Introduction - Who I am and Why Communication is Important for Me

Hi!


My name is Hayley Kosolofski.  I am doing a degree in Animal Health with a major in Companion and Performance Animals.  I have a special interest in working with horses and wildlife.  I have been around horses since I was little but the interest in wildlife is relatively new.  While I never had the opportunity to own a horse, I have been riding, training, and caring for horses at Bellbar Ranch.  The experiences I had there are what encouraged me to pursue a career in Animal Health.  The interest in wildlife began this fall when I had an opportunity to help analyze data from ground squirrels.  I am currently looking into a couple of summer opportunities to look at the health of northern ecosystems.

This fall I studied juvenile ground squirrels.  This photo was taken by Helen Wheeler which she gave me permission to use December 2011.

Communication is very important to me now and in the future and social media offers a quick and effective means to share knowledge.  I currently use Twitter to follow Alberta Horse Industry and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine to here about current events and issues.  In the future, as a veterinarian I will participate in the Alberta Veterinary Surveillance Network, a web-based program which is used to gather information about the current diseases status in Alberta, investigate disease outbreaks, and provide veterinarians with support.  As well, sites like Facebook and Twitter could be used to keep my clients informed about local issues and share animal health tips.


Social media is also a good tool to develop yourself professionally.  I do not know very much about LinkedIn (hopefully I will learn more through this class!), but Danielle Becker points out its uses in social networking, job hunting, and recruiting.  Developing a identity online can expose you to more opportunities.  The advantage of connecting online is the ease and convenience.  You can connect with employers, friends, and family around the world from wherever your life may take you.  I hope through this class I will learn how to take advantage of all the benefits social media offers.