The Power of Networking

I was contacted recently by someone that was hiring a new employee. They had searched out applicants on the Internet and found that one of them had a blog on my SQLServerCentral site. They sent me a note asking about my interactions with the applicant.
I can’t disclose who it was or what took place, but there are a couple of interesting things to note here:

1. Social networking matters. The person that contacted me knew me from my twitter posts and felt comfortable asking.
2. A person’s efforts online were noticed. The blog added something to the person’s application. I know because I asked and this was not an HR person, but another techie. They were interested in the posts.
3. What you blog about is fair game in the interview. This person said they were going to ask the person about some of their blog posts.

I don’t know if the person got the job, and that’s not really relevant to branding and the Modern Resume. A resume has never gotten you a job, nor will it. You have to stand on your own two feet and present a great employee in the interview, but a brand can help you stand out in these tough times when every position will have dozens of applicants.