The Impact of Blogging On Job and College Recruiting: Can Your Blog Help or Hurt You?

Recently, I had conversations with a few of my friends and colleagues regarding the impact of blogging on one's ability to get a job or get into a college. In the past, I have often wondered what would happen if my manager or college recruiter were to find my Myspace or Facebook pages. What would they think of me? Why are they looking for me on these Websites? What should I do to either prevent them from seeing my pages or manage my pages in a way to make them presentable to anyone?

First, let's tackle the concept that blogging can impact your odds of getting a job and getting into school. Many will not say this, but blogs are looked at by recruiters. Recruiters are just like any other person. Many of them probably have blogs and they look people up on a regular basis in their regular lives. So, what would stop them from looking you up when considering you as a candidate for a job or educational program? Absolutely nothing. When I was in school, I would check out some of my classmates' Myspace and Facebook pages just to get an idea of who they were.

Though these web pages and blogs do not make a person, it gives you a little peak into their character and you can sometimes find out some useful information about these individuals. For instance, it would not be a good idea to promote drug use on your website or blog if you are applying for jobs. Why? For starters, this lets your potential employer know that you might be a junkie. Secondly, you might be a junkie and now your potential employers knows it.

Another thing that people do not consider is the content of your blog and the personal information that is provided by you. The example I will use is that of a college student who is applying to several graduate school programs. As I have mentioned already, people do not realize who really views your Myspace, Facebook and blog pages. So, if you are a potential graduate school student who is applying to several universities but has already accepted an offer to a particular school, be cognisant that the other schools you are applying to may have seen your blog and will not reject your application because you have stated on your blog that you will be attending another school. Even if you were willing to opt not to go to the school that you accepted an offer to because in your heart you are waiting for your favorite school to respond, you still should not put all of this information on your blog(s). Some information should be more discrete.

Part of life's journey is making choices, and part of making choices with regards to your interaction with people is making good first impressions. First impressions really do count. Sometimes an applicant's first impression is their blog because they have not had an interview with the recruiter as of yet. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you make good choices in how you present yourself in all aspects of life. Now, I'm not saying that blogs should be the sole determinant of whether or not you get a job or get into school, but we have to be realistic here. People read blogs and sometimes the people who read blogs may have an influence on our lives and personal growth. So, be smart.

Here are a few tips that I consider when handling my blog, Myspace, and Facebook pages:

1. Use a pseudonym (fake name).

2. Do not use your real personal information when filling out address information on blog websites.

3. Create an alternate email address that can not be linked back to your personal email addresses.

4. Keep a clean, reader friendly blog and/or web page.

5. Be careful of what you blog about.

6. Be conscious of the fact that recruiters have access to the web just like you and I.

7. Put a block on your pages that will only allow your friends to view your Myspace and Facebook pages. (This will keep unwanted people from viewing your pages).

8. DO NOT PROMOTE DRUG, ALCOHOL, OR SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MEDIA AND/OR CHARACTERS ON YOUR WEBSITES. (You do not want to give off the wrong vibes to recruiters.)