The Wall Street Journal‘s Sarah Needleman recently reported on how blogs are changing the recruiting landscape (this article may not be available free to nonsubscribers for long).
Recruiters are surfing blogs not only for expertise in bloggers’ career fields but for writing skills and well-roundedness, Needleman reports. The article discusses whether a blogger should be open in his or her blog about seeking a job. Some say yes, some say no, but I’ve certainly seen a number of examples of folks getting jobs through directly asking for them in their blogs.
The article’s sidebar below is instructive for blogger who are open to being headhunted:
7 Tips for Making Your Blog Recruiter-Friendly
- Clearly identify your specialty. Include a tagline in your blog’s banner so its theme can be quickly recognized. Also, write a concise “about me” blurb that readers can easily find.
- Show you’re current on hot topics. For example, relate a recent news item about your area of expertise to a project you completed and link to tangible evidence of your work, such as a press clipping or PowerPoint presentation.
- Provide more information. Include a downloadable resume and if you have a profile on a networking site such as LinkedIn.com, link to it.
- Exercise common sense. Never write about anything negative or proprietary concerning current or former employers.
- Omit personal information. Unless it’s relevant to the job you want, avoid writing about how much you love Fido or the cute things your kids do.
- Keep it polished and current. Post new entries at least three times a month to show that you’re committed.
- Contribute to other blogs. Insert an inbound link to your blog to draw more traffic and boost its search-engine rankings.