Interview Chatter

Can Your Blog Get You A Job?

by Darlene McDaniel on August 16th, 2007

Reasons Why People Blog?

1. They have something to say and they want to tell someone about it.
2. They have a service or product they want to share with others
3. They have a passion for something
4. They need an outlet and writing gives them that outlet
5. They need a job and blogging will help them get “discovered”

I don’t know about you, but I never considered blogging a resource for recruiters to find potential candidates. And then, I went over to Cube Rules tonight to see what Scot Herrick has been writing about. He has a post called Job Hunting Via Blogs. His post was inspired by Sarah E. Needleman who wrote an article called How Blogs Are Changing The Recruiting Landscape.

I never thought I would write about blogging here at Interview Chatter. Why? Because I definitely fall into the category of a niche blogger. I write about the hiring process and the interview process. Why? Because I have a passion for it. So blogging about blogging has never been on any list of potential topics until now.

Here is a some examples of people from Sarah Needleham’s article:

In June, Brian Balfour’s blog, SocialDegree.com, inspired an unsolicited offer for a product-manager job from an executive at Zoom Information Inc. “I was impressed by the points Brian was making and the way he was making them,” says Russell Glass, vice president of products and marketing at the Waltham, Mass.-based technology company. The blog also offered details about Mr. Balfour’s work history and education. “It was a no-brainer to give him a call and see if he’d be interested,” Mr. Glass says.

Mr. Balfour says he was intrigued when he heard about the opportunity. “It came at a time that was pretty right for me because I was just coming off selling a business and looking for where I would head next,” he says. Three months later, Mr. Balfour, who is 24 years old, got the job.

…………………………………………………….. Here is another story:
Greg Sterling, a strategy consultant for Internet companies and a blogger in Oakland, Calif., describes job offers as “a natural byproduct of the exposure you get from blogging.” He says he gets about 15 inquiries a month from companies and search-firm recruiters seeking to fill consulting gigs and full-time jobs. “My blog is a vehicle that keeps me exposed to people on a daily basis,” he notes.

Mr. Sterling believes that one reason his Web journal, Screenwork, regularly generates job offers is that he has never written about wanting them. “If you blog to get a job, you’ll be less successful,” he says. “It’s just like dating. If you appear too hungry, nobody wants to date you.”
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So what’s my point? Blogging is another creative option for job seekers. Can you pay your mortgage out of the gate? Nope, probably not. But, you can begin to create a personal brand, which is what the recruiters are drawn to when seeking potential candidates.

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POSTED IN: Interesting Stuff, Job Information, Technology