How Can Your Blog Represent You?

Ellen Sautter and Diane Crompton, co-authors of Seven Days to Online Networking, claim that "having an online identity is becoming increasingly important as a way to establish your credibility and personal brand and to attract career or business opportunities." (3)

A resume and a few good references used to be all that one needed to prepare for a job interview, but gone are the days of such “simplicity.” With the exponential growth in social networking, more and more companies are turning to applications such as Facebook and Twitter to track prospective employees. Now, blogs are beginning to play the same key role.

So, the natural question that we ask ourselves is this: “How is my blog going to affect me and my chances of getting the dream job that I’ve always wanted?” The answer is actually relatively simple. Much like a profile on Facebook, what we display on a blog can also tell employers a lot about us. Our fundamental responsibility now is to make sure that we are only portraying ourselves positively. A few guidelines we should follow in order to accomplish this include

1. Don’t post inappropriate pictures or messages.
2. Always use proper punctuation and grammar.
3. Never vent about an employer, boss, or job.
4. Monitor comments that other people post on your page and remove any content that could be considered unprofessional.

According to the career center at Michigan State University, almost half of employers are researching interviewees through social networking sites, blogs included. One great way to get ahead now is to maintain and update a professional blog. It not only helps you position yourself in a positive light, but also can be used a great tool for marketing yourself.

1. http://www.shu.edu/offices/career-center.cfm
2. http://www.com.msu.edu/ss/Social%20Networking.html
3. http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-916-Getting-Ahead-Social-Networking/