One of the mostly unexplored benefits of the Commons is that it provides a highly visible platform for graduate students and others on the job market to craft their professional presence online (see sites by graduate students Suzy Cater and Natalie Berkman). An academic job advertisement might ask for a CV, letter, writing sample, syllabus, statement of teaching philosophy, dissertation abstract, and left kidney, but a Web site allows you to provide all of this and more. Instead of saying you have near-native expertise in French, why not create an audio post proving it? Rather than claim you’re a top-notch teacher, why not post a video of you in your classroom element and then add some student comments and syllabi that testify to the breadth as well as the quality of your instruction? And if you’re still waiting for your first article to finally see the light of day, consider depositing a conference or seminar paper or two with CORE—you’ll get a DOI identifying you as the author of the piece and, if you wish to allow others to reuse your deposit, the opportunity to assign a Creative Commons license.
Want to know more? If you’ll be in Austin, come to our presentation, “Putting the Commons to Work: How to Craft a Professional Presence and Promote Your Work Online,” on Friday, 8 January from 3:05 to 3:25 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall Theater.