How Blogging Can Help a _______ in their Business?

I've been blogging since 2004, so I certainly have some opinions on this question. But Josh summed it up pretty well, when he recently answered this question on RecruitingBlogs.com as it pertains to recruiting.

I repost it here because I think blogging can universally impact just about any career (positively if done well, negatively if done poorly).

Here's the post (answer to the question) by Josh Letourneau, and here are links to both of his blogs:

1) %$#&! A Bald Guy's Random Bumblings on Headhunting & Strategic Sourcing

2) LG & Associates Search

Now, here's Josh:

Blogging can help a recruiter (or anybody!) in their business through the following ways:

1. Increase Recruiter Visibility (Search Engines Love Blogs)
2. Humanize the Recruiter (or ‘Career Partner’)
3. Warm up the Relationship as Blogs are Personal
4. Establish Legitimacy & Authority
5. Show that the Recruiter Cares Enough About their Personal & Professional Brand to Make This Type of Sustained Effort
6. Blogs Convey A Distinct Openness
7. Blogs are Interactive (Comments)
8. People Love to be “Informed” Rather Than “Sold”
9. Allow for more continuous brand impressions (i.e. what used to be known as a ‘Multi-drip’)
10. Blogs are a natural continuation of a 'Micro-Blog' or 'Tweet' - they make a natural and easy to implement landing page (did I also mension 'measurable' through built-in Blog controls?)

Great Recruiters always tell candidates to research the recruiter who calls them, and one of the easiest ways to do this is through a Google search on their name . . . which often leads to a blog as one of the top 3 responses.

Furthermore, a growing number of candidates and clients are so bombarded with recruiting calls that there are not receptive until they know more about us and what we stand for – a blog is a great place to start. Also consider the inherent level of candidate hesitance that accompanies a recessionary period - in a down economy, you have to work harder to build trust . . . and rightfully so.

*** In an initial email to candidates and clients, it’s easy to say, “I imagine you would like to get to know a little more about me before we connect – feel free to Google me or check out my blog below.” 99% of my calls today involve a discussion on one of my blog posts, which is a great way to build rapport!

In my estimation, blogging is no longer a question - it's merely a parity point. We can't afford to not do it! :)

Joshua Letourneau
Mg Director, SSF (Strategic Sourcing Framework)
LG & Assoc Search / Talent Strategy
BLOG: www.lgexec.typepad.com

Using a Blog as a Recruiting Tool (BlogTalkRadio.com)

On blogtalkradio.com this morning at 11am Central - come talk with us about using a blog as a recruiting tool. Call-in number: (347) 945-5971

Roving Recruiter Reporter, Dennis Smith, On the Dallas Freeways

With only seven days to go before the inaugural "RecruitingBlogs.com Dallas Networking Party," Roving Reporter Dennis Smith unleashes the 2nd in a series of absolutely worthless video segments.

Watch to see if the sun sets before Dennis is able to get all the way through his 1:20 second infomercial:

Why I Won't Stop Blogging

The following is a real conversation I had last week with Jason Davis.

It is not a reenactment by paid actors:

JD: How many hires have you made at WorldLink that are directly related to WirelessJobs.com?

Me: I joined WorldLink in November, and have made two hires from resumes that came to me directly from WirelessJobs.com.

JD: Are you kidding?

Me: No.

JD: Geez, that's excellent! You need to blog about that!

Me: Yeah, I know...I've been so busy I haven't been able to dedicate much time to the blog.

JD: Wow. Do you get resumes every day from the site?

Me: Oh yeah. In fact, so many, that lately it's been difficult to connect with all of them as quickly as usual. But I'm not complaining. My primary goal, when I started blogging, was to use the blog as a tool to connect with the people that are important to me - people that are interested in the wireless industry (whether involved in active job search or not).

JD: So, it's working, eh?

Me: Absolutely. Hey, I'm not pretending it's been an overnight success. But this blog has allowed me to connect (literally) with thousands of people that I would not have connected with otherwise.

And when you're in the business of recruiting, connecting with people matters.

That's why I won't stop blogging

Want to connect?

My Facebook
My LinkedIn
My Twitter
My Company
My Recruiting Family
My Email

A Blog Creates Career Stability

Yeah, I know...this can be debated until everyone involved is sick 'n tired of the topic. But I believe it even more now.

A writer / blogger whom I admire and follow every day (at least every day she writes), said these words ("A Blog Creates Career Stability") in her final column at Yahoo! Finance after the bigs decided not to renew her contract.

I've been blogging since Dec 2004, so I'd believe it even if Penelope hadn't penned the words. But my conviction is strengthened.

Here's an excerpt from PT's final YF column that succinctly summarizes my feelings regarding blogging and my current "career perspective:"

The blog is my own, and so is the community...The blog stays with me wherever I go, and that's important in a job market where people switch jobs every two or three years. A blog creates a network, and the network is yours. The conversation you create about your professional life is one that continues no matter what happens with your employer.

The workforce is extremely unstable today. There are layoffs, downsizings, de-equitizations, and bankruptcies. No one is guaranteed to have a job a month from now. Generations X and Y watched their parents' lives come undone when they depended on the workplace to provide stability in their lives. Today, people do that less and less.

We create our own stability in our lives by taking responsibility for ourselves. A blog is a great way to do this -- it's a professional platform that you have total control over, and you can use it to provide a home base when your work life feels like a game of dodge ball.

Rock on, PT!

Looking forward to more of the same at Brazen Careerist in 2008.

3 Reads for Friday

How Much Career Change Can You Afford?
The Anti 9 to 5 Guide (practical career advice for women who think outside the cube)
Michelle Goodman

The Top 10 Tools For 21st Century Career Success
- Linda Lopeke, EzineArticles.com

Free Airport Wi-Fi for the iPhone (for the Road Warriors)
Wireless-Weblog

New Recruiting Blog - Dallas Accounting Recruiter

Victoria Jones (Accountants, Inc) was kind enough to let me snap her picture at the DFWTRN meeting this week (where I did a quick Blogging 101 lesson).

So I thought I'd repay and give her a lil' pub around her new blog: Dallas Accounting Recruiter.

Great job, Victoria and team! Welcome to the Blogosphere!

Dennis

Fridays @ Starbucks (like peanut butter 'n jelly)

I'm doing my Dan Berte imitation this morning, as there's nobody I know who spends more time doing what he loves, and doing so via Wi-Fi with a strong cup of coffee in hand (Dan - I raise my Venti Rift Valley Blend in your honor!).

Friday is my favorite day to land at Starbucks, and this is such a happenin' place you've got to get here by 5:45am to get your fave seat (sorry ma'am, I didn't know your name was written on this chair).

Well, I'm off and kickin' - love the extra time to spend a few minutes in my Bloglines account catching up on this week's blogging, then it's off to Twitter for a quick update.

Looking forward to talking to a few of my favorite people today:

• Susan Strayer - Susan has a new gig! Lookin' forward to getting the scoop.
• Dave Mendoza - isn't voice-mail a drag? We're catchin' up Dave....Scout's honor.
• Levy - hey dude, you never called me back! Now you're pulling my tricks!
• Marketing Headhunter - gotta get the latest in this Facebook saga.

Venti's gettin' low...time for a refill!

Later,

Dennis

100 Blogging Resources

Jeremiah Owyang posted this link on Twitter today (thank you sir!).

Could be a valuable resource (and lots 'o reading) for those who attended the DFWTRN meeting yesterday.

It's a post from the Bootstrapper site and provides 100 Resources for Bloggers!

Blog Vacation

My recent lack of participation in the blogosphere might have one wondering about my commitment to blogging.

No lack of commitment here, just a focus on other work-related issues.

However, I am taking a little time over the next 7 days to just hang out with the family. I'll be doing kid stuff (swimming, tickle, wrestling) - landscaping - dinner & date with my wife - reading...just about everything but blogging.

I might send an occasional "what's up?" post from my Blackberry, but nothing of importance.

So, here's to my blog-vacation. I'll be back late next week rested and tanned (don't tell the dermatologist).

Keep the iPhones at bay and stay cool,

Dennis

Why Do You Blog?

In prep for the next blogging panel at Recruiting2007 ( Blogging from "Guerrilla" Marketing to Mainstream Recruiting), we panel members (Dave, Steve Levy, Gretchen Ledgard, Shally and I) contacted a few bloggers and asked for input on the following blog-related questions:

~ Why do you blog?
~What do you prefer to blog about?
~Where do you receive your inspiration from?
~Who do you write your blog for?
~How much has blogging impacted your company's recruiting brand?
~When do you find the time to blog?

Shally posted his answers HERE. Good schtuff.

Interested in weighing in on the subject?

I've already received answers from Harry, Gautam, and Steven....(thanks much, men!).

How 'bout you, blogger?

Dennis

Guess That Makes Me a Blogging Monkey's Uncle

How to Get Bloggers to Talk About You

Could this also say,

"How to Get Recruiters to Talk About You?"

See Job Search Lessons From American Idol.

Blogging fails to take off ...

Rubel twitters 'bout Guardian's article this morning regarding the state of the blogosphere.

Lots of bloggers - few in the United States compared to the rest of the world.

Guardian:

"According to Technorati, the number of weblogs has risen to 70m compared with 35m some 320 days ago. But interestingly, only a third of these are English-language blogs.

Considering it is 10 years since the first weblog was introduced and nearly eight years since easy-to-use blogs were pioneered by blogger.com, the number of blogs in operation is not exactly mind-boggling when compared with other phenomena on the web, such as the 65,000-plus videos uploaded to YouTube every day."

What'cha make of these stats, "live web" world?

Guardian asks,

"Is it better to communicate through a peer group in a social networking environment where shared interests will guarantee you an audience, rather than propel your thoughts into the blogosphere where often they will be read by no one unless you have managed to build up a "brand".

5.5 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Writing (Blogging) Skills

Jeffrey Gitomer gives us 5.5 things to do to improve our writing (blogging) skills.

He didn't necessarily provide these with the "blogger" in mind, but there's not a doubt in my mind that they apply.

Here we go:

1. Write Something Every Day

2. Save your best thoughts and ideas the second they occur.

3. Write it like you would say it

4. Make sure your thoughts are simple and easy to understand

5. Edit early and edit often

5.5 You are writing for the reader and yourself

Listen to Gitomer's explanation of these 5.5 tips HERE (it's worth the 1.2 minute listen)

Dennis
WirelessJobs.com

Cheesman's Jammies

Sorry to be deceptive. This isn't really about Cheesman's Jammies, but since I read THIS article (WSJ feature), I heard that Joel's Jammies are part of his benefits package.



Thanks Durby, for pointing me to the Jammies.

Business Blogging and the grassroots edge dwellers

Jeremiah Owyang reminds us that most blogging efforts at the corporate level still require continued justification.

His post quotes Shel Israel, reminding us that most of the blogging is at the "edge" of the corporate world in grassroots efforts.

Here's to the efforts of the corporate-blogging-grassroots-edge dwellers!

May they live long (but not forever on the edge).

Dennis
WirelessJobs.com

Blog 1.0 + Resume 1.0 = Resume 2.0?

Nice post by The Social Revolution Blog, as he discusses the various factors of: Resume 2.0.

I agree with his thoughts about resumes in general: they've been around a long time - not vacating the premises any time soon.

Blogs will not replace resumes.

Howevuh...one's blog might be the very reason I decide to reach out to a specific candidate. Bottomline, I can learn things about a candidate's blog (their opinions - passion - dislikes - even things they don't want me to know) that I might not be able to glean from their resume.

But if I'm the candidate, I want to send you my resume. You can read my blog and get a general feel for my recruiting philosophy. But many of the bell/whistle accomplishments that you need to know about me, are not going to be communicated via my blog.

So, in my opinion, I have two resumes:

1. Soft copy
   
2. Blog copy
   

But you'll need both to fully understand this recruiting geek.

Dennis
WirelessJobs.com

Why Blog?

There's obviously more than one answer to this question, but I think THIS is a pretty good answer.

Recruiters should not be engaged in the game of "hide and go seek." We all tired of those games back in Jr. High.

We blog to be found. By you.

Thanks Harry.

Dennis
T-Mobile Recruiting
WirelessJobs.com

Blogging for Jobs

C.M. Russell posts today about a soon to be college grad (Brian) who has started a blog in in an effort to get a job. His blog is called: MSF Student Trying to Break into I-Banking.


C.M. asked about his motivation for starting the blog. His answer:

"I was inspired to start a blog out of frustration. The finance department at DU has poor career placement outside of Denver. I figured that one of the best ways to get attention easily and cheaply was a blog. In addition to bringing attention to my job search, it is helping a few of my fellow students."

I agree with C.M., who says,

"A blog is a great way to stand out in today's job market. Done right, it gives potential employers insight into your personality and your knowledge of the industry you are seeking work in."

Brian is a student at the University of Denver's Daniels College of Business.

Check out his profile HERE.