Comments on: Blogging My Way To A New Job Or Not? http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/ "BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS" (sm) Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:42:29 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Karen Shaffer http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/comment-page-1/#comment-89 Karen Shaffer Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:43:48 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=293#comment-89 Wow, thanks for all the great feedback and support. Harold, I see I inspired a new post on your blog. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to leave a comment for some reason. Rhona, Luckily, I did use a nom de plume to a certain degree. My blog is authored by "Mother Shaffer". So, if you Google Karen Shaffer, my blog does not come up. Great tip though for anyone thinking about starting a blog. I have to admit, it was not a conscious decision on my part. Deb, Glad to hear about your success! YOU go girl! Deni, Great tips. I'm still "maturing my thoughts" (as a favorite manager of mine used to say) about the new blog and will definitely keep your wise advice handy. Wow, thanks for all the great feedback and support.

Harold, I see I inspired a new post on your blog. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to leave a comment for some reason.

Rhona, Luckily, I did use a nom de plume to a certain degree. My blog is authored by “Mother Shaffer”. So, if you Google Karen Shaffer, my blog does not come up. Great tip though for anyone thinking about starting a blog. I have to admit, it was not a conscious decision on my part.

Deb, Glad to hear about your success! YOU go girl!

Deni, Great tips. I’m still “maturing my thoughts” (as a favorite manager of mine used to say) about the new blog and will definitely keep your wise advice handy.

]]> By: Deni Kasrel http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/comment-page-1/#comment-80 Deni Kasrel Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:56:38 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=293#comment-80 Karen, Yep, it's tricky business to determine how much of the personal is OK and may even enhance a professional blog. My two cents: If you're going to have two blogs and want one to better serve you for career purposes, then in your head it might be good to separate topics and views as what you feel falls more into professional (writing, data freak, project manager) and personal (chronic health issues, coffee making, religion). If you can figure out a way to make coffee work as a segue to some kind of professional point (metaphor/allegory) that's cool. Even in a professional blog it's OK to have a point of view and be controversial --it's more the topic than the tone, though being overly sarcastic on a consistent basis may not be the best policy for professional purposes, unless the type of writing gigs you want would call for such a thing. In any case, showing personality is part of what's expected of a blogger. You have to sort it out, but if you want a job as a company blogger and/or managing an online community, for sure, write posts that relate to this area of interest -- how to's, tips, opinions on news/surveys, to show you know the lay of the land. Good luck with your endeavors. Karen,
Yep, it’s tricky business to determine how much of the personal is OK and may even enhance a professional blog.

My two cents: If you’re going to have two blogs and want one to better serve you for career purposes, then in your head it might be good to separate topics and views as what you feel falls more into professional (writing, data freak, project manager) and personal (chronic health issues, coffee making, religion). If you can figure out a way to make coffee work as a segue to some kind of professional point (metaphor/allegory) that’s cool.

Even in a professional blog it’s OK to have a point of view and be controversial –it’s more the topic than the tone, though being overly sarcastic on a consistent basis may not be the best policy for professional purposes, unless the type of writing gigs you want would call for such a thing. In any case, showing personality is part of what’s expected of a blogger.

You have to sort it out, but if you want a job as a company blogger and/or managing an online community, for sure, write posts that relate to this area of interest — how to’s, tips, opinions on news/surveys, to show you know the lay of the land. Good luck with your endeavors.

]]> By: Deb Lamb http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/comment-page-1/#comment-79 Deb Lamb Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:37:31 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=293#comment-79 Hi Karen, I say "you go girl" and "go for it"! I love doing social media networking, writing and blogging and since being laid off from two jobs within the last six months, I decided it was time to go full force with it! I had started my virtual assistant services company two years ago but was only able to work it part-time, now that I'm not working my full time career as a Sr. Technical Recruiter with over 13 years of experience, I'm now focusing full-time on my business. Writing, blogging and social media networking is one of my best and fastest selling services. It comes very easy to me and I just love it! So, you go girl and do what you love to do and enjoy doing! That really is what life is all about, right? Enjoy it and have fun! Thanks for a great article and for sharing! Deb :) Hi Karen,
I say “you go girl” and “go for it”! I love doing social media networking, writing and blogging and since being laid off from two jobs within the last six months, I decided it was time to go full force with it!

I had started my virtual assistant services company two years ago but was only able to work it part-time, now that I’m not working my full time career as a Sr. Technical Recruiter with over 13 years of experience, I’m now focusing full-time on my business. Writing, blogging and social media networking is one of my best and fastest selling services. It comes very easy to me and I just love it!

So, you go girl and do what you love to do and enjoy doing! That really is what life is all about, right? Enjoy it and have fun! Thanks for a great article and for sharing!

Deb :)

]]> By: Rhona Bronson http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Rhona Bronson Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:26:55 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=293#comment-76 nom de plume -- not plum! It's about names not low-hanging fruit! nom de plume — not plum! It’s about names not low-hanging fruit!

]]> By: Rhona Bronson http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Rhona Bronson Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:25:52 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=293#comment-75 I did the same thing. I started a personal blog (www.theparentrap.net) as a test to learn about blogging. Luckily, because it was about my family, I had to self-edit from the start. Three years plus later, it's still going strong, even though I'm two jobs past the one in which I started blogging. Ironically, that job site is still behind the times on social media. They've adopted blogging, but aren't making the most of it or Twitter. Slow to learn is slow to learn. Another way to get started (especially if you're going to be controversial) is to use a nom de plum. Hey, it was good enough for Mark Twain when he was starting out! I did the same thing. I started a personal blog (www.theparentrap.net) as a test to learn about blogging. Luckily, because it was about my family, I had to self-edit from the start. Three years plus later, it’s still going strong, even though I’m two jobs past the one in which I started blogging. Ironically, that job site is still behind the times on social media. They’ve adopted blogging, but aren’t making the most of it or Twitter. Slow to learn is slow to learn.

Another way to get started (especially if you’re going to be controversial) is to use a nom de plum. Hey, it was good enough for Mark Twain when he was starting out!

]]> By: Harold Shaw http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/2009/08/28/blogging-way-new-job/comment-page-1/#comment-71 Harold Shaw Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:07:54 +0000 http://www.thebloggersbulletin.org/?p=293#comment-71 I agree with you that our blog reflects who we are and we have to be careful about what we put there for potential future employers. But at the same time if an employer reads my blog and decides not to hire me for what is in there, I have to ask would I be a good fit for that organization? Would I be happy there? I tried what you are doing and have decided that I am going to only maintain one blog and when I start my job search in the next month or so, I will proudly have my blog link on my resume. I am what I am and I believe that if an organization sees me as the human being that I am and sees the honesty that I provide in my blog that they will either believe that I fit their culture or not. I don't have all the answers, but I would prefer to have to discuss my blog at an interview than some of the inane questions that are always asked, that everyone fakes an answer to. Harold I agree with you that our blog reflects who we are and we have to be careful about what we put there for potential future employers. But at the same time if an employer reads my blog and decides not to hire me for what is in there, I have to ask would I be a good fit for that organization? Would I be happy there?

I tried what you are doing and have decided that I am going to only maintain one blog and when I start my job search in the next month or so, I will proudly have my blog link on my resume. I am what I am and I believe that if an organization sees me as the human being that I am and sees the honesty that I provide in my blog that they will either believe that I fit their culture or not.

I don’t have all the answers, but I would prefer to have to discuss my blog at an interview than some of the inane questions that are always asked, that everyone fakes an answer to.

Harold

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