April 18, 2003

Writing a blog to get a job
Posted by jbutler@bostonworks.com">Jason Butler at 4:43 PM -

Robert Scoble got a job at Microsoft (partly) as a result of his blog.

Q: Did weblogging play a role in getting hired.

A: Absolutely. Yes, weblogging played a major role. For one, it helped get me noticed. For two, it helped people inside Microsoft see how I thought without needing me to come up for an interview. For three, during the interviews, we were able to really get to the point of things, since they already knew my strengths and weaknesses.

By analyzing your industry, you give potential employers a virtual portfolio of your thinking process.

Just as importantly, blogging can be a very social experience, and intertwining yourself with others who share your interests is a great method of networking.

I think that every consultant and independent contractor needs to have a weblog to share information with prospective customers. Johanna Rothman is an independent product development consultant out in Arlington; she writes a blog on managing product development and one on hiring technical people.

I found these blogs via an incoming link to BostonWorks. I checked them out and found them useful enough that I've dropped them both into NetNewsWire and read them each time she updates. By showing her expertise in these areas, she has proven herself to me, a potential client.

Many vendors call me to pitch their services; Johanna has a head start.

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