If you write and maintain your own personal technical blog should that be listed in your resume? Any reasons not to? Would this be of interest to potential employers or would they be indifferent? If you do include it, how and where would you mention it?
+2
A:
If your recruiter or potential employer doesn't bother to google you (and thus find your blog anyway), that person is not likely to read the blog even if you included the address in your resume.
If that person does Google you, then it doesn't really matter if it's on the resume or not. However, if what you write is not something you're pleased with enough to put on your resume, maybe you should mark it as friends only...
Uri
2009-02-02 06:07:46
+1
A:
I would mention it in my External Projects section. I include information like this so that prospective employers know that I am actively involved/excited about programming and technology.
Nick Stinemates
2009-02-02 06:09:00
+10
A:
As someone who spends a good amount of time looking at a candidates resume before an interview, I would say "yes, please include a link to your blog."
The point of a resume is for a potential employer to get a sense of who you are, what you've accomplished and what you're capable of accomplishing with a bit of time. A one page resume really can't adequately meet this need. A blog is a great way to get a sense of someone and can help drive the interview process down a more valuable route.
JaredPar
2009-02-02 06:14:42
@JaredPar, from your little icon down there you look like Paul Newman. It throws me off every time I see it, lol. http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Paul-Newman-Photograph-C12142732.jpeg
Simucal
2009-02-02 06:21:36
@Simucal, hilarious. I hadn't ever thought about that.
JaredPar
2009-02-02 06:24:00
A:
ONLY if you regularly update it and write something there that reflects your interests (it can be both tech and non-tech). Now a days everybody has a created a blog: but not many write regularly.
Sesh
2009-02-02 06:16:51
A:
Perhaps, if there's the possibility that the employer has it in for minority viewpoints (like maybe you're a Creationist or something like that) then you might be advised not to. But as has been pointed out previously, a savvy recruiter is going to dig up that kind of stuff pretty quickly anyway.
boost
2009-02-02 06:17:27
A:
Largely depends on your writing skills. If you write really really well - chances are the employer will recognize it and you'll get an edge. If your skills are not really strong - chances are the employer will recognize it and decide not to hire.
sharptooth
2009-02-02 06:24:24
+1
A:
Yes, When you have good posts in it. When I take an interview, I would consider it.
Techmaddy
2009-02-02 06:37:59
+1
A:
I'm someone who tends to get to do quite a few technical interviews (provided the people I'm working for/with/at are actually hiring) and my advice would be to put it on your resume. This post on Rands in Repose would also suggest that an experienced tech manager will look for your traces on the Internet. Steering them into the right direction can only be a good thing. At the end of the day, it's all about standing out from the crowd and if you care about what you do enough to spend some of your valuable time blogging about it, I'd take that as a good sign.
However this doesn't mean that I wouldn't find it, because like Rands, if I find your resume interesting enough, I'd quickly google you anyway. If your blog turns up on the first page of hits (preferably not right next to facebook pages full of pictures of drunken revelry), then I'd spend at least a few minutes reading it and potentially more if I like what I read.
That said, this is a classic situation where I don't currently follow my own advice - while my blog is fairly easy to find, I don't include the link on my resume, partially because I'm not sure if recruitment agents over here wouldn't edit it out anyway, plus mine turn up on the first page of Google results.
Timo Geusch
2009-02-02 08:23:07