The Worth of Your Online Presence
Having access to the digital space as you do is a big deal, given that lots of other persons do not have any access. Some of us burn hundreds or thousands of Naira weekly or monthly to be online. And because of personal freedom, you have the liberty to use the digital space as you please.
However, the question is, “Do you know that the internet has its positive and its negative side? Which side of it have you focused on?” You could spend so much time on contents and websites that do not add value to you, but only steal away your time (‘your time’ being ‘your life’), or you could make every time you spend online packed with value.
Are you aware that more and more today, there is so much to be gained online? Do you know that you can achieve so much for yourself today and even for the future just by making the right choices about what you do online?
What Does Your Online Presence Mean to You?
Whenever you go online, be intentional about what you intend to achieve within that time. Well, so far, you may be used to the online space only as a place where you go catch up with news updates, entertainment news, celebrity gossips, movies to watch, watching of Facebook/Youtube videos. You could be used to checking out what your facebook contacts are up to. And anything else you do online. However, you can make your online presence more beneficial to you than this.
Some Valuable Use of Your Digital Space
To keep in touch with family and friends as well as social and business networks: This use of your digital space, good as it sounds, needs to be evaluated often and regulated to ensure that it does not become a time-killer, a resource-drainer and adds no value to your personal growth and achievement of set goals. This is to say that keeping in touch with others need to have some valuable outcomes attached to it and not just for its own sake.
Do Online Courses in line with your interests, skills, profession and passion: There are certified free and paid online courses for you to develop yourself, in terms of your career, profession, income source and preparation for near and far future opportunities. Good enough these days, these online courses add value to your Curriculum Vitae / Resume. They are not discredited even though they are online. That is the world of today, in which your engagements in the digital space are considered and assessed for value.
Many institutions and organizations offer online courses on their website. You can find such websites by doing a google search and you will find something that likely interests you in line with some goals you would like to achieve.
You can also do undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs online. It is now very possible to have degree certificates, including masters and PhD, from universities across the world. The world of eLearning has indeed expanded. You too can take advantage of this.
Apply for Job Opportunities: It is a common saying that there are no jobs, however, it is an irony because there are lots of genuine vacancy positions advertised by private companies, local and international NGOs daily. With my experience of Human Resource Management around adverts and recruiting, you would be surprised to know that there are jobs but sometimes difficult to get the right persons to fit into the positions.
So, while you keep saying that there are no jobs, please be aware too that there are jobs and vacancies waiting to be filed. For instance, some Whatsapp groups are fully dedicated to posting only job vacancies from various organizations, while other groups make it part of the benefits of staying on in the group. Take the time to join networks that lead you to the right job vacancies and business opportunities you may be looking for. This is clearly an instance of where your network is your net worth.
Opportunities to participate in fellowships and cohorts: There are online calls to apply for fellowships and academies aimed at building you for specific skills or professional expertise. If your application is successful, some of these academies give you grants, traveling opportunities, participation in conferences, grow your global network and develop your expertise in specific areas of your profession. Organizations keen on staff development do sponsor their staff for professional courses and fellowships. If developing yourself has value to you, then you too can save to give yourself these opportunities.
Funding for Projects/Community Service: You could also apply for Expressions of Interests or Calls for Proposals as an individual or organization and if successful get funds for community projects or community service as laid out in the advertised Expression of Interest.
Other valuable use of your digital space include but not limited to the following:
Connect with prayer groups in line with your faith;
Connect with business associates and develop business networks to boost your sales and business opportunities;
Share a skill or knowledge you have and get people to pay for it;
Do online research on specific issues and expand your knowledge and its application to life;
Use social media platforms such as Instagram, whatsapp, facebook and linked in to promote products and services you have for sale and earn from your online engagement.
(The End)