What Not to Blog

Published July 15, 2009 @ 08:52AM PT

As an undergraduate, blogging is difficult to get right. It seems easy: blogging and education go together naturally; you already spend your life reading, writing, and using the internet. Sharing what you learn comes naturally. And writing a blog can help you make a name for yourself, develop your ideas, and create a portfolio of writing samples.

Or it can torpedo your hopes for a global health career.

You have to assume that any blog you write under your own name will be seen by a potential employer. The trick is to write the right kind of blog. You want to showcase your skills, your commitment to global health, and your easygoing nature. You don't want to sound cranky, opinionated, or full of yourself. What not to write:

1) Don't post your papers. Nothing you write as an undergraduate is likely to be worth circulating that way. If you write something so amazing your professor wants you to look into getting it published, then you could post it. Otherwise, no.

2) Don't rant. You haven't earned it yet. I know that's a tough thing to say, but you need to work in global health for a while before you start to criticize. Otherwise, you look cocky. You'll scare off potential employers with your discontent.

3) Don't share your feelings. It will just make you look moody. If you want to talk about your emotions, get an anonymous livejournal. If you're writing under your own name, keep your feelings to yourself and talk about what you are learning.

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Comments (6)

I guess I personally broke rules 2 out of 3. Any advice on how to remake yourself or personal brand on the blogosphere?

Posted by Nneoma Nwachuku on 07/15/2009 @ 09:31AM PT
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Honestly, Global Health has been slow to adopt most of web 2.0. I've had two employers so far who thought to do a web search on me before I was hired. I don't think personal branding has a major role in this field yet.

Posted by Alanna Shaikh on 07/15/2009 @ 10:05AM PT
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That's why my blog is only open to close friends :) Too much ranting and emoting.

Posted by Lillian Gu on 07/15/2009 @ 11:49AM PT
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Re: the papers:

But...it's completely cool to do that when you're in grad school right?

Actually just discussed a paper/post I made with a colleague last week, and halfway through it became apparent that he didn't realize I was the author. Since it was mostly a positive discussion, I let him know, but hooray for people not even bothering to check the name at the top of the blog.

Posted by Patrick Mayne on 07/15/2009 @ 11:57AM PT
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I think that by the time you get to grad school you have learned more, and usually have more work experience, too. And more experience defending your ideas. Posting papers is still a little risky, but probably worth it.

Posted by Alanna Shaikh on 07/15/2009 @ 12:14PM PT
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I would dissent on the papers: it's not about trying to prove you have publishable content, it's about showing, more holistically than a resume can, what you have spent time investigating in college.

Posted by Kevin Donovan on 07/22/2009 @ 08:41AM PT
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Author

Alanna Shaikh has spent the last ten years immersed in global health; she has worked for NGOs, companies, universities, and the US government on projects that ranged from preventing antibacterial resistance to improving maternal and child health.