A while back, I wrote a post that joined the conversation about how blogs are the new Resumes. When you are job hunting for something in marketing or technology, having a blog can provide your potential employer more information than the single sheet of paper with your Resume printed on it. I’ve read several posts that show people successfully landing jobs because they have a blog. Keep in mind that some of these jobs require that the job seeker either use writing skills or promote something. Obviously both skills are complementary to blogging. Of course, blogging for a job could also highlight other skills that you may have detailed in your posts.
There is a blog out there that I have been tracking called Blog for Jobs. The blog is maintained by Chris Russell, who has other websites that relate to careers. In this blog, he highlights blogs that are used as Resumes to some degree. If you drop him an email, he’ll review your site and list it within the blog. More importantly, if you look through the archives, you will see that there ARE bloggers who have successfully used their blogs to find a job. I subscribed to the feed on Blog for Jobs so that I can learn about others job hunters as their sites are linked.
I listened to a podcast recently, in which the person being interviewed mentions that while your Myspace or Facebook blog can be used against you when job hunting, the opposite is also true. The argument is that the social networking sites have way more traffic than some of the top job search sites. Therefore, corporations should probably have a presence in these social sites to assist with recruiting. When it comes down to it, many times you get a job because of some social connection, whether it be a friend recommending you, or simply getting tipped off when there is an opening. Social sites can be your way into a company because you can establish a relationship of sorts. Of course, make sure that you don’t have any embarrassing pictures or blog posts up before you start the rapport. You don’t need to host your own domain like many of us bloggers do, a free blog account will do the trick. Just give your potential employer some way of getting to know you better before hiring you.
3 Comments
Shaine! First, thanks for the comment over at funchilde. second, thanks for the blogroll linky love! i’ll update mine shortly now that i’m back and have “free” internet.
this post is so on point. my funchilde blog got me the gig with gadling.com and most of my clients have access to it. I try to keep everything professional and above board, but they can see the “real” me, in terms of energy, curiosity, work ethic and humor…anyone who is put off by that, its probably not a good fit anyway. rock on, i’ll be back by to hit you up!
Thanks for stopping by. I did not know that you were amongst those who successfully got a job through blogging. This can be encouraging to job seekers. You have such a great story.
I’m getting hits from the Wall Street Journal on this topic. This post is coming up under their Sphere links.
It fascinates me to see how a blog is turning into a job asset for some people. There were a couple tips listed in the WSJ article that I will put into effect. I should note on my About page that I’m looking for other opportunities. I should also provide a downloadable resume.
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