Blog For Jobs: Your Blog Is Your Extended Resume

by Evan Watson • October 16, 2009 • View Comments

Have you ever heard of Matthew Yglesia, Rick Klau or Terrance Heath?

Chances are you haven’t but their current employers heard them loud and clear, all because of their blogs.

Many bloggers are getting job offers without their employers even taking a peak at their resume because their blog is such a great representation of their unique personal brand. Just like using a conventional resume, there are certain characteristics every job seeker should strive to demonstrate on their blog.

Keep in mind that employers will search for you, making your blog a direct extension of your resume. By following a few simple rules, you can portray your expertise and value to potential employers and industry leaders while still having fun.

On your blog, be sure to:

Demonstrate your expertise and passion by joining discussions revolving around your posts. Ask your friends to contribute their thoughts and respond with insight, links to other articles, stats, quotes, and evidence that you know your stuff.
Link to other reputable sites and blogs in your niche.
Let your personality come through your writing. Your communication skills and writing style should reflect the real you. Have fun, be conversational, and keep in mind integrity and professionalism at all times.
Show how well rounded you are by posting articles surrounding ALL your interests, not just your current career. Be careful, however, many people make the misstep of talking like an expert about things that are mere hobbies, be sure to include little disclaimers like “I am no expert but…” when necessary.

There are plenty of horror stories out there about losing jobs, losing face, and damaging your reputation because of online content. There are also plenty of success stories. Unfortunately, the success stories rarely surface because just like a train wreck, they are painful to see but impossible to keep your eyes off. In any case, keep tabs on your online presence and you can easily become one of the success stories.

In the meantime, we’ll start posting some horror stories every week or two to keep you on your toes.

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JessicaCRB

While I think this is great I also see the other side of the sword. While reading this interview http://prbreakfastclub.com/2009/10/19/cct-sasha... with a blogger that I follow she says that in some ways having a blog (particularly a popular one) can make finding a job difficult because something you said in the past, while not offensive, could eventually lead to problems with your company because you could be considered a liability.

However, I do totally agreet that if a potential employer is searching for you and they find your blog with great content, that can definitely be a plus!

Angela

Ironically three years ago, when I was searching for a job in marketing/PR, I had a blog site, complete with blog, resume and clips. No executives I applied with understood what it was and few bothered to check it, based on the stats. Maybe it was too new, or I was applying to the wrong places, though I sent out nearly 100 queries, resumes and applications to companies with openings. Now, I see sites like Typepad offering to teach people how to create their own. Has the market changed enough that these can be successful? What markets are they most successful for?

Thanks for this post!

Trace Cohen

Very interesting, you are an innovator/early adopter. Over the past three years a lot of things have changed, especially with the social media realm. If you applied to all of those jobs today and sent them your personal professional website or blog their reactions would be a lot different. With over 84% of employers going online to find more information on potential job applicants you will definitely have the upper hand.

This can apply to a lot of different expertise ranging from being a graphic designer with a portfolio online to being a marketer showing off your networking and social media intellect. The possibilities are endless.