And what is the question on which I'd like your input? I've been invited to share some thoughts at a gathering of vocation and formation directors next month. The topic?
“In the know …” A techno savvy younger member shares.
Susan will be sharing as a “techno-savvy” young adult with input on her experience as a "blogging discerner/sister", using technology - especially the internet - to connect with potential candidates, along with some “best practices” and “do's & don'ts”.
We had some interesting conversations here earlier in the summer, in response to the article in America on "Religious Life in the Age of Facebook." I'm hoping that some of you might have some more thoughts that would be useful to share with vocation directors. Such as ...
- Why are you looking for in terms of web-based vocation exploration?
- What turns you off? What attracts you?
- How could technology be used more effectively to build relationships and explore communities?
- What just doesn't work?
- Do's & Don'ts?
- Any other thoughts that might be helpful?
Feel free to use the comment box or send me an email (the address is in the sidebar).
Thanks!
7 comments:
My first reaction is to say that I prefer those websites that look nice and that look like they were recently made...If they seem hopelessly out of date or if they look like something created 10 years ago, I'm not usually very impressed.
It has been my experience that the vocations webpages are not very well maintained. They also give very little detailed information--which might be intentional, actually, to get us to contact the order to ask the more detailed questions.
I often go back to the site for the order's vocations (I've chosen the Society of the Sacred Heart--vocation.rscj.org) because it gives an overview of each of the stages of formation. I also like that it has biographies of the newest members.
Those are my initial thoughts at least...I'm sure I'll have more to say later!
Thanks, Sr. Susan, for communicating these issues to the ones who need to know about them...
Blessings,
SD
As someone in her mid-twenties and who is also discerning her vocation to religious life, I suppose I fall in the youngish category of discerners. Although I'm sure there are a range of what people like/don't like (you can't please everyone, right?) I did have a few immediate reactions to your questions.
My first reaction is that while there might not be one best way for an order to use the web as a vocation resource, it is necessary to at least be present. It might sound over exaggerative, but for me (and I think many of my peers), if I can't find it on the internet, then it must not exist. So, like so many other things in life, simply being present is the first step :-)
As to specifics, there are some things that I have found really helpful and other stuff I could do without. Personally, I'm looking for a web site that can provide me with basic information in a straight forward manner and that is easy to find. Its frustrating to have to search a website for an hour to find basic info, like who is the vocation director.
I love when congregations have an informal way to contact the vocation director or someone from the order to ask questions. Its way less intimidating to ask questions on email, a blog, or in a chat room than to contact someone on the phone out of the blue.
I also think its important to have stories about those in formation... I found myself more attracted to orders that not only told me their stages of formation, but also had a video or some vignette of what individual women experienced at each stage. This made it more personal, and more relatable. It also helped me to get an in depth picture of what formation logistics would look like, as it seems to vary from order to order. I know a lot of my questions revolve around the specifics of what formation would "look like" and how much flexibility the order has in working with me as unique individual with unique experiences, and so I find the stories of personal journeys reassuring.
I've rambled quite a bit already, but my last pet peeve is kind of superficial one. I don't like it when websites look messy or flashy. If the home page or vocation page looks like a Vegas Ad, you can bet I'm running in the opposite direction :-)
~AJ
SD & AJ,
EXCELLENT well thought out responses to my questions! I concur with both of you, but thanks for putting words to it.
Any other thoughts from my other bloggy friends?
One thing to consider is that a lot of younger people will be used to calling and/or emailing. I've seen a lot of community's websites that list neither phone nor email. I can understand a cloistered community not wanting to have people calling them at all hours, but email is free (gmail), unobtrusive, and can be answered at the vocation director's convenience. Having to write a snail mail letter may turn some women off initially or send the wrong message (that the community isn't interested in new people.) Such communities also bury the vocations part on their website, but that may also just be poor design. (Lord knows there's enough of that on the web among non-religious. *grin*)
doing a quick check-in before Mock Schedule Night, so I'll give some thoughts when I have time, but ..... that wouldn't happen to be the NRVC thing here in Loovul, would it? I make a mean mozzarella stick ......
Steph - I'd LOVE to try your mozarella sticks, but I'm afraid it's a local NRVC thing in WA State.
Looking forward to your comments!
Interesting questions! Recently two of our potential members responded to a sister's question about how they found us and what led them to us, by saying that it was our website. That something about our website was attractive to them. I asked each of them what was it that attracted them.
One said that it was easy to navigate and find information and there was plenty of information about the sisters and who they are, what they stand for, etc. She liked the "look" of it too. Pictures of sisters having fun, ministering, living... these were important to her. Ultimately though, she said that the website "caught" her, but it was after visiting that she was really impressed... she said, "you are who you say you are" and that congruency of who we say we are on the website and who she met when she visited was most important.
The other young woman couldn't really articulate what it was that attracted her about our website. But she was very clear that the website was instrumental in her coming and checking us out. And through the pictures of our women in formation, she discovered that she knew one of us and was even more excited to "come and see".
I agree with AJ that the ease with which one can find and communicate with the vocation personnel is critical.
As a blogger, I don't know if it matters that I blog but it seems to be helpful to potentials that the sisters understand the world of the internet. That the facebook generation likes (as we all do) to hear that the sisters aren't completely "out of the loop" about the interwebs. :-)
My two cents.
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