It’s true I have a very limited filter on what I put out into the world. I spent a long time being afraid of who I am and feeling inferior and bitter because of it. These days, I like myself more and more and I’m no longer willing to sacrifice who I am for the sake of making others more comfortable. There are some limits I firmly believe in protecting. One of which is the Facebook/Employer division. FB is a social networking site, with the emphasis on social. Friends, loved ones and those who are not easily offended are on my FB page. Colleagues or employers who are not friends outside of work, however, are not privy to the FB page, for that we use professional networking sites like LinkedIn. My blog on the other hand, is different and yes, I’d love to tell you why.
Facebook is fun, it’s a time waster and it’s mostly done in jest. Who I am has nothing to do with FB, except for my foul mouth which makes an appearance on my page occasionally. My blog is kind of my comedic journal, I do write about extremely personal things, but I am still mindful that I have an audience so I never write anything I wouldn’t be comfortable telling you to your face. The lack of filter is part of who I am in print or in person, just as the political and social causey side of me is always on display. Am I capable of professional behavior? Absolutely, but I left that world for a reason, it’s not really who I am. I’m a creative type and hiding from that in corporate jobs only hinders my growth as a writer.
I just got a new job and because down the road it may include opportunities for me to write, I passed on my blog site to my employers during the interview process. I made it clear that the writing is very specific, but that what they should take away is my tone. Either they chose not to read it or they read it and liked it enough to hire me, because I got the job. I have a rather conservative friend, whose judgment I trust, but we are very different people. She dislikes discussions that are political or forces one to take sides and of course I love them. After finding out I passed along my blog, she was speechless and I understand why, I certainly would not want the HR director at Bank of America reading it, but that’s a different type of job.
I need to work and I want a career, but not at the expense of hating who I am and what I do. My new company is a labor of love for the small group of people who founded it and have been responsible for its growth over the last four years. This is not a job, it’s a family and while I am an employee, I will also be working very closely with people who care as much about this company as they do anything else in their lives. I took that into consideration at the interview stage and when I decided to let them read my blog. This is who I am, it’s not all of me, some things get held back, but it speaks to a side of myself that believes more in interconnectedness than polite distance.
If you are going to hire me to work on your baby, then wouldn’t you prefer to know who you’re letting in your house underneath the professional demeanor and suit that any potential applicant can wrap themselves in? You may not get the conservative business woman when you hire me, but if you like who meet and the woman you get to know, then what you’re getting is not going to be a surprise. Just like the real me, my blog isn’t everyone’s tastes and despite my willingness to share very intimate details of my life and I am still usually wise enough to discern when professional behavior is more appropriate than a more personable approach. Then again, if I suddenly get fired before I even really start it might be because they discover the blogger in me and they didn’t like. Life is risk and I’m okay with that.
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