3 Effective Ways to Make Your Blog More Powerful Than Your Resume

May 4, 2011 by Daniel Sharkov|

Today’s article is a guest post by Dan Fonseca. Dan explains how a blog can increase your chances of finding a better employment match. Read, comment and share if you like it!

This post is one on personal branding and how a blog can communicate so much more than the typical resume. Though we still live in an age where the resume continues to be a necessary part of the employment cycle, if you want that competitive edge, having a blog will make all the difference; a welcomed addition to your employment strategy.

With competition always on the rise, we have to use every tool available to make ourselves more attractive; a blog being an incredible tool in itself. I have written about the importance of building your personal brand before but let me further convince you on its importance and the incredible benefits of having your own blog online. Here I have outlined 3 ways your blog can say more than your resume.

From both the employer’s and employee’s perspective, it’s generally understood that credentials on a resume only serve as part of the vital equation when looking for the perfect employment fit. Even if you are lucky enough to score a round of interviews, how are companies to know if you, as a person, will be a good fit for the culture and atmosphere the company creates? Its an incredible investment of time and human capital on both ends so making the right choice is important. So without further hesitation, here are…

3 Ways Your Blog Can Say More Than Your Resume:

1. Values, Character & Personality

Credentials are great for quantifiable metrics and a general, ballpark idea on the individual but can a resume convey some one’s values, character or personality? Though many believe that these factors do not hold much merit in the day to day work environment, often times they can play a vital role in determining group work and collaboration dynamics; critical parts to any business. A company is a brand that employees carry with them regardless if they are working at the time or not. An employee’s behavior is a reflection of the company itself. Understanding this and ensuring the right match will be beneficial for both parties. The best employee is one that believes in the work the company does and his/her values, character, and personality will reflect the company’s culture, environment, and purpose; both the company and personal brand benefiting from the relationship.

How Does a Blog Help?

Having a blog that you truly put some time, effort, heart, and soul into will already communicate these factors missing from your resume. What you decide to write about or link to is a clear indication towards what you value and are passionate about. By linking to other interesting articles and giving your own perspectives on pertinent topics, readers of the blog (potential employers) will have a better sense of the type of person they are evaluating. Stories and perspectives help shape your character and personality. No need to be ashamed of what’s on the Internet, drive them to it and let them know you will be a great contributor and ambassador to their brand!

2. Communication Skills & Thinking Process

A more simple yet incredibly important idea, communication is a skill that a rehearsed interview can often distort. Communication in the workplace is vital and if you are to be an integral gear in the metaphorical business machine, employers will want to know that you’re able to communicate not only within your team but with other groups as well. Often times, employers will look to hire creative thinkers who think “outside” the box. Overused statement aside, the way an individual problem solves and brainstorms can be an incredible asset, oftentimes their best attribute! In any given institution, most problems arise from lack of communication, by hiring excellent communicators and thinkers, employers are eliminating risk.

How Does a Blog Help?

Through your words, sentence structure, and idea presentation, your blog helps illustrate your communication skills and unique thinking process. These are all important factors that the standard resume and interview can often overlook or simply do a poor job at evaluating. Make their jobs easier and give them a simple, easy to understand idea and communicate it as best as you can. Employers are looking for individuals who will make the exchange of conversations and ideas seamless. Are you following me?

3. Ideas & Creativity

Probably the more important of the three together, the value of great ideas and resourceful creativity can never be understated. In a world where competition and innovation rules, having a creative workforce is an invaluable asset; they don’t call it human capital for nothing! How will a resume communicate your innovative spirit or natural creativity? The format itself already limits your canvas and, often times, actions outside of resume or interview norms can land you in a place you don’t want to be. Though you may shake your fist at the binding traditional rules, understand you have to play by them, know, however, that your blog is an opportunity to break them all

How else are you going to get noticed?

How Does a Blog Help?

This is where a blog truly shines. Here is your chance to write and present your greatest, most innovative, maybe even controversial ideas. How can you use your ideas to set yourself apart from everyone else? What trend do you see that everyone else has overlooked? The unique perspective you bring to the table can often times be invaluable and how will an employer know about it if all they have to evaluate you from is a resume? Though many companies look towards the Internet to learn a little more about potential employees, help avoid the hunt and make sure you are easy to find. Bring them to your blog and show them what makes you stand out from the host of resumes; resumes that will most likely have similar if not identical credentials.

Conclusion

By utilizing a blog online, you can significantly increase your chances of finding a better employment match. A blog can also help separate you from a pile of potential candidates to desired teammates. By eliminating risk and variables, you suddenly become the safest investment of time and resources; not to mention you have found the best fit for your talents as well. Here’s to building that personal brand

Dan Fonsecais currently a Communications student at Northeastern University in Boston and writes his very own blog Synapses. He enjoys thinking about the bigger picture and looks to bring people together in anyway he can. Dan loves his brie and sushi and is proud to be from New Jersey so you better watch what you say

How’s that for a personal brand?

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