Marshall McLuhan famously wrote that “the medium is the message.” When you list your blog on your resume, the message you send to a potential employer is that you understand the importance of modern media and its role in society. As a medium, a blog is very much an extension of yourself; it allows you to express a fuller version of yourself beyond your resume.
A blog is not just for writers and artists to advertise their portfolios, it’s a tool for all jobseekers to demonstrate their ability to analyze, synthesize and communicate information in their field. By blogging about professional and academic experiences, jobseekers can animate those bullet points on their resume, bringing to life a semester abroad, a service-learning course, or an internship. Here is a good example.
Like anything else you include on your resume, you must carefully consider whether or not your blog promotes you as a candidate. Poorly organized, infrequently updated, incredibly personal or irrelevant blogs can work against you! Also keep in mind that a blog can be a compliment to a resume but it is not a substitute.
Other Advantages of Blogging
-A blog can reveal hard-to-communicate personal qualities: passion, creativity, imagination, etc.
-Blogging allows you to come across as an individual before the interview.
-Know the tools of the trade: more and more companies are using blogs to organize projects
-Your blog will pop up if employers Google you!
Don’t have a blog? Here is a basic guide to getting started as well as strategies for writing good blog posts and maintaining a blog routine.
~Jarrod