Dr. Woody Asks: Are You Worried About An Employer Reading Your Blog?

Question of the week: Are you concerned about potential employers reading your blog posts?

In this week’s Up/Down we had 1,808 responses and the majority of you said you aren’t worried about your employer reading your blog entries.

YES

28% (499)

NO

72% (1309)

A good number of recruiters and savvy bosses do monitor prospect and even employee blogs.

Being careful not to mention your employer or any kind of work issues is a good start when it comes to personal blogging (in the last Up/Down 89% of you indicated you don’t mention your internship/employer). However, just because you don’t specifically mention your current employer when blogging doesn’t mean you are safe from future repercussions. A good number of recruiters and savvy bosses do monitor prospect and even employee blogs. Keep in mind they are not just interested in what you are saying about their company or work-life in general, they are also interested in finding out about personal beliefs and affiliations that may be counter to the mission.

Remember, every company has a brand image to protect and many will go to great lengths to protect that image. Blogs depicting wild party weekends or chronicling spring break road trips may cause a prospective employer to be a little uneasy, particularly if the images are counter to what the company represents. I’m a firm believer in being yourself and projecting an accurate image of who you are, but that image should be consistent. If companies you may be applying to are somehow shocked by your postings, you need to think about the consistency of the personal image you are portraying to them. So, be genuine in who you are, be smart about what you talk about on-line, and know your broader audience.