How can a blog be used to professionally present yourself in a job interview?

        When preparing for job interviews, people generally follow the same pattern-- prepare a resume and a cover letter, read over questions that could possibly be asked, research the company, etc.  Something that many people may not realize, though, is that maintaining a professional blog can also play an important role in the actual interview.

        Employers looking to hire new people have been known to use internet search engines to see if they can find anything out about prospective employees before interviews.  This bodes well for prospective employees who maintain a professional blog about relevant, interesting topics because the employer would see characteristics that are vital for success in business, such as organization and professionalism.  A prospective employee may also bring up his/her blog in an interview to support an answer to a question that may be asked.  For example, the interviewer could ask, "Why do you think you are more qualified than the others who have applied?"  The person being interviewed could then use his/her blog to illustrate his/her experience and knowledge gained through research and writing.  His/her impression on the interviewer would be immediately enhanced.
        In the competitive world of business, people are always trying to figure out how to put their selves a cut above the rest.  Maintaining a professional blog is a simple way of accomplishing this goal and can greatly increase one's chances of landing a job.