In a recent post (Digital Anarchy? Not Without Identity Management) I posited that eventually Identity Management would consist of a construct of your entire life. From the beginning, all the way through your to your present day, and continuing without pause until the end. The premise is that the more that is known about you, the harder it becomes to pretend to be you. Most fraud mechanisms work on making value judgements related to ‘normal’ behaviour, so why don’t we help that process along?
Privacy and profiling issues aside of course! 🙂
So it occurred to me that if all potential employers knew exactly what I believed in, and – assuming they agreed with me – how I could provide benefit to their organisation, then a CV is almost unnecessary.
LinkedIn already provides the factual information about my previous employment, and as much detail regarding my functions / achievements as I deem fit to share. Employers can do a background check based on my online presence long before approaching me directly. So add a blog on top of that, and what else could they possibly need to make a decision regarding next steps?
References? Background Investigations? Yes, but these are final steps, as the only purpose a CV serves is to get you that first interview. As such, it is VERY hit and miss, and a shining gem of a CV to one HR pro is a not-so-polished turd to another. In the end, HR are not even your final audience, but every candidate is expected to know all about writing CVs and cover letters, as well as interview techniques and etiquette. All you end up doing is filtering out the worst candidates, not narrowing down the best.
A blog, on the other hand, shows many things, all of which have good and bad elements depending on your point of view:
- Communication Skills – Writing is not easy, and even doing an average job of it takes a level of skill. If you cannot get your point across in 500 – 1000 words, AND in a way that the majority can understand, you either need to work on your writing skills, your knowledge of the subject, or both.
o - Subject Matter Expertise – Blogs on specific subjects should be written by people who have relatively significant experience in their chosen profession. But that does not mean they are alway right. A blog from a ‘security expert’ with whom I vehemently disagree will be dismissed just as quickly as would a blog on intelligent design.
0 - Desire to Help – While my blog [for example] was initially started because my wife told me to, it soon became an integral part of my weekly tasking. The skill-set I have (such as it is) does no good to anyone until everyone can follow the guidance I am trying to impart. Security expertise [for example] is NOT something that should be used just as a competitive advantage. There is plenty of opportunity to make a living while giving as much as you can back.
o - Thought Leadership …Or Not – One of the fastest growing buzz-phrases / clichés, but the concept is sound; Are you a person who creates the new, improves the old, or sustains the present? All of these things have their place, any one of them is not necessarily better than the others, but you need to know which you are, and so do your potential employers.
o - Skin In The Game – A phrase I’m borrowing from our American friends, it means that you are actually taking part in something, and not just sitting on the sidelines watching. Good if you’re contributing positively, bad if you’re an idiot.
Anything that fights against “But we’ve always done it this way!” is to me a good thing, and that’s where a blog really comes into its own. All of your ideas, concepts, or even random thoughts need to be put down into words that others can follow, which mean YOU have to clarify them first. Ideas catch on, but only the ideas that see the light of day.
For good or bad my blog is now my CV, let’s see how it pans out! 🙂
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