When it comes to building your professional presence online, LinkedIn is usually the first platform that comes to mind, but don’t overlook OpenLab! Together, these two tools can work hand-in-hand to help you showcase your work, connect with others, and take your goals further.

Here’s how to make the most of both:

Use LinkedIn to Network, Use OpenLab to Show the Work

LinkedIn is great for making connections, listing accomplishments, and signaling your career goals. But it doesn’t give you much space to really show what you’ve done. That’s where OpenLab comes in.

• Use your OpenLab portfolio site to go deeper: post projects, reflections, and examples of your work
• Then add the link to your OpenLab site on your LinkedIn profile in your bio, your featured section, or under a project
• If you’re applying for jobs or internships, this gives recruiters more than just bullet points it gives them real evidence of your skills

Tell a More Complete Story

On OpenLab, you can:

• Reflect on how you built a project
• Share learning experiences
• Talk about challenges you overcame

These kinds of details help future collaborators or employers understand how you think, not just what you’ve done. It’s a great way to add personality to the professional version of you that lives on LinkedIn.

Keep Both Updated

Even a quick blog post update on OpenLab can go a long way. If you start using both platforms regularly even in small ways you’ll build a digital presence that feels both professional and human.

Want help getting started with your portfolio site on OpenLab? Email us at openlab@sps.cuny.edu.

Photo Credit: “apollorecord” by Laurinko Sattumaa via Flickr under the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

OpenLab isn’t just a platform for building portfolios or joining groups but it can also be a great tool for staying organized. Whether you’re managing coursework, group projects, or just trying to keep track of your digital life as a student, there are small things you can do on OpenLab that help everything feel a little more in control.

Here are a few easy ways to use OpenLab to stay on top of your work:

1. Use Your Site Like a Digital Hub

If you’ve created your own site whether it’s a portfolio, project, or group space you can turn it into a central place for all your materials.

• Keep a private or public “To-Do” page to track your weekly tasks
• Use blog posts or pages to write project updates, meeting notes, or class reflections
• Create a “Resources” page with links, PDFs, or reading materials you return to often

2. Join (and Revisit) Your Groups

If you’re part of a course, club, or project on OpenLab, don’t forget to check in on those groups regularly. Many include:

• Discussion posts
• Shared documents
• Announcements or meeting notes

It’s a good idea to bookmark your groups or keep them listed somewhere easy to access. You can easily view the groups you’ve joined from your OpenLab user profile. Visit the homepage and select any of the “My Profile” links, where you can view all groups you’ve joined by type:

3. Organize with Pages and Menus

When you create a site, you can keep it clean and navigable by using:

• Pages for long-term content (like “Projects” or “Class Notes”)
• Menus to group related content together, like coursework by semester or topic
• Sub-pages (nested pages) to keep things even more tidy

4. Use Categories and Tags for Posts

If you’re writing blog posts regularly, organize them using categories and tags.

• Categories = the big topics (like “Coursework,” “Reflections,” or “Group Updates”)
• Tags = specific keywords or themes that pop up across posts

This makes it much easier to find content later and to present a polished, structured site.

5. Schedule Posts or Save Drafts

Working on a blog post or update but not ready to publish?

• You can save it as a draft and come back later
• Or schedule it to publish automatically on a future date

Perfect for planning ahead during busy weeks.

6. Keep It Simple

You don’t have to use every feature on OpenLab to be organized just a few small tweaks can go a long way. Try picking one thing to implement this week (like setting up a “To-Do” page or organizing your posts), and build from there.

Have questions or want help getting started?
Reach out to the OpenLab team at openlab@sps.cuny.edu

You’ve got the tools, now make them work for you.

Photo Credit: “untitled” by Pawel Czerwinski via Unsplash under the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

You might not think of OpenLab as a job-hunting tool at first but it can be. With the right setup, your OpenLab site can become a professional portfolio, a place to showcase your work, and a way to stand out to employers in a crowded field.

Here’s how to make OpenLab part of your job search toolkit:

Build a Portfolio That Speaks for You

When you apply for jobs, employers often want to see more than just a résumé. They want to see how you think, what you’ve done, and how you present yourself.

On OpenLab, you can:

• Create a personal site that highlights your skills and experiences
• Upload writing samples, design work, research projects, or presentations
• Organize your content into pages (like “Work Samples” or “Certifications”)
• Add reflections or short posts that explain the story behind your work

You don’t need to have everything figured out. Start with what you have, and build from there. Even small steps count.

Show Growth and Learning

OpenLab is a great space to show that you’re someone who’s always learning. Use it to:

• Blog about what you’re learning in class
• Share takeaways from a recent project or internship
• Document progress on personal or academic goals

This kind of reflective content shows initiative and critical thinking—two things employers love.

Boost Your Visibility (and Your SEO!)

One major bonus? Hosting your work on OpenLab’s .EDU domain gives you a valuable SEO (Search Engine Optimization) boost.

Why does that matter?

• .EDU sites are seen as high-trust by search engines
• Content hosted on .EDU domains is more likely to appear higher in search results
• It makes it easier for potential employers (and collaborators) to find your work online

In short: your OpenLab site doesn’t just live quietly in a corner, it helps put you on the map.

Use It to Network Smartly

Your OpenLab profile is public (if you want it to be), which means you can link it directly on:

• Your résumé
• Your LinkedIn profile
• Job applications that ask for a portfolio

It gives hiring managers an easy way to get a better sense of who you are—not just what you’ve done.

Take Ownership of Your Online Presence

Having a clean, well-organized, and thoughtful digital space shows that you’re intentional about your work. Plus, it gives you something to point to in interviews when they ask,

“Can you tell us about a project you’re proud of?”

You can say: Yes actually, I’ve shared that on my OpenLab site. Let me share the link with you.

Not Sure Where to Start?

Start simple. Create a basic portfolio site with:

• A short “About Me” page
• A page or two with samples of your work
• A contact section
• A blog post reflecting on something you’ve learned recently

You can always keep building as you go.

Your site. Your story. Your edge in the job search.

Photo Credit: “Savoy Drive” by grpmpk via Flickr under the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.