Author Archives: Jeremy Borgia

Tips for a Personal Website

Building your personal website can seem like the most daunting task in the process of building your web presence. But it doesn’t have to be! There are a number of sites and services, many of them free, that provide a framework and templates that let you quickly and painlessly build a personal site.

So, why build a personal website? For one, résumés are boring. No pictures, no videos, no flair, and very little personality. On a website, you can link to work samples and presentations (from your beautiful new Slideshare profile), you can easily link to your LinkedIn profile, and you can imbue the site with your personality. Moreover, it shows potential employers and connections that you are technically savvy, which is important in the 21st century economy.

In addition, résumés are static. As soon as you hand (or even email) someone your résumé, they forever have that version of it. However, if you include your personal site’s URL on your résumé or business card, your connections will have access to a dynamic, up-to-date (hopefully!) source of information.

Finally, a personal website is searchable. Remember, an important part of building web presence is controlling what results people find when they Google your name, and so your site provides a lot of relevant context that will be indexed with your name.

Convinced? You’d better be. Below, I’ve listed some tools to easily make your new personal website. Needless to say, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to start.

Sites.miis.edu

As a MIIS student, you are able to create your own site on the sites.middlebury.edu domain. To set yours up and get started, go to sites.middlebury.edu, and click on “Create a Site” in the upper-right of the page. Once you’ve got your site registered, the content management system (or CMS) that you’ll use to build your site is WordPress, so I’ll direct you to that section for more information on using that platform.

***Note*** If you decide to use sites.middlebury.edu, know that your domain will expire six months after you graduate (or otherwise discontinue) from MIIS. At that point, you’d have the option of either moving your site to a new domain (which isn’t as complicated as it sounds) or letting your website disappear into virtual nothingness.

MiddCreate

Another option for MIIS students is to create your site at your own domain by using MiddCreate. MiddCreate allows you to create your own subdomain (for example: amycollier.middcreate.net) for free and install open source web tools on it, such as WordPress, Known, Omeka, Drupal, MediaWiki, etc. This gives you the flexibility to create as many sites as you want on whatever content management system you like, as well as have full creative control over its appearance. MiddCreate is hosted through Reclaim Hosting, a company that started out of the University of Mary Washington.

If you’ve already built a great website at SITES dot MIIS but want to customize it beyond the available options, you can migrate your site over to MiddCreate. You can learn more about the differences between SITES dot MIIS and MiddCreate at the Middlebury Office of Digital Learning’s blog.

***Note*** If you decide to use MiddCreate, you will lose access to your domain six months after you graduate (or otherwise discontinue) from MIIS. You then have the option to 1) pay Reclaim Hosting $45/year to keep everything, 2) download your entire site to store on your computer, or 3) move everything over to another hosting provider. Learn how to migrate your site in the MiddCreate Support Docs.

WordPress

WordPress is a great content management system that is as simple or sophisticated as you need it to be. It is also one of the most widely used website platforms on the MIIS campus and in the DLC, meaning that there are a lot of people who can offer a great deal of assistance with WordPress sites. To get started, you just signup, choose a theme (this does a lot of the design legwork for you) and fill it with your content.

WordPress sites created through sites.middlebury.edu are limited in the themes they can use, but you will have access to some plugins and can edit the PHP code behind your site to a degree.

Installing WordPress on your MiddCreate domain will give you full functionality (just like if you were to use WordPress.org). This means you can upload and install any theme or plugin, edit the PHP code, and have access to your site’s files.

If you create your own WordPress.com account, your site will be hosted for free on WordPress.com and you won’t have to worry about purchasing a domain or losing access. However, this means that your site URL will by default include “wordpress.com” and you won’t be able to upload any custom themes, plugins, or modify the PHP code.

About.me

About.me offers a simple, one-page personal website, that serves more as a landing page to redirect viewers to other pages, such as your LinkedIn profile. You could build this as a starter page while you’re working on a more comprehensive personal site, or you could use it in addition to your personal site in order to drive traffic and provide yet another relevant Google search result.

Wix

Wix is another popular content management system, and it has a free version. Like WordPress, Wix offers myriad pre-made templates that you can use and fill with your personalized content. If you want to get more adventurous and customize your size further, the themes do offer some flexibility. One great feature that Wix offers is being able to control how your site is viewed on different devices; you can optimize your site for mobile devices vs. desktops. A downside to using the free version is that your site will have a small advertisement.

Weebly

Weebly is similar to Wix; you choose from pre-made themes and fill them with your content. Weebly is advertised as more e-commerce friendly, and the interface is more beginner-friendly. Weebly also offers a mobile app that allows you to edit your site. The site offers free options, but many of the more advanced features require a subscription.

Additional Resources

Here are some additional resources that provide strategies for building a website. Enjoy!

Tips for LinkedIn

LinkedIn is widely used in the professional world, with 94% of recruiters reporting that they use the site to vet candidates. So, it’s very important to have as part of your professional identity.

For professionals and job-seekers building web presence, LinkedIn is an absolute must. The site is widely used in the professional community, and provides a medium for you to make your credentials and skills easily searchable. However, it’s not enough to have a LinkedIn profile; follow these steps to make sure your profile is an asset to your web presence, rather than a disservice to it.

Custom URL

First things first, you’re going to want to customize your LinkedIn profile URL if you haven’t done so already. To do so:

Move your cursor over Profile at the top of your homepage and select Edit Profile.
You’ll see a URL link under your profile photo like www.linkedin.com/in/yourname. Move your cursor over the link and click the Settings icon next to it.
- Note: “Update your public profile settings” will show up if you don’t have a public profile. Learn how to enable your public profile.
Under the Your public profile URL section on the right, click the Edit icon next to your URL.
Type the last part of your new custom URL in the text box.
Click Save.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/87/customizing-your-public-profile-url?lang=en

Photo

Your LinkedIn profile photo should be a high-quality headshot of you in professional attire. Smile! Also, choose a picture where you’re making eye contact with the camera. It may seem trivial or silly, but this will help future employers get a sense of your personality, and feel a connection. This is enormously helpful, as employers search for someone with good fit for their organization. Also, as you’re taking the photo, remember that LinkedIn will crop it to a square.

Headline

Your headline, which will display beside your photo in search results, is your 120 character hook to draw potential employers and connections to your profile. The default on LinkedIn is for your headline to be your current employment. Personalizing it will add a personal touch, and it will differentiate your profile. According to LinkedIn, your headline should say what you are, who you help, how you help them, and give proof of your credibility. LinkedIn also warns of the four deadliest headline sins: having a cheesy headline, a confusing one, a boring one, or a desperate one.

Still looking for inspiration? Here’s a template to get you started:

I am a [subject matter expertise] who
[does what] for [client, company audience, project]. The proof is
[experience, education, GPA].

Summary

Your LinkedIn summary is a 2,000 character opportunity to introduce yourself. Other elements on your LinkedIn profile are fairly rigid and straightforward; your summary is an opportunity to show some personality!

So, now that you know why you should write a summary, here are some tips for writing an effective one:

Tell people what they can expect from you; describe what you do for someone unfamiliar with your job, and tell the world why you’re credible in that role.
Fill it out! Use all 2,000 characters if you can.
Break it up with headers, sub-headers, and graphics.
Include your contact info at the end. Some people also add some personal interests or hobbies at the end.

Got writers’ block? Here are some template ideas to get those creative juices flowing.

Experience & Education

This is the more straight-forward part of your LinkedIn profile. Use these sections as a dynamic, fleshed-out résumé. Keep your career goals in mind while you work on these sections, and tailor your profile accordingly; if you’re an aspiring translation freelancer, you may decide to not include your former career as a concessions stand attendant.

As you work on these sections, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Be sure to link to the company or institution.
Use prose, not bullet points.
Keep entries to a 2-3 sentence summary.
Start with an overview.
Front load your achievements. Is there a project or major win you can brag about?
Describe how you brought value to your team

Media

Once you have the aforementioned basic elements of a LinkedIn profile, you can snazzify and supplement your profile by adding media, such as PDFs, videos, and images. You can add these generally, or associate them with a particular position.

(If you want to extensively integrate media with your LinkedIn profile, I highly recommend setting up a SlideShare profile that you can connect.)

Groups/Following

Now that you have a gorgeous and dynamic LinkedIn profile, you need to use it! Join LinkedIn groups relevant to your industry or background (for instance, the MIIS Alumni LinkedIn group), and post periodically in these groups so that professionals in your industry begin to see your posts. Also, consider following companies and organizations in your field, especially if you’re interested in working for them.

More!

There are many more ways to improve and better use your LinkedIn profile. For instance, you can create a localized profile in another language, add a video, and search/apply for jobs.

Tips for Google+

it’s important to do what you can to impact what results people see when they search for you. That’s why it can be important to consider maintaining a Google+ profile. Moreover, if and when you have a virtual interview via Google Hangout, your profile will be visible, and you want it to complement your awesome interview.

Pretty much everyone uses Google, and Google prioritizes its own pages in its search results. So, make sure you have a Google+ profile, and a complete one. You may be like me and countless others that set up a Google+ account, worked on it for an hour, and didn’t go back for years. However, employers finding an out-of-date or incomplete profile will do an incredible disservice to your web presence. This will likely be one of the first results Google lists, so make sure it provides a good first impression. You don’t have to make this your primary profile or website, but make sure that you link to these from your Google+ profile; make it easy for those searching for you to find the information you want them to find.

Tips for Using Google+

Below are some wise tips I’ve gathered from the four corners of the world-wide web. Enjoy.

Use a headshot for your profile picture
- Many users choose to use a picture of their dog, car, or their very blurry pixelated face as a profile picture. Using a professional looking headshot (à la LinkedIn) will set you apart and set a professional tone for your profile. Keep in mind that Google will crop this into a circle, so be sure to adjust your photo so it frames your face well.
Use a high-quality cover photo
- Your profile picture, while important, doesn’t take up a great deal of real estate on your profile. The cover photo, however, spans across the entire upper page. So, be sure to use a professional picture (not too busy or distracting) that is high-quality enough that it won’t pixelate. Google recommends using 2120 x 1192 as the dimensions.
Accessibility settings
- Decide how much information you want people to get from your profile, and whether people will be able to contact you through it. Adjust your privacy settings accordingly.
Fill out your profile story
- Leverage your story on your profile to help you introduce yourself on your terms. Be sure to use keywords and links relevant to your field; Google will index this information, which will help improve your search-ability. Consider using the same text as your LinkedIn summary.
Share content
- When you post relevant content (articles, blog posts, etc.) to your profile, it simultaneously demonstrates to searchers that your profile is up to date and that you are informed in your field. Some people even think that as you post more, Google will index your material quicker.

Sources:

The DLC is growing!

We’ve expanded and adapted our spaces to better meet the needs of the MIIS community. Come check out our spaces to find out how each of them can be useful to you.

Get to know our three spaces

The Design Space (MG 001)

The Design Space, located on the ground floor of the McGowan building, is a common area for teaching and learning, featuring comfortable couches, rolling white boards, and plenty of space to flex your collaboration muscles! The space is available for reservation and drop-in use. You can reserve the space, or check its availability.

You can access the Design Space through the entrance at 420 Calle Principal, or by going through the Learning Lab.

The Learning Lab (MG 104)

The Learning Lab is a collaborative student-led space for both individual and group work, featuring computers, recording booths and equipment, and a “campfire table” perfect for team projects. Drop-in, or make an appointment with a DLC graduate assistant or staff member to get individual help. The Learning Lab also serves as a DLC staff work space.

You can find the Learning Lab in the McGowan building, by MG 102 and the restrooms.

The Co-Working Suite (MG 210)

The Co-Working Suite is a dynamic space for individual and group work, with rooms available for both reservation and drop-in use:

Tidal Zone
Drop-in individual and group work space
Otter Room
Drop-in quiet individual work space
Pacific Room
Reservable group work space. Drop-in use is welcome when not reserved.
The Cove
An office for the full-time DLC staff.

You can find the Co-Working suite on the second floor of the McGowan building, left from the elevator and at the end of the hall.

Plus a video about some of the other places you might find the DLC!

Building Your Web Presence

So, you want to build you web presence. But where do you start? Let this resource series be your guide to developing a web presence that will help you achieve your professional and personal goals.

First, assess where you are

To get where you’re going, you need to start where you are. So, first we have to figure out where you are. Whether you call it egogoogling, reconnaissance, or a vanity search, it’s a good idea to start by seeing what your web presence currently looks like. This is especially true when you’re entering the job market or preparing for a jump to new employment. This process will enable you to identify results you want to highlight, any you’d prefer to remove or bury, and what kinds of presence you’d like to build.

One more note before we get going: it will be best to Google yourself in a private browser window, ensuring that you aren’t signed in to anything (especially Google). If you can use a browser or computer you don’t typically use, even better. The reason for this is that Google tailors its search results to you, based on your Google account and cookies that have provided Google information over time. If you are signed in, or even just using your usual browser, Google will show you different results than it would show other users, as it tries to guess what kind of stuff you want to see. This is important to keep in mind as you move forward; just as Google tries to guess what YOU want to see, Google will be guessing what employers, colleagues, or others want to see based on THEIR account settings and viewing history. So, you’ll never have a perfectly clear picture of what someone else is seeing.

With that in mind, it is now time. GOOGLE YOURSELF! Search for your full name—with and without middle name—and also search for your family name, any nicknames you might use, and any other variations you can think of. Search for your name in conjunction with other identifiers, like your hometown, phone number, address, email address, or employer. For instance, if you regularly comment on a blog, Google your name in conjunction with the username you use. Google “[your username]” “[your real name]”, including the quotation marks. This will force Google to return a very specific result that contains both sets of words, to see if the two names can be linked. In addition, think of and search for personal descriptors; for example, if Joe sits next to Lucy on a flight and introduces himself as a student at MIIS in the MBA program, Lucy could likely find him online with that information. So, think through how you introduce yourself, and imagine how people could find you with that information. This provides an excellent opportunity to both revise your “elevator pitch” to include information people could use to Google you, and to build your new web presence to reflect the information from your intro.

Google search operators

You can use special search operators to narrow your search results to find particular results. Google itself is a good source for this “language.” This can be useful if you’re looking for a specific source, or if you’re looking for your name in conjunction with something else. Experienced web searchers (like the HR departments at the companies you’re applying to or the paranoid mother of your new roommate) will likely utilize these operators.

What do I look for?

You can go as deep as you want here, but remember that Google search results can go on and on. Keep in mind that the vast majority of people won’t look beyond the first page of search results. A good rule of thumb is to check the first three pages of the search results.

First, assess how many of the results are actually you. Second, evaluate the value of the results that are you. How could these results affect your reputation? Any drinking pictures from social media posts? Old angsty blog posts from high school? Besides reputation, also check for accuracy; do the generated results provide an up-to-date picture of the brand you’d like to project? Check for positive results you’d potentially like to boost, including professional profiles, articles about achievements, or connections to prominent organizations. To sum it up, you’ll be compiling a list of results you’d like to bury and others you’d like to boost. In the next step, we’ll identify gaps.

Next, plan what you want

Before you decide what you want, what do you want your web presence to do for you? How do you want to “brand” yourself to the world? Are you primarily interested in building a portfolio, making your accomplishments and work more accessible? Do you want to cultivate a reputation relevant to your current or desired career? Do you want to present yourself as a creative educator, a driven entrepreneur, a no-nonsense finance specialist, or a culturally-savvy interpreter? How can you leverage your web presence to express your personality?

Keep these (and other elements you discover along the way) in mind as you move forward to the building phase.

Now, let’s make it happen!

Building your web presence, when looked at for the very first time, can seem daunting and overwhelming, even with a plan for what you want. All web tools are not made equal, and so some are a particularly good place to start when you’re establishing your online identity. Below, I’ve suggested an order you can go in if you’re looking for some structure; following this path will help you grow from newbie to web presence master!

First things first

If you don’t have up-to-date Google+ and LinkedIn accounts, those are the best places to start.

Widening your gaze

Once you have the essentials out of the way, you can supplement those with a Slideshare account, personal website, and by adjusting your use of social media and email.

Going the Distance

Now that you’re a web presence pro, here are some ideas for ways to continue to improve and cultivate your identity.

Content Marketing
Blogging
YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

Finally, keep it up!

Designing and curating your web presence is an ongoing project. As you continue to develop personally or professionally, be sure to tweak your web presence to reflect that. Maintaining your presence doesn’t have to be hard or cumbersome. Heck, it can (and should) even be fun!

Best of luck!

Want more advice?

If you have questions, feel free to come in to the DLC. We’ll be happy to help.

Unleashing Creativity with Legos

On Friday, September 4, the Digital Learning Commons (DLC) hosted its first Lego Serious Play party. Participants were given the opportunity to unplug, build, and share. They received identical lego kits and various prompts, including creating a model of your ideal life, creating a personal SWOT model, creating a model of your past, present, or future life, or creating a model of your values. Participants had the chance to share their designs, and answer questions about their models. One of the participants, Katy Murdza, an MA International Policy & Development student, shared her experience with us, first in the video below, and then in a blog. Enjoy!

“The DLC Lego Serious Play party was a unique experience because it asked me to represent myself to the MIIS community with the limitations of a Lego kit. Instead of relying on the verbal descriptions of ourselves that we are accustomed to giving, the task forced participants to condense their past, future, or values into a single Lego creation. This medium still allowed for very creative pieces while focusing on a few fundamental aspects of our identities that may or may not be what other people usually learn from talking to us. For this reason, I very much enjoyed not just building my own Lego creation, but seeing and hearing about those of other students. This experience allowed me to focus on one of my professional goals while also recognizing that our futures are very flexible and can be constructed in an endless number of ways. At the beginning of the activity I was overwhelmed by all of those possibilities, but immigration reform stood out as the subject that was important for me to focus on right now.”

-Katy Murdza, MIIS IPD student

Forms Training

So you want to add a form to your MIIS.edu page? Here’s a brief overview to help you get started. Enjoy! [By Jeremy Borgia]

Need help? Make an Appointment at the DLC!

Forms are a very useful tool to integrate into your MIIS page. They invite users to participate interactively, and are a forum for them to sign up for events, request more information, or submit information.

Creating a page/URL for your form

Contact the web team (Melissa Jennings or Evelyn Helminen) and request a page for your form. In your email, tell them:

Where you want your page to be (i.e. what page will users be getting to this page from, what will serve as its parent page?)
What will be the purpose of your form?

With this information, the web team will build a home for your new form. We will send you the URL.

Adding your form to the page

Congratulations on your new page! However, with no form on it, it’s just a useless void, forever lost in the enormity of the world wide web, doomed to stagnate in irrelevance. So, take a breath, steel yourself, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to build a form!

Screen Shot 2015-05-11 at 9.50.06 AM

On your page, click “Add content” (as highlighted in the above picture) or by selecting “Add” under “Content” in the blue section of the top toolbar. Select “web form” as content type.

Insert a title for your form. If your page is using a large banner image, the page title will be displayed at the top. Often the page title and the form title will be the same; if you don’t want your title to appear twice, put [brackets] around your form’s title.

In the “body” section, enter any content you would like to precede your form.

If you need your form to be available during a specific date range, let the web team know and we will work with you to enable this feature.

Click save.

Adding substance to your form

Screen Shot 2015-05-11 at 9.56.29 AM

You will be returned to your page, where you will see your form title. You’re almost there. Click “edit” underneath the title. In the top green bar, select “Form Components.” This is where you will build the foundation of your form. To add a new component of your form, insert a descriptive title (something you will easily recognize, as you refer back to it for ordering or conditional rules) and select component type (see below for examples and descriptions for each component type). Select whether this form component will be required. Then hit add. For each component, the text you insert as “Label” will show, so ensure your chosen labels are clear, concise, and spelled/capitalized correctly. Each component has its own procedure for adding, and those are described in detail below.

The order that form components are listed in on this page is the order that they will appear for users. To reorder, use the tool on the left of the component name to drag up/down.

Commonly Used Form Components

Date

This component allows for your users to submit a date through your form. For example, at the DLC we use this tool for users to submit event items to the weekly newsletter.

You can control the range of dates that are accepted through your form. Use the Start/End date boxes to do this.
Select the box next to “Enable popup calendar” if you would like users to be able to select a date from a popup calendar.

Email

This component allows for users to submit their or others’ email addresses.

By selecting “User email as default,” the form will pre-load the email address of whichever user is logged in.
By selecting “multiple,” the form will allow users to provide more than one email address, separated by commas.
Ensure that “Short Format” is selected.
By selecting “unique,” the form will only allow an email address to be used one time by one user over the life of the form.

File

This component allows users to attach files to their form submission.

Set the max upload size, keeping in mind the proper size of the type of files you are receiving (i.e. a text document vs. a video).
Select what type(s) of file extensions you will accept.

Grid

As shown in the picture, this component creates a question grid for your user. We often see these used for “Poor, Average, Great” or “Disagree, Neutral, Agree” type of questions.

Number

This component, as one might expect, allows users to enter a number through the form. You will see a variety of options to customize this component, including maximum/minimum values, text to precede or succeed your text, or the allowed number of decimal places.

Page break

The page break is one of the most important form components if you plan on using conditionals (which send you to different form questions depending on your previous form answers). Inserting a page break will create a new page for all the succeeding form components.

Select Options

This component allows users to select one (or sometimes multiple) preloaded responses.

By selecting “Single Use,” once a user selects an option, it will not be available for other users to select. This may be useful if using the form to schedule appointments.
By selecting “Multiple,” you allow users to select more than one response (Note, selecting this option prevents you from using the “Listbox” option).
By selecting “Allow ‘Other…’ option” you allow users to select other and enter their own custom response.
You can load a pre-built list, choosing from Days of the Week, Countries, or US States.
By selecting “Listbox,” the options will appear as a drop-down menu, rather than a list.
By selecting “Randomize options,” the options will appear in a different order for each user.

Textarea

This component provides a box for users to enter a large block of text.

Textfield

This component provides a smaller box for users to enter text.

Time

This component allows users to submit a time value.

You can customize which times the form will accept by entering a Start and End timeBack to top of page

Additional Components

Fieldset

This component allows you to add text in a box within your form. However, there is no way to edit the format (e.g. bold, italicized, underlined, etc.). If you want to be able to edit your text like that, use the “markup” component.

Markup

This component also allows you to add text within your form, and allows for rich text editing (e.g. bold, italicized, underlined, etc.).

Conditionals

Conditional rules send you to different form questions depending on your previous form answers. You can create conditional rules by selecting “Conditionals” from the top green bar. Conditional rules can quickly become quite complex; we strongly recommend making an appointment at the DLC so that you can have personalized, human assistance (beta robot trainer program indefinitely postponed) as you build your form’s conditional rules.

Emails

You can set your form to automatically send form submitters a response. You can also set your form to email the form responses to your or another email address. This is a complicated process; we strongly recommend making an appointment at the DLC.

Form Settings

Under “Form Settings,” you can customize the text shown upon completion of the form, or set the form to redirect users to another page once they are done.

To customize the text shown upon completion of the form, enter the text in the box labeled “Confirmation Message.”
To redirect users to another page once they are done, select “Custom URL” under “Redirection Location,” and enter the full URL (including http://)

You may also set a limit for submissions, or a limit per user, by using the “Total submissions limit” or “Per user submission limit” options.

Questions?

If you have more questions, feel free to come in to the DLC. We’ll be happy to help.

So you want to record a Skype call?

This semester, the DLC has tried to understand what we can help YOU with. By conducting both software- and task-based needs assessments, we got a glimpse of how we can help the MIIS community better. One of the questions we were asked most repeatedly is “how can I record a Skype call?” To answer your question, here are a few tools that you can use for just that purpose.

***Note, once you use one of these resources to expertly record a Skype call, make sure you let the person you’re Skyping with know you’re recording it.***

Call Recorder for Skype

NEW @ the DLC! Call Recorder integrates with your Skype app, and lets you choose whether you want to record as you see it, with your faces side-by-side, or just one person. You can start off with a free trial; the software costs $30. Just book one of the recording booths in the DLC, and BOOM, you’ll be recording Skype calls in no time. You can also simultaneously schedule an appointment with a DLC graduate assistant if you want some help getting started.

Camtasia

Another easy way to record a Skype call is to come to the DLC and use Camtasia. Camtasia is an easy-to-use enhanced screen capture software that allows you to record your voice, your screen, part of the screen, etc. You can use it to record Skype calls, narrate a PowerPoint or Prezi, or to create an instructional video. You can download Camtasia as a free trial, or come and use it in the DLC. Simply book one of the recording booths in the DLC, and KAZAM, you’ll be recording Skype calls in no time. You can also simultaneously schedule an appointment with a DLC graduate assistant if you want some help getting started.

Quicktime

An easy and free (if you have a Mac) way to record a Skype call is using Quicktime. On your computer, launch QuickTime Player and choose File→New Screen Recording (the keyboard shortcut is Control, Command, N). The program will instruct you from there. Make sure you have your speakers on in order to record the voice of the other person. OR, book one of the recording booths in the DLC, and SNAP, you’ll be recording Skype calls in no time. You can also simultaneously schedule an appointment with a DLC graduate assistant if you want some help getting started.

For more information on recording Skype calls, check out this blog, or this one.

SEO & Web Content Guidelines

Content

Keywords incorporated, but appropriately spaced
When applicable, full program title included in content
Full names referenced before acronym use
Link to program requirements included on program pages
Location specified when appropriate
Carousel items removed where possible to speed page loading

Hyperlinks

Keywords used in hyperlinked text rather than “click here”
Keywords used in hyperlink title (Insert/Edit Link > Title)
Links are active/updated if necessary
Links do not use shortened links (go links) or include .index

Photos

Keywords used in captions
Alt tags are 125 characters or less
Title is logical with keywords included
Original image size is as small as possible to speed page loading
“Image” or “Picture” included in the description if appropriate

Tags and Formatting

Meta Tags > Description includes keywords in brief summary of 150-200 characters. This text may appear as the summary text in a Google search, and should be written as an enticing preview to the page.
Keywords included in H1 & H2 headings where possible
Text styling (bold, italics, etc.) used for keywords where appropriate

Questions? Contact Evelyn Helminen, ehelminen@miis.edu.