Brendan Loy's Blog Got Him A Job

He says:

Not to put too fine a point on it, but this should serve as something of a rebuke to those who have tried to argue that my blog would somehow destroy my professional career. I’ve long been aware that having this blog entails a certain amount of risk to my career prospects, and that it might close some doors for me — but it’s always been my belief that, as long as I’m careful about what I post (i.e., not blogging about what I do at work, always keeping in mind that my employers and potential future employers can read anything that I put on here, etc.), the blog would open at least as many doors as it closes. Now I have a great piece of empirical evidence to back up that belief: the blog helped me get a job.

This is a concern for any blogger. In my profession, Chiropractic, where those who practice like me are overwhelmingly liberal and attract liberal patients, my opinions can conflict with the opinions of patients. Heck, my opinions conflict with other conservatives.

Here's the thing: It is possibly to have a strong philosophical orientation without it interfering with relationships professional or personal. At work, my job is to help people heal. My opinions don't matter.

As to personal relationships, my over-riding philosophy is that people are welcome to believe what they believe. I always find it interesting to talk to people who disagree and passionately argue a well-thought out point-of-view. Sometimes, I'm even persuaded.

Employers are going to have to accept blogs and blogging by their employees and their critics and their fans. Policies spelling out expectations will become the norm if they aren't already. Smart companies will harness blogging to educate consumers, or like us, patients.