How to Use Your Blog to Land a Job
December 23, 2009 | Lauren Van Mullem
You don't have to be the Bard to blog.
I have been out of college for three years now, and during those years I have sent out maybe three job applications via Snail Mail. You know Snail Mail? It’s the one that uses sticky stamps and envelopes you have to lick. Most job applications are done over email now. Your potential employer will probably Google-stalk the likely candidates before deciding who to interview, so managing your “online presence” is vital.
“Managing your online presence” is a bunch of buzzwords for knowing what other people can see about you, and then making sure that what they see is good. Start by Googling yourself.
When I put my name in the search, the first thing I see is an article I wrote. That’s great; I want potential employers to see that. The next thing I see is my Myspace profile and my Twitter profile. My Myspace profile got hacked into by Spock.com a few months ago, so I had to delete everything on there to protect my personal information, including a quote that made me sound like an idiot. Twitter accounts also show up early in the search results. Since my tweets on Twitter almost always lead back to my blog, it is a powerful tool in focusing attention in the right direction. And potential employers will know I’m savvy about using social media, which is an increasingly valuable skill.
Cheat Sheet: Myspace, Twitter, and other websites with large followings show up first.
One of the things I have done to showcase what I do well is to create my own blog. I put my blog URL at the top of my resume, under my name and contact info, and at the bottom of my cover letter so employers don’t have to work to find it. On my blog, I have links to every article I have ever published. Potential employers can see everything I have done and pick a sample at random. My blog also has an “About Me” page with a nice picture and a brief casual blurb about myself that wouldn’t fit in a cover letter.
Now, it’s unlikely that an employer will look past my first two blogposts, so every post I write has to count. The last thing I write is the first thing they’ll see. It has to grab them with words and visuals. And my latest blogpost had better not be an online diary entry of how much I hate my current or previous job.
Cheat Sheet: Your blog is not your diary. It is a sample of the skills you have to offer an employer.
My mother always said: never write or say anything that you don’t want on the front page of the New York Times. That piece of advice is more pertinent now than ever, since every word and picture we post online can potentially be read or seen by anyone. I had a job for two years that I never wrote about or mentioned on my blog (if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all). It’s a good rule of thumb to not write anything about your current or previous employment – save that for your resume.
Cheat Sheet: Avoid TMI, and focus on a hobby applicable to the kind of job you want.
By the same token, you don’t want to create a blog in which you divulge Too Much Information. If you’re on anti-depressants, can’t maintain a healthy relationship, had a kinky sex dream – that is all TMI. What should be on your blog? Focus on a hobby that is related to the industry you want to get into. For me, traveling, eating and taking pictures are all wrapped up in the same bundle with what I want to do professionally. And my blog is about: traveling, eating, and taking pictures. I also use my blog to show my “multi-media” skills, like web design and photography.
Ideally you’ll be applying to jobs within your area of interest, but right out of college, you might also be applying to In-N-Out (or any number of cubicle jobs). Always tailor your application to the job you are applying for. So if your blog isn’t about your love of excel spreadsheets and you’re applying to be a data entry clerk – it might be best not to mention you even have a blog. There is always a possibility that an employer might see your blogging life as a conflict of interest – but it is also possible that an employer will be impressed by your writing skills (remember to proofread your blogs!), knowledge, and extra-curricular interests.
Great advice! I also find that LinkedIn is usually one of the first three google results that pops up for a name, so it’s important to be on top of that as well. Esp if you’re not doing something directly writing-related, LinkedIn is probably the first thing an employer will look at–they want to judge your network, how you look and present yourself, etc. Basically, just like a blog, it’s a way to expand beyond what you’re able to stuff in a Resume/Cover Letter.
Great advice for a beginner that doesn’t know what kind of things he should be watching out for every time he applies for a job
Good advice on all counts. I especially like the stuff about using Twitter and MySpace to control what employers see first. Good idea!
I facebook-stalked all candidates I was hiring, just to understand them a little.
And if you wish to have a diary and spew out TMI, not using your real name is obvious by also use an email address that you do not and will not use professionally ever.
but* not by
These are all tactics I have used when job-hunting, and find them extremely relevant and essential. My blog focuses on running and fitness, two things I love, and it showcases not only writing and graphic skills, but dedication to a project, thoroughness, and the ability to do something.
And I wholeheartedly agree with tailoring a resume to each job. I change my resume every time I send it out (and thus have an entire folder on my computer dedicated to resume versions. There are a scary number of them!). If you’re not sure how to tailor a resume, find a teacher who seems world-savvy or check out the career center; it’s a really important skill to have.