Does Blogging affect Job Prospects?

Question

Would a hiring manager at a small-to-medium consulting firm/corporation consider active blogging by a candidate about Programming/software/technology as a positive? Should the candidate disclose this information during the interviews or put it on the resume?

Thanks for the answers, So far the views about this topic has been..

1. Don't mention the blog if it is not relevant to the job.
2. Mention the blog, if you believe your blog has quality content.
3. Potential risk of not being accepted by culture of the employer's workplace.
4. Could be a valuable for consultants to publish & preview their skills and experience.
5. Certain Employers may consider blogging of a candidate a plus.
6. Be careful what you post on the blog,no badmouthing,rants and overt criticism of others.
7. Do not lie about blogging,if directly asked during the interview.

Answer 1

It depends on the blog.

It's another way of getting information about the candidate: if they write complete rubbish, and communicate poorly, that's clearly not going to be in their favour. If they write well-reasoned, insightful posts about relevant technologies, I'd say that's a very big plus.

Assuming you're proud of your blog content, definitely put it on your resume.

Answer 2

Would if affect the hiring potential? Possibly; it depends upon the manager and the culture of the place you're applying to.

Should you be up front about it? I think it's only helpful if the blog is in some way related to the job you're applying for. Otherwise, they don't need to know.

Answer 3

It all depends on the quality of the blog. If the quality of the posts is good, then I can't imagine a (future) employer will hold it against the applicant.

Answer 4

In general I'd view it as positive.

There are cases when I might see it as negative:

• If the candidate used the blog to post derogatory comments about others.
• If the candidate lied about whether they blogged or not.

for example.

Answer 5

In consulting, you sell expertise. If you are able to communicate that expertise well, build up a following, that can only be a positive.

If a company you are applying for does not appreciate that, I'd be careful about what kind of culture they have. Companies like MS encourage communicating / educating with community by giving Most Valuable Professional award in different categories - I've definitely seen that being great for career (and hiring).

Your blog is a way for you to communicate your skills / experience - I'd personally value a great blog very highly - it gives me an idea that you are not a "coder for hire," but somebody willing to go above and beyond, and help others.

Answer 6

where i work currently it's not just a plus, it's almost a necessity to blog and otherwise take part in various "social media" platforms. most resumes look dreadfully similar and if you can show of your enthusiasm and dedication for something (anything really, code/dogs/photography/whatever) then you're special.

oh, and even if you don't put it on your resume we will find out more about you than you're telling us.

Answer 7

Others have talked about whether you should mention your blog (is it related, are you proud of it?). I just thought I'd throw my 2p in.

If you're an active blogger, you should mention it to the hiring manager. If the corporate policy discourages blogging, it's better for you to know that before you take the job.

Remember: they're not just interviewing you. You're interviewing them as well.