I LIED TO YOU

OK, so I lied... There I said it.




More of a lie of omission. I was reading over my blog, which has gone way longer that I actually expected it to, I mean who'd have thought that I'd still be doing this 18 months on. Anyway, I wrote an entry in February titled, "Why I blog" I wrote all the things I was feeling at the time, but re-reading it, I missed something out. Why I started it?

This will sound bad, but the honest answer is money. I had this great idea that if I wrote a blog, whacked some Google Adsense on the side of it, and I'd be sitting back having a full time job just counting the cash that would just roll in. Funnily enough... It didn't work. Checking my balance, after over 18 months and almost 90 posts now... I'm up to a grand total of AUD$5.67. Maybe I could build a personal brand which will launch my career internationally? Not really.

So what is in it for me then? Surely there has to be something? I'm not a coach, who by their very presence in Social Media is advertising their products and services (even if they say they aren't), I'm not a social media guru, but I've learned about a lot of new stuff I've had to try, I'm not part of an agency, which would use this as company branding to show the strength of their Recruiters and themselves. Somewhere where it could be possible to show a genuine return on the investment put into it. That said it is only time...

I figured it out, bottom line reason. Because it's only fair. A simple answer really, but the god honest truth (with the fact that I enjoy it, blogging and learning more about Recruitment has become my hobby too. Sad isn't it)

What do I mean? I really feel like I'm part of a community here and by here I mean in the social media realm. Communities like Recruitingblogs.com, ERE.net and the Australia/NZ site hosted by Paul Jacobs Recruitment 2.0 Asia Pacific. These places have become my professional life blood. People from all over the world contributing and learning from one another. Sure there are a constant few names that pop up in conversations, or writing blogs or contributing to conversations, forums etc. I'm now pretty comfortable saying I have friends all over the world now, that I have never met. I'd like to one day, but I feel like I know them.

These people are spending their time writing articles, contributing to conversations, that I am reading. FOR FREE! I honestly believe it is the least I can do to put a little back. If it adds value to anyone, then that's a bonus, but it's what happens in a community. Give and take you know.

There are some amazing people out there giving their time and expertise for free, all because they believe in the industry, are passionate about what they do and genuinely feel the need to basically help out. Check out those sites I mentioned before to see what I mean. If you're a Recruiter and you're not on these sites, then you are doing yourself and you company a disservice. Just like in Sales, you learn more by listening than talking, (you know the old 2 ears 1 mouth, use in that ratio) but to get the most out of things, you still have to contribute, open your mouth, get your hands on your keyboard and get into it.

Don't get me wrong, if I can find a way to seriously monetize my blog, then I'm all over it (I feel nervous that I will get lots more spam tweets now), until then, my day job still pays the bills and until child number 3 arrives, my blog, my twitter, my social media outlets is what keeps me up happily up at night.