I'm Louise Fletcher. As President of 
I'm Chandlee Bryan. As a career coach and resume writer with experience from Manhattan to Main Street, I help job seekers connect with opportunity by sharing news, trends and best practices. I'm the Managing Editor of Career Hub and run 
Newsday, one of Metro New York's major dailies, featured an article on blogging for professionals -- 'Blogging at Work' -- in Sunday's money and careers section. The author, Patrica Kitchen, profiled a number of diverse bloggers, the reasons they blog, and how they blog.
I am one of the bloggers profiled, and as I write this post, sitting in my living room on a Sunday morning, there is a lively discussion on blogging going on in my kitchen.
My husband and brother-in-law -- both tech-savvy professionals -- are trying to figure out the appeal of blogging, why anyone would do it, why I do it, and how it works. I am surprised by what these smart guys don't know! And it occurs to me that there must be many more smart, savvy professionals out there who are just as baffled.
So why do I blog? Should YOU blog?
Blogging is one of the best ways to gain visibility as a thought leader. It's a way to create chemistry and trust within a target market and niche. It's a way to become known as a subject matter expert (SME). It's a way to stay current and leading-edge within your field and related fields of interest. It's a way to become the hunted and not the hunter when you're looking to change or build your career.
Blogging keeps you on your toes, hones your writing and research skills, and keeps you aware of your branded voice. It helps you deliver authenticity around your point of view every time you post. It creates a powerful on-line presence. If you develop a "following," it helps create a vibrant community with like-minded people who become a vital network.
There are lots of ways to blog that don't require you to maintain your own blog -- blog "consortiums" like CareerHub are one way to do this. Read Patricia Kitchen's article and blog for other ideas.
Blogging to build career momentum isn't right for everyone -- especially if you don't have a strong viewpoint or valuable information to share. But if you want to manage your career by becoming a visible, viable, and valuable expert in your industry -- and you want to create a powerful on-line presence and network, then open up that laptop and blog!
Posted by Deb Dib
