Blogs are the New CV

If you are looking for a new job, how do you find it? Do you spend your time looking online job boards, do you talk to recruiters or do you “let it be known” to your friends that you are on the market?
I hope, at least, that you are not putting out CVs with typos like that in the picture here!

Russell Davies has a fun post responding to an email he received asking questions about why he blogs, and what is the future of blogging (for planners and the like). He shares his response here. And while his response is humourous, Russell has a great point — blogs will eventually replace CVs for many of us (no matter what industry we work in).

As I was saying in this post, blogs allow others to gain a deeper understanding of the person blogging. The posts become a repository of their ideas as well as a journal of their intellectual and creative pursuits. Interestingly, the WAY in which bloggers deal with their readers/audience/community says a lot — and smart employers will do well to check very closely through the archive of postings prior to any interview.

What does this mean in practice? I guess anyone wanting to hire the Servant of Chaos gets what they deserve … but I see this as bringing another level of transparency to the recruitment process (and we all know what a hit-and-miss affair hiring can be, so any help is sensational!). Blogs are great for strategic planners and for creatives in general … but make sure you are aware that some of your readers may be your future employers!

Update: OK … I have no original thoughts in my head. Here is the same article on Fast Company.

S.

6 thoughts on “Blogs are the New CV

  1. I think that as we continue in a profession where it is all about making it up as you go along, blogs give co-workers (potential or current) the ability to see beyond the stats of WHAT it is that you’ve done and into HOW you did it- what your thought process are like.
    It’s invigorating to re-embrace people’s personal philosophies beyond work ethic and office politics- lovely to see people truly care about what they do, and try to create pathways of meaning between professionals.
    Thanks Gavin!

  2. Hi Gavin–
    Before I started my blog, I used to have to deal with a really odd question from potential clients: “How do I know you’re a real person?” Yes, people have seriously asked me that! (My biz is virtual-everything is done over the internt.)
    I started my blog about 6 months ago, and now most potential clients will first look my blog over, get a feel for my personality and point of view, and feel more comfortable about contacting me. I love it when they say right off, “I feel like I know you from reading your blog!”
    I think the bottom line is that we’re drawn to folks with whom we feel a human connection. A resume may be great at providing facts, but it’s cold and lifeless. It doesn’t help you really get to know anyone.
    A blog provides much more meaningful info about who a person is. It shows that you’re really passionate about your work and that your mind is constantly churning out ideas. That’s so much more attractive than just saying, “I worked here these dates, and this was my job title.”
    A blog is a living thing, and it shows that the blogger is a living thing also (very important when you’re working virtually and you get asked the question, “How do I know you’re real?”) 🙂

  3. Blogging: A Great Career Move

    A colleague of mine said that, although this blog is supposed to be about careers, I should never post any resume tips on it. I’m fine with that, seeing as how I already weighed in on resume mistakes some time…

  4. As an employer, I would say “yes”. Many employers will perform a Google search on applicants in any event, so your online identity is going to be evident. If your blog is relevant to the job you are applying for, even tangentially, I think it is worth including, together with a couple of posts that you think showcase the blog best. After all, you have nothing to hide and it may seem odd if the employer has checked you out and you don’t include your blog on your cv.
    Of course, at Nature we are actively looking for people interested in communicating science, and a blog is some evidence that the candidate has these interests (all candidates say that they are interested in wider communication than between fellow-specialists, but few show evidence of that fact. One big advantage of blogs is that you can show your talents even if you have not been published in a general publication.)
    I understand what you write about your blog as evidence of “research seriousness and depth”. However, I believe (and it is just a belief, not based on knowledge) that a blog is an asset. It isn’t just about popularisation, but about showing how you write, clarity of thought, how you communicate ideas, and so on. I think it would be a nice opportunity, as part of an interview process, for the candidate to explain to an uncomprehending interviewer why their blog isn’t only about popularisation (not that there is anything wrong with that! To the contrary.)
    If you tag your blog posts according to their subject, you can always provide URLs with the relevant tags for the purpose of a particular job application. Or, some people have several blogs for different functions, for example professional and personal.

  5. The only though that concerns me a bit is the border between the formal, business side and the carefree, personal matters. This especially applies to bloggers who write on a personal level (life events, ramblings, opinions, etc.). But I do find that blogs could also be a good basis for employers and could very well serve maybe as an informal resume. And, it’s gonna be blast to know about a candidate’s activities if it’s to gauge his employment potential.

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