I blog, therefore I am (and vice versa)?

October 14 | Written by David Jackson | viewed 401 times | 3 comments

In the newly-published book Trust Agents, Chris Brogan and Julien Smith predict that in the future you won't need a resume - you can just point people toward the "spectacular" About page you create for your blog. They write that, "The Web is such a powerful resource for leveraging contacts and presenting our strengths that a curriculum vitae (CV) becomes irrelevant. It's not so much that you won't need one, but that you'll never be asked for a CV because your reputation will precede you. Instead, you'll just get hired."

I absolutely agree that our online reputation operates as a de facto CV, and you need to do your best to present yourself in a good light, just as you do on a paper- based CV. Everyone working in the IT, digital, sales and marketing spaces should have an account with LinkedIn, LinkMe, Plaxo and other resume-type social networking sites, as well as tools like Twitter. (The other side of this coin is that if you have a Facebook account, potential employers may be able to find that photo of you tired and emotional at your mate's bucks or hens night - like it or not, you need to be careful about what you publish about yourself online.)

But I have to ask: Does everyone need a blog? With all the opportunities available to publish your credentials and update people about your activities, do you need to share your thoughts on life, the universe and everything through a regular blog, as well?

I'm not knocking blogs (this is, after all, a blog post), but I think that if you don't have a passion for sharing your views on local, global or business affairs, you shouldn't feel obligated to start a blog, in the hope that it might help you get a job.

It's OK to not have an opinion on everything - let your CV speak (online or otherwise) speak for itself.

David Jackson is managing director and principal talent broker for S2M Digital, www.s2m.com.au a recruitment agency specialising in the digital space. He can be contacted at djackson@s2m.com.au

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David Jackson
Company: s2m Digital
Position: Managing Director
David is Managing Director, Principal Talent Broker specialising in the New Media division for s2m Digital. Prior to forming s2m Digital with partner Samantha Watts, David was Managing Director of Global Job Network Pty Limited, a boutique Executive Search firm. Subsequent to this, David was a founding member of Parker Bridge Australia Recruitment Read David's full bio

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I think this raises an interesting question about the "anticeptification" (I know its not a real word but I like it) of personal blogs, Facebook accounts, Twitter feeds etc. The whole point of these channels is to be real and personal. With people worried about their next job, will their feeds just turn into non-opinionated generic drivel?
Posted by Brad Down, 9:59am 14 October 2009

mate, we stopped trading in resumes years ago....
Posted by Bart Jawien, 11:03am 14 October 2009

i agree that one's online reputation is powerful and can open new doors to opportunities, however it cuts both ways and people need to be more aware of how their personal and professional lives intersect online. Perhaps your future employer might not be amused by those drunken snaps of you at your best mate's buck's/hen's night. So many people still get caught out by this.
Posted by Rebecca Camilleri, 2:47pm 19 October 2009