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Because the blog (or website) is the new resume

I like what Adam Darowski says about the blog as the new resumé. Adam writes:

"When I introduced the CogBlog the other day, at the end of my presentation I snuck in a couple slides about trends I saw with blogs that really were catching my attention. One is the idea of “the blog is the new resume.” … ¶ Blogging is the perfect way for a candidate to give an employer a more detailed sales pitch — to show they can “talk the talk” (as opposed to just fill a resume with buzzwords)…. How often do you look at a resume and wonder what exactly the person’s role on a project was? Well, if the person blogged about it then you would have a better idea — and you would know if the role would fit in with your team."
I’ve done my share of “googling” for information about some applicants in my workplace. With some people in my field (humanities) averse to technology in general and blogging in particular, the going has been tough. I still have to rely on phone inquiries about the applicant (and you know how unreliable that procedure sometimes is, especially if you’re calling the applicant’s references — read, their friends). But if, as Adam says, the person blogs — then chances are I’d have a better way to gauge if the applicant would fit the job and the company.

But what if I’m the one applying for a job, and somebody “googles” my name?

Joshua Porter’s site (that my younger sister pointed me to when I was thinking about my own blog, and through which I accessed Adam’s article) answers some of my questions about making my blog my resumé.

Joshua seconds Adam’s ideas, and adds these pointers (which I’ll have to quote at length, so my comments will make sense):
"I think [Adam's] absolutely right…whenever anyone wants to know anything about me I send them here.

"This immediately brings several things to bear:
  • Your blog represents you. Represent! Your blog is speaking for you…to folks who might not know anything about you. Is it saying the right thing? Is it saying the same thing you would say if you met someone for the first time? [I totally agree with this. And that’s why I spent so much time working on my header. I would like to believe that what I chose for a theme and a header, as well as the contents of this blog, really represent who I am.]
  • Your blog is serious business. It has the power to completely sway someone’s opinion about you. It fulfills the needs of lurkers everywhere who Google you to see what kind of person you are. Show them your best. (If you’re looking for work this is extremely important.) [But not so serious that your readers (students, colleagues, friends, and lurkers) fall asleep skimming through what you have in your blog.]
  • Your blog is an archive. Your blog is an archive of your life that has its effects over time. What you write today will be there a year from now and is it any good? Really? Is it worth reading again? Sometimes you should ask yourself this question before publishing… [Which is why some readers can’t help but tell me to UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!]
  • Your blog isn’t the only mirror of your life. Folks are getting savvy to the places that people are building online. Your Facebook account, MySpace account, LinkedIn profile, Flickr set…all of these represent you, too. Make sure not that they paint you in an unfailing light, but that they represent you accurately. The best defense is truthfulness…be sure to always be truthful about yourself and everything will fall into place. [That’s exactly why I’ve revised this site.]
  • Your blog is your unedited version of yourself. Your blog is what you say when there is nobody standing over your shoulder telling you what to do. It demonstrates how you think outside the rules. It is one of the very few places where you have complete editorial control. Don’t take that for granted. [Of course. But more than anything else, the blog as the new resume allows one to have an “official” personality at the same time that it shows one’s individuality.]
"What if I don't have a blog?
"It’s OK that you don’t have a blog. But realize that you’re competing with many folks who do…and that’s only going to get harder over time. So, if you can, start one. Give it a go."

I have a website and it serves as my resumé.