To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the Question.

The relationship between blogging and your job search can be an intricate one. Whether you have your own, or just skim blogs for tips, they are everywhere! In some cases, creating a blog or offering links to your existing blog seem like a no-brainer when putting information out there for employers to see, but that isn’t always the best idea. Here are some quick guidelines to ensuring that your blog (whether you have one, or decide to start one) will help, rather than hinder you in your quest for a job.

For Those without Blogs:

• If you think that you can create useful content on a topic in your field, start your own! But relevance is important – if you can’t stay relevant, steer clear.
  
  
• Read job search blogs. These will not only give you helpful job search ideas, but they also give you examples of posts that others find value in. If you’re going to start your own blog you want to offer information that is valuable not just to yourself but to those in your field.
  
  
• If you aren’t one for blogging, share others blogs that you find helpful. Doing so can help build your online network and help start conversations that can lead to more helpful job search info!

For Those with Blogs:

• If you have a blog that is not necessarily relevant to the position you are applying for don’t list a link to it on your resume.
  
  
• If the topic of your blog is professional, but the appearance is lacking make some formatting adjustments. You want it to reflect who you are as a professional – so make it look good!
  
  
• THINK BEFORE YOU POST. What you say and how you say it is important. Make sure your posts are error-free and on topic. (Nothing makes me cringe like reading blogs with spelling and grammatical errors. You want to use this blog to highlight your communication skills, not expose flaws.)

Bloggers and Non-Bloggers alike:

• Only share content that is on appropriate sites. If you share a post from a site that has inappropriate content on it (regardless of whether it is included in that post or not) it looks bad on your part. Stay appropriate, stay professional, stay relevant.