a Hello and Cautionary Tale

This is my introduction to the blogging world - as a writer, that is. When I started my company last year, I discovered the great world of blogging - and all the interesting and useful information you could find out in cyberspace. I soon began reading my favorite two or three blogs a day, and found myself fascinated by the authors' ability to continually put themselves out there...and in the process offer some really helpful advice.

So that is the goal of this blog...to help those looking for a job, or perhaps just offer some food for thought for those thinking about taking the leap. I will try to offer insights and tidbits that give you a fresh perspective for your job search.

So for my first entry, I thought I would start with some simple advice (and I think it's pretty fitting for my first blog entry)...watch your professional blogging presence!

I'm certainly not the first person to write about this, but I think it's worth mentioning again. I am continuously surprised at job searchers' naivete in regards to this age of information exposure. Yes, people will Google you before an interview. I know from experience - not from my own, but from others. Most HR folks would never admit to Googling job candidates- and really, most don't. However, your future boss and potential cubicle neighbor might not be able to resist the temptation.

I often found myself walking to an interview and listening to the hiring manager say, "Well, I found some interesting hits about this person through Google." While I would internally groan, and advise in my professional voice to keep an open mind, and focus on the skills required for the job, etc., I knew the supervisor would be thinking about what they e-discovered any way. And really, I couldn't blame them.

Now, I'm not saying you can't blog, or if you do, you have to limit your true voice. My advice is to just watch out for the big things - messages of hate, violence, excessive cursing, inappropriate photographs...I think you get my drift. And really, call me old fashioned, but I think that's good advice for all bloggers - not just those looking for a job.

So when I say be mindful of your professional blogging presence....what I really mean is, your overall blogging presence and web presence. Whatever you say, post, link or comment on - even if it's strictly personal - becomes a professional presence when you are looking for a job. (And I think it goes without saying that this includes MySpace, FaceBook, etc). So if your resume is floating out there, and you're lining up interviews, please do this for me...think before you post.