Should I mention my blog on my resume?

A reader writes:

"I had a question about my blog. Should I mention anything about it on my resume being it's unrelated to my career? I thought of listing some skills that I have gained through it, but not sure if I should actually mention that I am a blogger. Maybe just that I have experience with it and any business/ IT skills I may be fluent in due to blogging?"

Listing a blog on your resume when it is not related to your career can be tricky. Because it is not related to the jobs you are applying for, the number one thing to consider is how does your blog make you better qualified for a job?

Think about the skills and experience you've gained from blogging and how they relate to the jobs you are interested in. Have you promoted your blog, learned about SEO, or networked with other bloggers? These are all fairly common things for bloggers to do. If you're applying for a job that will require marketing skills, technical skills, or communication skills, highlight those skills by tying them to your experience from blogging.

However, if you don't see the connections between your blog and the jobs you're interested in, you should probably leave it off your resume.

One other thing to think about if your blog is not related, how does it reflect on you. By listing a blog on your resume, you're saying  two things: First, you are confident in your writing and communication skills. Second, that you are perfectly ok with a potential employer reading your blog and judging you based on its content. If you are in any way uncomfortable with those two things, definitely leave it off.

It might also help to think about this from the other side. If you were hiring someone and they included an unrelated blog on their resume, what would you think?

As another test, ask someone you trust to read your blog and give you feedback about how it reflects on you as a professional. If any of the feedback is unflattering or unsure, leave it off.

Bottom line, if you are going to list it, make sure your blog reflects on you well as a professional.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

What goes on resumes for parents re-entering the workforce?

A reader writes:

"I'm a first generation and low income recent college graduate. Right after high school, I got married and had children. After my second child, I decided to go back to school and get my degree. Being a full-time college student and a mother of 3 (I had another child while working on my degree), I didn't have a normal college experience. I was also only in 1 club, and didn't participate in very many activities throughout college. To be a mother and a college student, I had to have excellent time management skills, budgeting ability, and organizational skills, but I know that many employers will just look at the fact that I wasn't very involved in college. While I would have liked to have been more involved, I had to think of my family. I did make sure to always go to class and have excellent references from some of my professors because of my dedication to my education. How can I explain this to potential employers on my resume?"

First off, congrats on completing your degree while raising 3 kids! A lot of first generation and low income college students are also student-parents and it is no easy task. It truly does take "excellent time management skills, budgeting ability, and organizational skills;" however, your resume is not the place to showcase this parent-specific skill set.


So then what should go on your resume to fill the gap? Start with your academic experiences. Did you take any important classes, do any exciting projects, or conduct research? This classroom-based experience is totally fair game for your resume, as long as its relevant to the jobs you are applying for, so list classes and academic experience on your resume.


You mentioned that you were part of one club in college. If the activities of the club are related to your career goals, especially if you held a leadership position, definitely list it as well.


Also, think about any volunteer activities or major events you may have done for your kids. Maybe you were the treasurer for your daughter's soccer team or helped coordinate a neighborhood block party. Using these types of experiences allows you to make the connection between "excellent time management skills, budgeting ability, and organizational skills" and what an employer is looking for. You are much better off tying your skills gained as a parent to concrete activities outside of the home.


Check out Jobfully's blog on Resume Make-over: Returning to the Workforce, which I think has some good information about working on your resume when you are going back to work after raising a family.


Good luck!


Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I list classes on my resume? Part II

In response to Should I list classes on my resume? a reader writes:

"what about computer classes? I took several computer classes such as java, oracle, web development etc. etc. I have no real life job experience in those and even though I did well in those classes, I wouldn't say I could program. Should I list those even if I feel weak in those areas and if so, should I list that under experience or part of my education section?"

When it comes to listing classes on your resume, you want to think about it from the perspective of the person reading your resume. You only want to highlight classes that give you skills and experience related to the position you are applying for.

If you feel like the skills and experience you gained from your classes are "weak in those areas," you really shouldn't be listing them on your resume. For everything on your resume, you want to be able to back it up and you don't feel you can do that.

Alternatively, it would be appropriate to list the programming languages and computer skills you have in a "Skills" section rather than listing the classes under Education or Experience. The key here would be to include an estimation of your skill level, such as basic, beginning, intermediate, advanced, proficient, or expert.

Including a skills section might look something like this:

          SKILLS

          Languages: Conversational Spanish

          Programming Languages: Basic Java, Intermediate A++
          Computer: Basic web development

But, only list "hard" skills that are relevant to the position you are applying for. Hard skills are things like above, skills that are fairly easy to demonstrate and concrete. This is in contrast to "soft" skills--like communication and interpersonal skills--which are more context-based and difficult to demonstrate without really working with someone for a while.


Lastly, if you are applying for positions where programming languages or specific computer skills are needed and you don't feel confident about your skills, look for ways to improve your skills. You've already taken classes, so consider volunteering, reading books, or joining forums online where you can get more practice.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.