Blogging and HR
I still hear stories about potential employers shying away from applicants who blog.
My first few days at my new job in September, people knew things about me that I hadn't mentioned. They had all my favorite foods at breakfast my first day, "we know you're vegan, but you make exceptions for donuts, right?" (this is true, though I'm trying to give up donuts) and "we got you this mug because you have cats." And, I really didn't remember mentioning being vegan or liking cats at the interview. When I didn't have to come out, I looked at myself in the mirror wondering just how butch I'd gotten, that they were all just assuming.
But this is what happened. They all read my blog, and liked me, and hired me, and blogging found me the best match I've ever had.
Library & Info Science is all about matching people to each other, to information, to organizations. Building community and bringing people together, and this is blogging, too.
I'm thinking about writing an article about this... Library HR departments recruiting bloggers. I just finished taking an HR class at NYU so I'm all excited about this topic.
Comments
This is really cool. I've had employers know about my blog before, but none have actually cared enough to look at it, let alone been positive about it.
The scary thing is that I'm in advertising. Shouldn't my industry pride itself in being on the cutting edge?
Posted by: Mike B. | December 26, 2006 1:25 AM
Hey Kate.
What are you doing now?
Lawrence
Posted by: Kapture | December 26, 2006 8:40 AM
Hey-- How are you? How's Michigan? How's your family? I really liked your last post about pet lions.
I'm at Hostos-CUNY as Reference & Information Technology Librarian. Jenny is Branch Librarian at HSR.
Posted by: Kate | December 26, 2006 9:45 AM
Mike--
Knowing about it and not reading it is suprising. Maybe where some industries seem threatened, in advertising you're used to having a giant effect so blogging just isn't that different from your everyday work? I'm not sure all industries are used to all their staff having a very public voice.
Happy Holidays!
Kate
Posted by: Kate | December 26, 2006 9:54 AM
Hey Kate,
Family's good. Poppy will be going to Montissouri full time in about a week. Ruby's looking for a gig.
Thank you. I keep wanting to post about Poppy, but she's too big to get my head around sometimes.
Michigan is grand.
I'm glad to here you're enjoying your new gig. Community college sounds hella fun.
Posted by: Lawrence | December 30, 2006 7:41 PM