Hire Me
April 9, 2010 4:48 AM   Subscribe

What blogs / sites make you say "I want to hire this guy!". What is it about those sites that makes you say this? If and when my next employment search comes up, I would like to have a web presence that gives prospective employers a window into my work, thoughts, outlook, etc. I am looking for blogs that do a great job at selling the author to potential employers. I am interested in content but also the sites presentation and functionality. I am more interested in business related blogs rather than designer / portfolio types sites, but will take all comers. Blogs that incorporate photos of the author would be a bonus. Help me find examples of great personal salesmanship on the web.
posted by jasondigitized to Work & Money (13 answers total) 39 users marked this as a favorite
 
What position are you interested in being hired for?
posted by xingcat at 5:05 AM on April 9, 2010


Response by poster: Project Manager, but I don't want to just focus on that in my search for great examples of marketing to employers.
posted by jasondigitized at 5:11 AM on April 9, 2010


I find it much more impressive if someone's work is featured outside of his own personal site/blog. If you can find a way of publishing articles, being interviewed, being referenced on sites and other media that aren't self-published, that's going to go a lot farther than anything fancy you can do with your own site.
posted by xingcat at 5:16 AM on April 9, 2010


Don't totally ignore design, even if it isn't your field, presentation is important. Other than that, be sure your spelling and grammar are correct. I like to see posts that are clear and well thought out; it is like a dinner party, no politics or religion and just because you can say something doesn't mean that you have to. I do like to see at least semi-frequent updates, but I also like to see quality rather than quantity.

Use the about section as your mission statement and think about it before you hit post each time. I was following a professional blog that has morphed into a home cooking blog. Don't do that. Another professional blog that I was following started to explain technical terms to relatives that may or may not be reading, and assorted family updates, which makes my eyes bleed. Get a personal blog with password for that stuff.

MeFi's own Anil Dash is a great example. Note: I'm not in his field.
posted by cestmoi15 at 5:19 AM on April 9, 2010 [2 favorites]


I find it much more impressive if someone's work is featured outside of his own personal site/blog.

I agree with this.

To some extent I think what would look good to outsiders is dependent upon your industry or the industry you're trying to land a job in, as others have said.

Also, cestmoi15 makes some good points about what should and should not be in a blog.

Another point worth mentioning is that if you have another blog on the side that discusses politics or religion or something personal to you don't make it connected to your professional blog. (Unless, of course, your profession is either politics or religion or something in which knowledge of and opinions on those subjects is pertinent.)
posted by dfriedman at 6:10 AM on April 9, 2010


Best answer: Not exactly what you're interested in, but this is damn impressive.
posted by schmod at 7:30 AM on April 9, 2010 [6 favorites]


Job hunting is a two-stage process: Getting invited to interview, and then being impressive in the interview. Having an Internet presence possibly contributes in the first category, but honestly not very much compared to a compelling cover letter and resume. In my experience, when confronted with 200 applications, one simply doesn't visit blogs -- one screens out lack of qualification, incoherence, mental illness, etc. until the stack is down to a couple of dozen, and then one interviews the standouts in what's left. Having a website is simply not a huge hook here. Unless you're seeking web design work, of course. It's difficult to underestimate the importance of the cover letter, I think. I'd avoid investing job-hunting energy on web presence until you're completely convinced that your letter and resume are perfect.

As others have observed, getting some pieces related to your profession published elsewhere is definitely impressive and well worth the effort -- but that's because they make it onto your resume, not because they make it onto the Internet.
posted by gum at 8:08 AM on April 9, 2010 [3 favorites]


In my experience, when confronted with 200 applications, one simply doesn't visit blogs -- one screens out lack of qualification, incoherence, mental illness, etc. until the stack is down to a couple of dozen, and then one interviews the standouts in what's left visits blogs to decide what kind of person you may or may not be interviewing.
I've had interviewers mention my blog during the interview.
posted by MesoFilter at 8:33 AM on April 9, 2010


Having a website is simply not a huge hook here. Unless you're seeking web design work, of course.

Although if you're going for a writing gig, it can serve as your portfolio.

Agree on the professional blog point - there are some things we don't necessarily want to share with prospective employers.
posted by mippy at 8:51 AM on April 9, 2010


There's also a few snippets of advice here, starting on Page 21.
posted by schmod at 9:58 AM on April 9, 2010


Rands in Repose?
posted by chunking express at 10:06 AM on April 9, 2010


Sort of a peripherally-related answer here, but hopefully it'll help someone.

I currently employ five freelance bloggers who responded to a Craigslist ad I posted. In hiring these people I must have looked at a few hundred resumes, cover letters and writing samples. I generally put less weight on writing samples from personal blogs because those aren't writing assignments; they're just topics the writer is interested in. The job I need done requires taking relatively boring topics on and only occasionally pitching me ideas.

I know that many writers would rather be in the position of pitching story ideas, but that isn't the job I need done, so to me it doesn't really matter if you can be creative about your own ideas. I need writers to be creative with my ideas. So for me, the best portfolio is one that shows work that somebody else assigned to you and for which you have been paid.
posted by ben242 at 12:02 PM on April 9, 2010


Just to follow up on schmod's post, the guy got hired.
posted by sciencemandan at 5:35 PM on April 9, 2010


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