Canada website can be found by clicking on the following link: http://www.dietitians.ca/.  This site is a great resource for learning more about the roles of dietitians.


References
Burger/apple image. Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=healthy+food&start=408&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=-QC7CEluje2HiM:&imgrefurl=http://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/sitemaker/websitefiles/phri532294/saharabody.cfm%3Fid%3D560&docid=8n1s66Lp_5zC4M&imgurl=http://nutrihealth.in/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/food_choices.png&w=200&h=200&ei=R020TumeKeqaiQL5oJiGAQ&zoom=1&chk=sbg&iact=rc&dur=125&sig=107522524356943667356&page=18&tbnh=108&tbnw=108&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:408&tx=81&ty=46


Dancing image. Retrieved October 15, 2011 from http://www.google.ca/imgres?q=ballroom+dancing&um=1&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=587&tbm=isch&tbnid=T3VZsuAIrMJbDM:&imgrefurl=http://www.twellow.com/categories/ballroom_dancing/page/9&docid=mN2C9sPlLu72IM&imgurl=http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/191537030/BALLROOM_DANCING_PROFILE_bigger.jpg&w=500&h=335&ei=2VK0TsuBGo2GiQKr3omOAg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=531&sig=107522524356943667356&page=1&tbnh=106&tbnw=135&start=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:0&tx=57&ty=7