Should your blog posts be indicative of your professional style?

There was a topic posed the other day over at Freelance Writing Gigs, a community I troll quite frequently, and the question raised was: should your blog posts be as "perfect" as your professional work?

I am of the opinion that no, casual blog posts should not be referenced as being in the same calibre as professional work. If I am writing for someone else's blog, I am going to take the time to weed out repetitive word usage, grammatical errors to the best of my ability, and make it look as shiny and yummy as possible. Why? Because I'm getting paid to do so. My personal blog is just that...personal. I invite people to stop in, take a look, discuss things, and get to know the man behind the name.

In my previous profession, if a homeowner questioned me regarding the way I swept a floor, or how I laid out my tiles, or questioned why a certain piece of tile or stone looked a certain way, my response was always the same: this isn't the finished product. Wait until it's all installed, fully grouted, and your amenities in place. Then it's finished. But until it's finished it's impossible to judge what it's going to look like in the end, because it's (that's right, you guessed it!) not finished!

If a person happens upon my blog and bases an opinion about whether or not the quality of my written work is up to their standards based purely upon my casual blog posts, then chances are they aren't the type of client I want to be working for in the first place. I clearly have a list of links up on the right-hand side which reference some of my professional works, and I also have a resume that is ready upon request for those clients who want to have a full list of my short stories and published content. A blog is not a substitute for a resume/CV. Any employer worth their salt knows this.

Now, one could argue that in the social networking era we live in today that employers are looking at your Facebook, your Twitter, your MySpace, and your blog, and basing their opinion on whether or not to hire you dependent upon who you are as a person. I've heard horror stories of people not getting jobs because one of their best friends sent them a racy video via Facebook involving a titty joke, and not getting a job because the potential employer was turned off that the individual in question would allow such "filth" on their Facebook. My opinion on that particular matter is this: what I do in my personal life isn't your concern. If I show up on time, deliver on time, up to standards, and fulfill my obligations as an employee, then what I do off the clock should have absolutely no bearing on my professional reputation.

Now, not everyone agrees with me on this. But I like to take my dad's approach: I don't care what you do off the clock, so long as you show up on time, ready to work, sober, and with your head in the game. I won't judge you by the clothes you wear, the color of your skin, your religion or your sense of humor, so long as you make me money.

But in the days of "political correctness" and sue-happy Americans, employers tend to be a lot more cautious about who they hire. Personally I think it's an invasion of privacy.

But I ramble. I'm supposed to be taking a nap, but I made myself some grits with a load of honey to soothe my throat, and this is something I wanted to squeeze out before I go nap (honestly!).

If I walk into a restaurant and look at the way the host/hostess is dressed, is it in any way indicative of the quality of the food served at the restaurant? Absolutely not! It has nothing to do with the professional function of the restaurant. And the way I look at it is simple: any employer that I would consider working for is going to be the type of individual who understands there is a difference between personal blogging and professional blogging/writing, and will want to take a look at my professional resume before basing an opinion. Anyone else is someone I wouldn't want to be working for in the first place.

For the record, I keep my Facebook private. Why? Because it's for my friends and family. I have pictures there, and while I understand the need to socially network for business purposes, that's what Twitter and a blog are for. I absolutely make a distinction between my personal and professional life, and I understand the need for tact in certain areas. For example, I might type a post that uses the words fuck, shit, hell, damn, and otherwise, but if I go into a business meeting I'm going to refrain from using those words because it's not professional. I understand the distinction between the two, and I have no problems wearing two faces.

So, in closing, I do not believe that your blog posts need to be indicative of your talent as a professional writer. There is no need to edit your blog and casual posts with the same level of scrutiny as an article for the New York Times because it's not the same. One is professional, one is casual/personal.