By Joanna Burris for CALS691: Designing a Practitioner Portfolio
Introduction
So far in my career, I have built an extensive network of connections in the climate action sector and related fields (sustainability, energy efficiency, renewable energy, urban planning), but it has happened quite organically. As I work to establish myself as a climate action leader and build my professional identity, I want to put more effort and intentionality into building and maintaining a Professional Learning Network (PLN). Most professionals have a PLN of some kind, whether they realize it or not. A professional learning network (sometimes called personal learning network) is the name for the network of formal and informal relationships that a person has with others with similar interests and knowledge objectives (Green, 2020). Because I am passionate about climate action, social justice, and civic engagement, my professional and personal learning networks often overlap. Many people in the climate space are also activists in their free time. A PLN is usually nurtured through online spaces, such as blogs, websites, email lists, and social media, where participants dialogue, share information, problem solve, and construct knowledge together (Green, 2020). Relationships can be local or international, and a learner does not need to know their knowledge collaborators personally (Forssman, 2024). A PLN should be dynamic, growing and evolving over time (LinkedIn, n.d.). It requires tending in the same way as a garden (Green, 2020).
My objectives for my PLN are to build my knowledge and skillset, build my career path and professional identity, and build a community of mutual support to promote resilience. For each objective, I need a plan for what I want to learn or accomplish and how I will do it.
Building my knowledge and skillset
One of my knowledge goals is to learn from others who have already overcome professional challenges that I am currently facing, mainly relating to change management in an organization resistant to it. These include moving the needle on climate action in municipal government, maintaining well-being and preventing burnout while challenging the status quo, fostering interdepartmental collaboration, and mastering climate communication techniques. I would also like to stay up to date on climate action topics and practices so I can 1) best serve my organization and my community, 2) stay relevant and hirable, and 3) so I can contribute to knowledge generation in the sector.
To accomplish my learning goals, I will combine a wide range of in-person and online networking opportunities and learning resources, one-on-one conversations with specific people of interest, and engage in continuous reflective practice to make the most of my new knowledge. I intend to:
- Spend time on LinkedIn and read articles, resources, studies, reports, and projects that are shared there.
- Attend conferences, communities of practices, and networking events.
- Attend webinars and workshops whenever possible that could help me to skill up.
- Connect with specific people of interest with expertise in areas I am interested in, such as by sending an email or LinkedIn message referencing a shared connection or alma mater and asking for a brief “information meeting” to pick their brain on a specific topic (Huerta Guerra, 2023).
- Find opportunities to practice skills that I’ve acquired so that I learn how to use them in context and to not forget what I learned.
- Take time to reflect on lessons learned and conversations I take part in to help me to remember everything and relate it to my existing knowledge.
Building my professional identity and career path
This part of my PLN journey will look like learning more about the climate sector and what types of employers and jobs exist. This will help me to plan out my career and make informed decisions about the direction of my career path. I will also strengthen my existing relationships and establish new connections that may help me to access jobs and opportunities.
To learn more about the types of opportunities that exist in the climate sector and, I will explore LinkedIn to find people that have jobs related to my areas of interest or work for organizations I am intrigued by. I could set up information meetings with people in particularly interesting roles to learn more about their projects and day-to-day activities. It would also be helpful to use a tool like MURAL to identify my priority areas of interest and where I want to focus my career path, then build out my search based on those topics. I can look at job postings on LinkedIn and Indeed regularly to see what jobs are out there and what competencies are expected.
I’d also like to share more of my writing on LinkedIn and post semi-regularly (and even repost with comments) to stay present in my connections’ news feeds and to improve my visibility and reputation. Tagging people or organizations with influence whenever possible can also help to extend the reach of my posts.
Building a community of mutual support and resilience
It is easy to feel like I’m working in a silo in my professional life, so I need to stay connected with other people doing this work. I often feel hopeless about the state of the world and the challenge ahead of me if I do not make an effort to apprised of all the good work other climate leaders are doing across the country and globe and stay connected to like-minded people.
I also need to make sure I have people in my inner social circle that I can talk to about my concerns, fears, and grief related to the climate crisis, capitalism, and colonialism. In her Vox article about the life and lessons of Hannah Arendt, Wilkinson (2022) explains that part of Arendt’s philosophy on the importance of friendship is that it is impossible for one person to “grasp the enormity of history and existence” on their own. I relate to this in the context of climate change; it is a wicked problem that is a result of complex and deeply rooted global systems, so how can possibly make a difference? Working with others and talking about is very helpful to assuage these feelings of dread and overwhelm.
My plans to expand and deepen my community include:
- Join more communities of practice.
- Subscribe to and read Substacks and newsletters like Gen Dread that talk about the reality of living/being an activist in a time of climate chaos and political unrest.
- Invest in my friendships with people that share same concerns about climate crisis, militarism, colonialism, and other -isms.
- Attend events held by local environmental groups to help me feel like I’m taking tangible action, to make more connections with people with similar concerns, to learn about all the good work that’s happening locally.
Though it takes some effort to build and maintain, investing in a professional learning network will help me to grow as a climate action leader by allowing me to expand my knowledge, stay up to date on developments in the field, discover and hone new skills, craft my professional identity and career path, build my personal resilience, and establish a community of support.
References
Forssman, V. (2024). Week 4 – Establishing meaningful connections (Online course content). In V. Forssman, CALS 691: Designing a Practitioner Portfolio. Royal Roads University. https://commons.royalroads.ca/cals691/schedule/unit-4/
Green, C. L. (2020). Personal learning networks: Defining and building a PLN. In T. I. Asino (Ed.), Learning in the digital age. Oklahoma State University Libraries. https://open.library.okstate.edu/learninginthedigitalage/
Huerta Guerra, A. (2023). Internship preparation and career management skills (Online course). Royal Roads University. https://www.royalroads.ca/course/internship-preparation-and-career-management-skills
LinkedIn. (n.d.). What’s your strategy for building a personal learning network in your field? https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/whats-your-strategy-building-personal-learning-network
Wilkinson, A. (2022, August 23). The radical political power of friendship. Vox. https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23191518/book-excerpt-salty-friendship-cooking-social-society