“Your blog is your living resume. It shows how you think. It shows how you write. It shows what’s important to you. . . Mentor us through your blog. We employers love hiring mentors–they raise everyone’s performance.” Kevin Merritt as told to Linkedin Social Media Strategist Mario Sundar

Blogging and Web 2.0 social media tools, like Linkedin.com , are fast becoming the most effective strategies to actively deliver your message of value. If you are a jobseeker in today’s tough market, blogging is the most powerful tool as it allows the writer to deliver their expertise, knowledge, and value to strategic targets such as hiring managers, companies, and the global community on the internet.

One of the first challenges a new blogger faces is writing their first article for their employment campaign. The following is an outline, with the help of social media expert Mack Collier, and template a new job seeking blogger can utilize for the creation of their first blog article.

4 Question Format: Your first article should answer 4 questions

1. Who Are You?
2. Why Are You Blogging?
3. What Will You Be Blogging About?
4. How Can I Leave Feedback?

Example First Article Template:

Your Title

My name is _____ I have ___years experience in the ______industry culminating in a position as a _____ and _______. Today I am writing my first blog article on my new blog: yourname.wordpress.com. My blog is the centerpiece and delivery system, of my message of value, for my newly established employment campaign.

Why Am I Blogging?

I am writing this blog as a method to offer my expertise, experience, and knowledge to liked minded individuals. I am also seeking job, networking, and collaborating opportunities. Consequently, my blog will support my employment campaign which is a strategic, proactive plan to deliver my value to hiring managers and my industry.

What Is My Blog About?

I will write about. . . (your subject matter and topics here.) I will create helpful content, tips, how to guides, lists, and other material on. . . (your expertise, knowledge, and value message here.)

Dean’s Example: “I will write about social media tools and blogging. I will create helpful content, tips, how to guides, lists and other material based on my two years of blogging experience at deansguide and innerarchitect and my social media consulting background with Domus Consulting Group.

How Can I Leave Feedback?

I look forward to reader comments and participation as part of the learning process here on my blog. As I begin to learn more about Web 2.0, social media, and blogging, I hope to become a valuable resource to readers.  If you have comments, please do not hesitate to voice your opinions. If you would like to further connect with me:

Your email address
Your Linkedin Address
Your Twitter Address
Your Facebook page-list all the place you wish to point your reader

Twitter, like blogs, is fast becoming an effective tool, for jobseekers willing to take the next step in their integration into social media, as a job search strategy. Consider the testimonial provided by David Murray in David Meerman Scott’s eye opening article “How David Murray found a new job via Twitter.”

The Scenario

David Murray was laid off from his job. He immediately jumped into the traditional job search strategy of completing a resume, calling people, and networking. David quickly realized he would have to utilize Web 2.0 tools in order to stand apart from his job seeking competion

The Strategy

Twitter Public Announcement: Dave decided to reach out on Twitter, @DaveMurr, in order to publicly announce he was looking for work. As Dave explained, in Scott’s article:

“I guess you could say I used a new tool for old school networking. . . The response was overwhelming and I received several leads and opportunities that were far more fruitful than my previous attempts.”

How Did He Do That?

Twitter Search: Dave gives social media star Chris Brogan credit for his Twitter search strategy. Brogan outlined his strategy of utilizing RSS feeds aka Really Simple Syndication as a method to keep up with his thousands of followers.

Dave’s Search Strategy:

1. Enter Keywords into Twitter’s Search that match the company, industry, niche, or community you are targeting. Examples of Dave’s search keywords included: “Hiring Social Media”, “Social Media Jobs”, “Online Community Manager”, and “Blogging Jobs.”

2. RSS Feeds are available for every keyword “conversation” on Twitter. Dave simply clicked on the RSS chicklet next to the search box of the information he wanted to track.

3. Google Reader is a tool that allows you to aggregate information, via RSS feeds, into one spot so that you can read what is important to you. It’s like creating your own newspaper or library.

Dave simply ” pulled the RSS feeds of these keyword conversations into Google Reader and made it a habit to check these first thing in the morning everyday.”

Next Step

Introduce Yourself is as easy as following and reading conversations. If something sounded like a good fit for Dave, he took the initiative to introduce himself via Twitter.

1. Hidden Job Market: According to Dave, “Many times when inquiring about the open positions, the jobs had not been officially posted.” And more pointedly, “How cool that on Twitter you can express interest in a job opportunity that hasn’t even been announced yet? It’s like inside information.”

The Results: Dave’s New Job

Dave is happily employed as Assistant Webmaster, Client Services for The Bivings Group. Davide Meerman Scott’s best quote came from Heather Huhman Entry Level Careers pages for Examiner.com:

“The Internet is changing just about everything – the internship/entry-level job search included. Gone are the days of printing out your cover letter and resume on ’special’ paper, sticking both in an envelope and mailing the application package off. We are officially in the Job Search 2.0 era.”