Quoted in the Wall Street Journal: "Everybody has an online identity whether they know it or not"

I was quoted in today's Wall Street Journal in a well-researched story by reporter Sarah Needleman: How Blogging Can Help You Get a New Job (free access to this article - I think).

"Everybody has an online identity whether they know it or not, and a blog is the single best way to control it," she [Debbie] says. "You're going to be Googled. No one hires anyone or buys anything these days without going online first and doing research." -- as quoted in an article by Sarah Needleman in the Wall Street Journal.

That holds true for companies as well, of course. No matter how big your brand, you have a better chance of controlling the online conversation around it by hosting your own blog.

One of my favorite examples is Dell's corporate blog, Direct2Dell, where the Dell folks were able to respond to the exploding laptop battery crisis.

Useful Link

The Blog Is the New Resume

Comments

[Sevenblock]

Non sequitur: I don't see the value of Snap. Your site is one of two I frequent who use it, and I think it's time to track down the Kottke/Waxy/BoingBoing hack to turn it off.

[Jojanneke van den Bosch]

Hi Debbie,

It's absolutely true. As an enthusiastic Dutch bloggie I write about my work on my corporate blog and about my passion (speed skating). A few years ago, when I applied for a job in consultancy, I reported about the job interview on my blog. Why? Well, some things in the interview surprised me in a not so positieve way. Tricky to blog about, but very effective: I got the job. My -then- future boss feared I wouldn't accept the job (he Googled me and found me entry!).

And nowadays I always Google people who apply for a job, for screening. Today's concept seems to be that I get suspicious when I DON'T find anything on Google ;-)

Best regards - and thanks for your great book!
Jojanneke van den Bosch