Get the Job by Blogging

I found it funny that my assigned class reading for this week's blog entry had to do with employment. The one thing I have become concerned about for these upcoming months. Graduation is approaching and so is the question: what do you plan to do now with your life?

My responses have become a list of ideas or plans that have not yet become determined as my course of action. I am starting to feel like I should come up with some generic response like, “I plan to fly a kite.” It’s short and sweet.

I like that response but it doesn’t address the point I plan to make. In the search for that job or THE job, we discover we need to find a way to differentiate ourselves from our fellow competitors. One might think canceling or deleting their social networking site pages would help, but would it? Does it matter? Are they going to be able to get past my privacy settings? OR Do I need to set-up a blog resume?

Joshua Porter believes it is a good idea and says, “Your blog . . . represents you, is serious business, is an archive, isn’t the only mirror of your life and is your unedited version of yourself.” He makes some very good points but, I cannot fully agree with him. I question the belief that a blog is a pure representation of oneself. With people creating alternative lives online in social networks, then what’s stopping them from creating a fake blog? ^{I know, fake blogging is a bit of a stretch but my point is people could be blog posers.} An example of a blogger that made it big but could have been set for disaster is Glenn Kelman.

To be honest, the way to succeed in getting hired comes down to the company, occupation, market and the person hiring the employees. It depends on whether they are tech savvy or more conservative in their approach to technology. In time, people may find blogging a way to get hired or the thing to give them an edge on the competition.

For all those looking for jobs, this video interview gives some good insight into what I have talked about:

Majoring in Virtual Journalism

A new form of journalism has erupted among the public. We don't need to hear the news from the big name media companies. We can hear it from a friend or a stranger who captures the story with their phone. Or what might be available soon is the wearable computer, WearComp, which is mentioned by author Howard Rheingold in "Smart Mobs." He also mentions joining a mobile community called Upoc, a community that is based on sending messages to your phone.
If news is always breaking and there is so much information out there being covered, who and what will people be listening to? Will people become selective in the news they hear? By joining certain online groups, will they only receive a limited amount of information?

Real Teams vs. Virtual Teams

I was surprised when I first read this article stating that virtual brainstorming teams were more successful then "real" world brainstorming teams. I didn't want to believe it so I looked at some more articles. It seemed all the articles agreed with the first article. Until I read this article that presented some good points as to why a virtual team could be more beneficial then in real life. The article presented these ten rules that should be followed to create a working virtual brainstorming team.

1. Invest in an online resource where members can learn quickly about one another.
2. Choose a few team members who already know each other.
3. Identify "boundary spanners" and ensure that they make up at least 15% of the team.
4. Cultivate boundary spanners as a regular part of company wide practices and processes.
5. Break the team's work up into modules so that progress in one location is not overly dependent on progress in another.
6. Create an online site where a team can collaborate, exchange ideas and inspire one another.
7. Encourage frequent communication. But don't try to force social gatherings.
8. Assign only tasks that are challenging and interesting.
9. Ensure the task is meaningful to the team and the company.
10. When building a virtual team, solicit volunteers as much as possible.

I guess the world is changing and it looks like brainstorming teams are too. I hope it is as beneficial as the research shows. I still believe there is something to be said for "real" world interactions and brainstorming. I have always been more creative with people around then by myself, but maybe I'm an exception. Anyone else feel this way?

Picture from maxwideman.com

The Perfect Job & How You Get It

After being a part of hosting the PRSSA Regional Activity at AU this past weekend, I found this week's assigned reading very interesting. It tied into what PRSSA and most professionals try to stress: NETWORK!

It's quite simple yet most of the time it is overlooked by students and professionals. The best resource into learning how to network can be found here. The article by Priscilla March is a step-by-step guide to succeed in networking. I wish I had read this before the weekend, but luckily some of the information I already knew.

Another point to add is students or professionals should have business cards. It may sound overrated but I spoke to some professionals who said it makes the student stand out. If you stand out, then you are one step ahead of your competition.

Looking for work in D.C. is definitely competitive so getting an edge can definitely help the odds of getting employed. This would be where networking comes in as a very big component of getting an edge on the competition.



Knowing someone inside a company or knowing the right people can sometimes land you a job you didn't even know existed. I received my previous internship through attending a party. I happened to comment on how I was looking for an internship at the party. I came to find out that the gentleman hosting the party worked at a firm thatwas looking for a new intern. Next thing you know, I was interning at the firm and getting paid.

Eventually, I needed to spread my wings a bit and move on. Therefore, I am back to hoping for another opportunity to reveal itself. The best way to have that happen is to continue networking wherever I go. If it works, then I will be living the high life.

If it doesn't, then at least I will have met some new people and maybe expanded my amount of connections on LinkedIn!

With all that being said, anyone know someone who wants to hire me?