He uses blogs, Twitter and YouTube to give his students a better understanding of content covered in class and to make him more approachable when they’re struggling with course material and need help.

You can check out his first attempt at a course blog here, which resulted in a spin-off blog by one of his students featuring notes from Prof. Eckford’s lectures, and a later incarnation of his course blog can be found here. This is the Twitter account for one of his current classes.

In this video, Prof. Eckford explains why he decided to take on this social media experiment , how it has benefited the students so far and his future plans for bringing more social media into the classroom (such as using the new question-and-answer site Formspring.

Unless you have very specific requirements, need some custom programming or have a large project in mind, I would recommend the DIY approach as opposed to hiring an expensive web designer.

All you need to know is one magical word – WordPress.

Here is what you need to do to get started. These are broad steps which will provide a roadmap to work with and details of exact procedures will be available through installation wizards and support documentation given by various providers.

To get started, register the domain name you have in mind with one of the good/cheap providers (GoDaddy, BlueHost, etc.) and also sign-up for a hosting package.

Setup WordPress from your hosting account. There will usually be a prominent option/tab for this

Pick a WordPress theme. These are ready-made templates which you can customize fairly easily, to get the layout, colours, etc., that you want. There are some excellent themes available depending on your needs. Have a look at this website for a listing of some of the good premium providers (but there are plenty of high-quality free themes as well).

Install the theme on WordPress and customize as per requirements.

Online self-promotion is a trend that is growing among recent graduates eager to sell themselves and network. It’s also an invaluable source of inspiration for those of us who suffer from the occasional 3:00 p.m. lull as we go through web pages that are imbued with a sense of vulnerability and possibility.

Gord Stephen, an engineering student at Queen’s University and part-time filmmaker, started a blog in July to increase the visibility of his work and establish himself as an expert. After a former colleague sent me a link to his blog, I called Stephen to find out a little more about this trend.

“There are two sorts of professionals in this field,” explains Stephen. “The majority get some contracts and do their job, but the ones who get more work talk about what they do, put up their videos online and get talked about.”

Stephen is inspired by those outgoing professionals, such as prominent filmmakers Philip Bloom and Tom Guilmette. “They are able to generate a global awareness through their sites. Just recently, Philip Bloom was shooting a video in India for Greenpeace.”

While Stephen says that he hasn’t yet gotten contracts directly from his blog, he has raised awareness about his work. Recently, he shot a public interest message for the Ottawa Public Library.

It’s interesting to see how expertise and experience – two of the most important requirements for any job, are addressed by online self-promotion, be it through a blog, an online publication or any kind of public profile.

After all, people spend so much time online that it seems likely that a potential employer or collaborator will run into your work eventually.

Moreover, when you’re applying for a job, if a member of the hiring committee has read your blog or follows you on Twitter, there’s a good chance that they will look twice at your application. That’s the rationale, at least, behind the booming professional blogging and social networking industry.

The professional social network LinkedIn also provides an interesting relationship-building solution. Not only can you post your CV, join interest-based groups and network with mentors and acquaintances, but you can request references for your work. You thus get an official stamp of approval from a former or current colleague – for everyone to see.

As an increasing number of warning flags are raised about the dangers of personal social networking sites for privacy and even reputation, it seems that the professionalization of Internet networks and blogs is only going to increase. Your blog might not be the best place to post your bachelor party photos, but it certainly seems to be the right platform for sharing your career-related aspirations and accomplishments.

When writing a paper copy, black and white resumé, it can be difficult to portray your personality, goals, and work/volunteer accomplishments in an exciting way.

A well-written resume is an excellent tool to help you get the job you want, but there is a fine line between creating a resumé that shows personality and a resumé that is unprofessional.

One way to get around that is by creating a multi-dimensional online complement to your traditional resumé. (And don’t worry: you don’t need nerdy web skills to do it. (If you have nerdy web skills, though, you can set yourself apart by building a custom-designed blog or online portfolio.)

The clear front-runner in multi-dimensional online career tools is definitely VisualCV because it not only allows you to say where you’ve worked (like in a traditional resumé), it also encourages you to “show your work.”

If you already use LinkedIn, you may be wondering why you should create another career profile online.

According to VisualCV.com, LinkedIn and VisualCV go together like “peanut butter and jelly.” While LinkedIn and Twitter are excellent tools for professional networking and keeping in touch, VisualCV offers more multimedia capabilities which encourage you to show off your skills, portfolio and work experiences.

With VisualCV, you can personalize your online resumé to include recommendations (which you can collect on LinkedIn), a design portfolio, writing examples, audio and video clips, links to off-site work, your thesis, awards you have won, and anything else that will show a potential employer why you are right for the job.

Creating something like a VisualCV allows you to have a personal link, for example http://www.visualcv.com/yournamehere, that you can include in an online application, email or even at the top of your traditional resumé.

Or, turn your VisualCV into your traditional resumé by clicking the PDF option and saving it. It actually looks like a real resumé and you can email it just as easily as the boring one you created in Word.

Employers want to hire people who are creative and dynamic. Creating a VisualCV is a great way to maintain a constantly evolving resume that shows off your personality and skills in a way that a black and white resume cannot.

Creating a VisualCV also shows employers you are consciously promoting your online presence in a professional way.

Check out these examples:

New grad sports journalist – His resume includes not only a work history, but also the most important part of any journalists’ job hunt: his clippings. Everything he’s written is listed and linked to on the right side of the resumé.

Masters of international finance student – This masters student not only has some solid work experience, but he’s also received a few high-profile bursaries and walks the international walk by measuring his French and Japanese language skills at the bottom of the profile (rockstar and advanced, respectively).

Recent marketing grad – In marketing, the projects you’ve worked on and the people who will talk about you are key, so this new grad features a few of the projects he’s worked on, including a full PowerPoint presentation.

On the right-hand side there’s also a snippet from a reference letter written by his last boss, which opens into the original document.

When I first accepted the job, it was just that: a job. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do and I had a pretty jaded opinion of what I thought a job should be.

A year later, after many tears of frustration, stomping of feet and irrational hissy fits, I realised I’d been sitting on not only some of the most sound advice, but also my dream job.

After my three-month full-time contract with Richard ended, it was time to find a Real Job – one that was both permanent and, well, not as much fun. As far as I was concerned, I’d just spent the last three months getting paid to chat to people and play on the Internet, and that isn’t what a Real Job is all about. I had it in my head that a job is something you do 9-5, Monday to Friday, and complain about on Sunday evenings.

A Real Job isn’t about wanting to work weekends and waking up happy on Monday mornings. Or is it?

Although I continued to work for Richard part-time, and continued to maintain and improve my social media skills in my spare time, I focused my attention mainly on finding that Real Job. I searched tirelessly for jobs in marketing, events, PR, or whatever else took my fancy – and all to be rejected or ignored.

After months of following every piece of job-hunting advice I could find, I started to feel as though I was just sending my resumé into a vortex of nothingness and as a result I grew frustrated, hopeless and depressed.

In a final desperate attempt to find that Real Job before I accepted my fate as a burger flipper or upscale call girl (I wouldn’t actually go there), I agreed to meet with one more recruitment agent. After an hour and a half of going over my skills and resumé, I made an important realistion: I knew what I wanted to do and I’d been doing social media all along.

Although I felt temporarily stupid for not noticing that I’d been fostering my dream job all along, and for failing to take the very advice I’d been promoting from Richard’s books, I am relieved be able to focus my attention towards my love of social media. I can now also vouch first hand for some of the advice in those books: passion truly is the starting point for success and you certainly can have fun working.

The Soko Company, an online organization that presents leading lifestyle websites, is one such company that is helping to close the gap. By connecting lifestyle readers and the advertisers who want to reach them, with the click of a mouse, Soko provides an online digital portal of information, and consumer-vendor interaction.

Jonathan Davids is the man behind the curtain at The Soko Company. Starting originally as a lifestyle magazine, TheSoko.com, the company and its founder have found new ways of enticing an ever-growing audience and legion of advertisers to its web pages. With the addition of video productions services, Soko Company now serves as an umbrella corporation that includes lifestyle sites dedicated to fashion (Livedress.com) and automotive (Driversense.com).

Here, Jonathan Davids details his experiences as an entrepreneur and how he transformed a few thousand dollars into an online business that attracts a monthly audience of a quarter of a million readers.

Q. Why did you start Livedress.com?

A. I got the idea for this site because I know that social networking is definitely not going anywhere. People are using it more and more and its getting bigger not only on the consumer side, but on the business side as well. Businesses are realizing how powerful social networking is.

While there’s already plenty of competition out there for sites that link people with their friends, I thought, “What about trying to link people with businesses that can serve them?” and more specifically I thought, “What about focusing on fashion because people love to shop and fashion is a huge part of our culture.” So I launched Livedress.com to merge people’s love for shopping and fashion with the social networking phenomenon.

Online shopping was initially popularized by Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com. While Bezos started out selling only books through his website, he initiated a trend that completely changed the way we shop. Today, virtually every type of product is available for purchase online, ready and waiting to leave its shelf in a warehouse somewhere and be on your doorstep in days.

Why e-commerce works for entrepreneurs

While the e-commerce explosion was a no-brainer for established vendors to sell their merchandise online, enterprising individuals also began to realize the potential there. The primary incentives are an expanded market reach, low stock maintenance, and easy accounting and sales transactions with the right software. Essentially, e-commerce trims the excess fat of retail shopping and makes the consumer-buyer experience lean and efficient.

If the thought of owning your own business sounds appealing, e-commerce may be the easiest, most cost-effective way to get started. Whether you’re selling products through a dedicated website or through an EBay store, the potential for making money is there.

What’s great about running an online store is that you don’t have to physically be present to handle customer orders and enquiries, making it great part-time work. Answering customer enquiries, and packing and shipping, can be done whenever you have free time and sales transactions are automatically taken care of.

What about products?

What should you sell and where can you get it in stock quantities? Sell something that you are interested in, that you might buy yourself. This is important because you will be able to sell and market your merchandise more effectively. Imagine a guy who loves cars and knows everything about VW auto parts selling fine glassware. It doesn’t make sense.

Sell something you or your friends might be interested in.

If you’re looking to source products to sell, one place to definitely check out is Export.ca. This is Canada’s e-business portal and provides a global business directory to access exporting companies and a marketplace where you can post what you’re looking to buy. Another great site is for online trade is Alibaba.com, where you can access global manufacturers for virtually all types of merchandise.

How do I get a product from my basement to a customer?

Shipping products nationally, or even internationally, is unavoidable and an essential part of the e-commerce process. But before making friends with you local Canada Post office clerk, check out all your shipping and packaging options. You may find a better solution with FedEx or UPS. All companies provide solutions tailored to meet small businesses’ shipping needs.

While juggernauts like Amazon and EBay are definitely in their own league with respect to online buying and selling, creating a small, focused store with a specific niche is an opportunity to pursue if you are interested in being a web vendor. For an example of such a store, check out this pet pharmacy store created using Volusion.

For more info, check out these government websites:

• Canada-Ontario Business Service Centre – E-Business
• Industry Canada – SME Direct

Q. What is a web developer? Is it different from a web designer?

A. A web developer is someone who codes for the web. The title is meant to distinguish between a web designer, the person who designs the look and feel of a website (UI design, or user interface design). More often than not, web designers are also developers (to an extent), so the terms do cross over. Those who cross over are generally considered front-end web developers – they . . . design and develop the look and feel of the website. The opposite of that would be a back-end developer who only does code. They build the functionality/logic of the user experience.

Q. Could someone become a web developer without post-secondary education?

A. Web development is based in multiple, different languages (XHTML, CSS, PHP, .NET, JS and plenty others). A lot of these languages can be self-taught using books and the internet, but a classroom environment definitely helps. Most important is practice; trial and error.

“Walking down a street I look at every sign, poster and media outlet to evaluate it’s worth and style: is it successful? What kind of font are they using? Do those colors work? Is that company doing well?” —Mike Lynch

Q. How did your journey into development and design begin?

A. I got into design in Grade 9 and started ‘freelancing’ around that time under the name “Step Outside.” I would make really terrible websites and posters for local bands. I’d like to think I have got a lot better since.

I started taking freelancing more seriously two years ago once my skill set aligned with industry standards. I started under the name “The Highway Coyote” (inspired by a song by Joni Mitchell), but soon changed it to “Michaelynch” to make my name more prominent. I specialize in making clean, simple, usable CSS websites. I have en eye for user interface (UI) design and typography. I work alone as a freelancer, but sometimes sub-contract certain jobs.

Q. Is there a demand for what you do, even during the recession?

A. Websites are in high demand. People are being told to advertise in the recession and that this is the best time to do it. This would probably include a new website. I’ve read a few articles on MSN saying that web development/design is a good industry to be in right now. Everyone needs a website these days so I’d say I agree.

Q. Have you completed any internships?

A. I did an internship at Exclaim! Magazine. At the time, I was also asked to intern at Paper Bag Records. I was lucky enough to have a choice. Exclaim! seemed a bit more laid back and they were able to accommodate my hours better, so I went with them. It paid off because after my internship was over they hired me as a WordPress blog developer.

Q. How did you score the internship at Exclaim! Magazine?

A. Email. Starting in January, I would go on Craigslist and surf the Internet to try to get contacts, and reply to as many jobs and internships I possibly could. I probably sent out at least 15 emails every day and in the end, the emails I sent to Exclaim! and Paper Bag Records were two of thousands.

Q. What is your opinion of internships?

A. Today, the word ‘internship’ is code for ‘free work.’ I try to stay clear of internships unless the company is highly reputable and I truly believe that the experience would be beneficial (if this is the case, I would like to think such a company could pay a student minimum wage for the summer).

Too many companies use this front to take advantage of students. Some of them have the nerve of giving students full-time work hours and responsibilities. Not only is that insulting, but it is making our job market slimmer by the second (just what we need in a recession).

“Practice – the only way to get good at something is to do it, over and over again.” —Mike Lynch

Q. Describe a work project that you found particularly difficult. What were the obstacles?

A. The Nubrand website is currently giving me some problems. The site is based on these neat javascript functions that make a scrolling portfolio. Javascript isn’t really my forte and it has been a challenge working with it. It’s kind of like trying to read a book in French after taking French class through the Canadian curriculum. Conjugating verbs just don’t cut it!

Q. Describe a project that you found particularly rewarding. Why was it rewarding?

A. I think the most rewarding project was a handout I made for ING Canada. They are my biggest clients. It was my first time working with a public company that had branding guidelines. It was definitely a learning experience. It gave me a new appreciation for paying attention to detail.

Q. From where do you draw most of your design inspiration?

A. I like philosophy a lot, so as far as my message is concerned, I like to draw inspiration from theorists, think-tanks, and big ideas. In a more literal sense, when it comes to the aesthetic choices I make, I look to current trends: what’s on the streets, television and the Internet. For instance, on the Internet I have a few regular go-to’s: I Believe In Advertising, idsgn (a design blog), aeiko (the online portfolio of UK designer Pete Harrison), and designer Frank Chimero’s website.

Q. Who inspires you and why?

A. Martin Lindstrom, Stephen Levitt, Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, Michel Foucault, Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Jean-Paul Sartre, Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and so many others. These are people who see the ways of the world in a new light and are able to explain to the rest of us how and why we do the things we do. I think that’s pretty remarkable.

Q. What scares you most about venturing out into “the real world?”

A. What scares me most is routine. I can barely do the 9-5 for the summer as it is. I can’t imagine doing that for the rest of my life. I am making it my goal to achieve a day in which I control. That may mean sleeping in, or meeting a friend for lunch, or playing tennis mid-day, all while keeping my work process intact and my clients happy. To do this, I plan on starting my own design firm and working odd hours. What is most important to me is balance and moderation.

Q. What are three traits you need to do your job well?

A. Patience, creativity, diligence.

Q. Three pieces of advice for someone who wants your job (or who wants to work in a related creative field):

A. Network as much as possible. Focus on quality and not quantity. Practice – the only way to get good at something is to do it, over and over again

Q. The best piece of advice you have been given by a mentor, employer, or friend is…

A. Do it right the first time.

"So, what does all of this mean to the recent or soon-to-be graduate who is in communications? For starters, you need to be well acquainted with web-based communication tools (aka social media), such as Twitter, Digg, Facebook, etc."

There was a time when, during a crisis, public relations tactics always went through a strict approval process. If a crisis struck, the PR staff of the organization would come up with ways to take on the issue at hand, much the way they would now.

However, before deploying anything, the “powers that be” would have to approve. This ensured the right things were said and done, and in the event things didn’t turn out as planned, at least the management couldn’t place all of the blame on their PR staff.

I’ve noticed that lately, however, those of us in PR are being expected to and need to respond to crisis situations faster than ever before, if not instantaneously.

This can be hard if there are strict approval processes in place. That’s why many businesses have taken a different approach, and are now more likely than ever to place full trust in their PR staff to make the right decisions when handling crisis situations. Or approval processes are at least being streamlined to speed things up.

This is great news for the PR practitioner. As naturally creative people, we tend to work best when we are free to make our own choices, even when it’s as part of a team. When we are held down by those above us, our abilities can be suppressed.

This means that crises can potentially be diverted quicker and the information provided for the target audience(s) can come across with greater transparency. It also, however, increases the likelihood of creating a messy situation.

For example, when all it takes is 20 seconds and 140 characters to send a message to the entire world, things must not be said off the cuff. The world wants an instantaneous response from us, but we must find balance with fast but well thought out responses to crises and just the right amount of openness and transparency.

So, what does all of this mean to the recent or soon-to-be graduate who is in communications? For starters, you need to be well acquainted with web-based communication tools (aka social media), such as Twitter, Digg, Facebook, etc. Moving forward, you will be asked less often to write a traditional press release, and expected more often to get the word out (in promotion, preventative and crisis communications) using the tools available online.

It also may mean a new niche in traditional communications. Though it would seem more and more organizations are steering their focus toward social media, traditional media will always be a valuable way of getting messages to the world.

Therefore, there will always be demand for communicators with traditional media knowledge. Because of the huge differences between the vehicles used in social versus traditional media and the ways we use those vehicles, there will be demand for people trained specifically in traditional media. However, we familiarize ourselves with both new and old, and always aim to be well-rounded communicators.

He studied with me at Dalhousie University and got his BA in political science. After finishing school and realizing that he still did not know exactly what he wanted to do he decided to follow his passion for sports, specifically golf, and go to a golf school/management program. Following his graduation he returned to Toronto as a golf professional with a lot of time on his hands.

After sitting in my living room for a couple nights and listening to him complain about his epic level of boredom, I thought I might as well give him some career tips…it is what I do.

"Flagrantfouls.com now attracts almost 1000 people a day"

Since I’ve known him, Nolan has been obsessed with sports. He is not a casual fan. His specialty is college basketball. He knows every player that ever steps foot on the hardwood and has most likely followed their high school career too. He knows his stuff and he loves talking about it.

For a guy who would ideally be working in the sports arena, I suggested he start a sports blog. I told him it would be an asset when the time came to find a job. His reply: “What is a blog?”

Once I stopped laughing at him in my head for his lack of Web 2.0 prowess I showed him a few examples of what a blog looked like and how it worked, and he seemed to get really into the idea.

I adapted a free WordPress theme, paid a visit to GoDaddy.com and he was on his way to blogging glory. Flagrantfouls.com was born.

I gave him two simple rules to follow:

1. Content is king – Do not try to make money with your blog. You will probably fail. Keep putting up quality content and the rest will fall into place.

2. Write opinion, not news – He will probably never “break” a story, but his take on them is unique, interesting and funny. That is what will keep people coming to the site.

Fast forward a couple months and he is a web guru compared to the man he was when he started. He’s using words like “stickiness” (referring to pages/visit) and “uniques” (unique visitors to a site). He’s adding paid advertisements and making tweaks in the HTML.

He is constantly writing articles and analysis and has even hired some interns to write their own columns. To say I was impressed with his dedication and skills would be a drastic understatement.

Flagrantfouls.com now attracts almost 1000 people a day – an impressive feat considering the short time frame.

He has also been offered a job as a columnist on another sports website where he would be sharing space with some very well-respected writers.

For a site that was started with the intention of being a resume-type tool in the future, it has grown beyond both of our expectations. It just goes to show that sometimes when you put the drive, passion and dedication into something you love someone, somewhere will notice.