To most people blogging is a hobby – and that is fantastic! But I don’t think enough people realise that blogging can do amazing things for your career prospects. I am a perfect example of this. In my blog post From Blog to Job I talk about how blogging helped me walk out of university straight into a marketing job with no marketing experience!
I think a lot of people, especially those around my age, feel like blogging could be getting in the way of your career/future or that they should be spending this time doing more important things. I think this idea is wrong. Not only is blogging a fun hobby you are allowed to have and spend as much time as you want doing, but it gives you skills which can make you a better candidate when applying for a job.
Industry Knowledge
If you blog about the same industry you would like to work in, you are demonstrating to employers that you are interested and knowledgeable about the industry. This should be a desirable trait to any employer no matter the job.
Creativity
It’s hard to create regular interesting content. If you are doing this successfully on your blog it shows you have a level of creative flare which will be desirable in many different jobs in many different industries.
Writing Skill
You don’t see many (if any) popular bloggers who write badly. A blog allows you to back up any claims you have made on your CV about your writing ability by acting as an online portfolio of your work. This is especially important if you are hoping to go into journalism, marketing or PR.
Digital Marketing Skills
The chances are, if you are blogging regularly you are using digital marketing to get people to find your blog posts, even if you don’t realise that’s what you are doing! Using tags, catchy titles and social media to get your blog posts seen is all digital marketing!
Networking Skills
Networking is a huge part of blogging. Top bloggers will likely be interactive and engaging on social media and work regularly with other bloggers, professionals and companies within the industry. For many jobs, networking is a vital part of daily business. Proving you are able to forge new relationships and work with lots of different people is a desirable trait.
Dedicated
Finally, writing a regular blog and making sure it gets seen is time consuming and takes work. Having a successful blog shows that you are dedicated to what you do and that you are able to motivate yourself to get it done.
So don’t ever think that you need to stop writing about your horse or your favourite cheese shops. Keep enjoying your blog when you can and don’t feel guilty about doing something you enjoy. Make sure you mention your blog on your CV and explain why your blog makes you better than other candidates.
Last Updated on 07/08/2018
