There are a number of effective techniques, and A:  Dear Mary,

In the early days of blogging, some employees used blogs to read or comment about their employers, and there were even a few cases where employees were terminated for divulging secrets about their employers on blogs. Today, the buzz is all about how blogs are changing the process of job-seeking and employee recruitment. Blogging, it turns out, can be good for your career!  

For employers, googling job candidates is becoming a standard step in the research and hiring process. And for job seekers, when having a high profile in your field is important in landing a job, blogging can help you achieve that visibility.

Here are some other ways people are using blogs to boost their careers:

• Blogging is like attending a huge networking event online. It can be used to meet peers and potential employers, and share information.
• Blogging can help you skip the dreaded “entry-level” position. By creating a blog and demonstrating your experience and skills in your posts, your blog can establish you as an expert in your field. As a result, hiring managers may view you as a more seasoned professional. 
• Blogs can provide career advice and even land you a job. There are blogs dedicated to offering insight and guidance for job seekers and to helping people find jobs. There are a number of career-oriented blogs you can leverage—including Spherion’s excellent job candidate blog, The Big Time^SM. Check it out!

There’s something else you should know about blogging, too. With hiring managers increasingly researching potential employees on the Web, writing blogs that may not show you in the best light could affect your ability to secure a job. So, choose your blogging topics—and your words—carefully. And if you wouldn’t say it in an interview, don’t say it in a blog!

Good luck!
Seymour