LinkedIn has changed the “where we work” section on their page for the college due to an Algonquin Times investigation.
LinkedIn analytics showed Algonquin as being the single biggest employer of the college, with the City of Ottawa a distant second place.
Phil Gaudreau, Algonquin’s communications officer, has an idea about what happened.
“Students who work at the college’s learning enterprises – such as the radio station, restaurant, or newspaper – identify as employees but are not necessarily employees of the college,” said Gaudreau, in an e-mail.
He also pointed out that the term ‘alumni’ can also refer to anyone who has formerly worked anywhere. This makes administrators and teachers who work at Algonquin able to refer to themselves as alumni on LinkedIn, although they may not have necessarily attended the college as a student.
“The Algonquin College company page should not include alumni who currently work at the school,” said Kathleen Kahlon, communications consultant for LinkedIn Canada. “There was some behind-the-scenes mapping that needed to take place to ensure that the college isn’t listed as the top employer.”
Robert Nettleton, who teaches a class on social media strategy at Algonquin, doesn’t think students who work on the college’s learning enterprises should list themselves as employed by the college
“I don’t know if you should necessarily put it as your employment.” said Nettleton “Maybe on a resume you can say ‘As part of my radio broadcasting I worked with CKDJ and these are all the responsibilities that I had.’” Said Nettleton.