Blog to Ditch Your Job Without Having Your Job Ditch You

If you don't have one already, chances are that you've at least considered starting a blog or online journal. The ready availability of user-friendly blogs makes having a voice on the internet easy, entertaining, and sometimes even profitable.

But remember that with a voice comes a whole lot of responsibility. If you're a seasoned blogger with a solid readership, you probably already feel a sense of commitment and responsibility to your audience. But what about responsibility to yourself?

Over my years of blogging and reading the blogs of others, I have stumbled across many disturbing stories. I was a long-time reader of a man who was let go from his job due to the hilarious but troublesome stories he posted about his workplace. Another online friend experienced being ostracized at the organization where she volunteered after other volunteers read some of her blog posts. I've also witnessed a college student facing reprimand after posting derogatory comments about colleagues and customers at her workplace on her blog.

As someone who gains much personal and professional satisfaction from my online writing efforts, I would never advise someone to avoid blogging out of fear of losing a job or creating workplace strife. However, anyone who blogs or is considering blogging should be aware of the potential pitfalls and act accordingly.

Here are a few tips to help make sure that your blog is working for you, not against you, in your professional life:

1. Never assume that "it can't happen to you."

There are a lot of people out there who laugh with nervous relief over that drunken one-night stand when they didn't use protection but managed to escape unscathed. But the unlucky ones leaving the doctors office with a brand new prescription and an STD are asking themselves why the heck they didn't run into the convenience store and buy some condoms.

Likewise, there are huge numbers of bloggers who post regularly about their horrible jobs, obnoxious bosses, or irritating co-workers and never suffer for it. In fact, since annoying work situations are such a universal thing and people like to read about shared experiences, they probably get a lot of positive feedback and attention to their blogs by writing about their job fiascoes.

But don't fool yourself. While there are a lot of bloggers out there who never pay a price for their online words, those who do often pay dearly. The writer who finds himself fired, skipped over for promotion, or in constant combat with his boss or co-workers because they discovered his blog probably never thought it would happen to him.

The bottom line is that you should think about what would happen to you at work if your blog was discovered. That's not to say that you should or shouldn't censor yourself. But whatever you write should be written with the possibility of discovery in mind. For some, that might mean you're willing to take a risk and deal with the consequences. For others, that might mean avoiding certain topics rather than face issues at work.

2. Avoid blogging at work

One of the easiest ways to avoid having your blog discovered at work is to simply exercise caution about where and when you post.

During a long and tedious workday of staring at spreadsheets and feeling chained to your desk, the temptation to post to your blog can be overwhelming. Most of the bloggers I know do quite a bit of their posting while on the job. Writing a quick post can be a fun distraction from the tedium of your 9-to-5 life. But be aware that posting at work increases the likelihood that a colleague will look over your shoulder, see what you're doing, and want to know more. Even if they don't ask you about it, they may see enough to find your blog on their own.

Even if you're lucky enough to have a workspace that doesn't allow nosy co-workers to peek at your screen, you should be aware of monitoring that may be conducted by your employer's IT department. You never know if your internet activity is being tracked.

3. Think twice before sharing

Last night, you posted a blog entry about the upcoming presidential elections that you feel is pure genius. Your co-worker across the hall shares your political ideals, and you just know she'd love what you wrote. The temptation to send her a link is overwhelming.

Think it through with extreme caution before you do. She may love the post, but how will she feel about the one you wrote a week ago on how people who come to work sick and spread germs tick you off, since she was the one who showed up coughing and wheezing? Or what if she enjoys your posts so much that she just HAS to share them with Bob in accounting, and he just happens to be really ticked off over something you said in a meeting? Will he use your words against you?

Once you share your blog with a colleague, there's a chance it will end up on the screens of others in the office.

4. Avoid giving away too much personal information in your blog

If you know you can't resist the temptation to vent about workplace issues in your blog, then consider taking steps to protect yourself. Avoid photos or details that give away the specifics of who you are, where you live and work or perhaps even the type of work you do.

There are a million job sites where employees face drill sergeant bosses or workaholic colleagues who make everyone else look bad. Your post where you vent about those things will be much harder to pinpoint to you if your blog doesn't give away too many specifics about who you are or what you do.

5. Consider a private online journal

You may find that keeping your vents about work or the personal details of your life feels stifling to your creativity. If that's the case, you may want to consider keeping a locked online journal in addition to your public blog. Many sites such as Livejournal, Diaryland or Vox offer the ability to keep an entire blog or specific posts within a blog private so that only those with whom you share a password can access them.

6. Use a 24-hour rule
You had a really bad day at work. Your boss ripped up a project you thought was going very well, or a co-worker screwed up something you've been working on for a week. You come home, hit the keyboard, and dash off a heated post about it.

Writing out your thoughts and feeling can help release stress and move forward. But before you submit your anger or frustration-inspired words to your blog, walk away for a while. Once your emotions have subsided, read your words again. Do you still want to post them to your blog now that you've calmed down, or was the simple act of getting them off your chest enough? If they need to be shared, consider emailing them to a friend rather than posting them publicly.

7. Have Your Blog Spot-Checked

If you've made a conscious effort to avoid giving out certain details such as workplace or location in your blog, make sure your efforts are working. If you communicate regularly with a reader who doesn't know you personally, ask him or her to take a guess about the specifics of your workplace just from the information you've made available. Choose your spot-checker wisely. You don't want to encourage the wrong person to start asking those questions.

8. Use limitations as inspiration

Exercising caution about posting too much personal info or workplace venting in your blog can be frustrating. You may have this great story to tell, but are reluctant to share all the details that make the story worth reading.

Instead of getting stuck, use the limitations you've decided to place on what you post in your blog as a personal challenge. Get out there and find other things to blog about besides what's going on in your little corner of your cube farm. Expand your horizons.

Blogging is a wonderful way to network, become a better writer, communicate and even earn money. By being aware of potential downfalls and exercising caution, you can reap the many benefits of blogging without putting your work life at risk.