Looking for a job? Here are 8 reasons you need to blog

 

looking for a job

Have you ever considered the ways a blog can help you get a job?  I meet a lot of young people entering the work force and I always recommend blogging as a way to get ahead … in almost any career. Here’s why:

1) Show what you’re made of.

In any job interview, you normally have to try to convince people of what you know. In a blog, you can SHOW them. Blog about current events in your industry, your view on trends and developments and demonstrate your areas of expertise. Blog about what you aspire to be.

2) Build a professional network.

There are lots of examples where people found jobs through connections in a blog community. Just last week I helped connect a young woman into the professional marketing scene in Chicago because I was impressed with her blog. Your blog community can certainly become a professional network that helps you get to that next level.

3) Engaging versus advertising.

Let’s face it. No matter how creative you get, a resume is still an advertisement. I struggle reading carefully through a lengthy resume. However, I will read interesting stories on a blog all day long. Compelling content is a way to engage prospective employers in a way that will hold their attention.

4) A marketable skill. 

If you are looking for an entry level job in sales, marketing, PR, and even HR, there’s a very good chance that at least part of your job is going to involve social media and probably blogging. Demonstrating an ability to create content may just be the difference that gets you the job over a non-blogger.I would never hire somebody that hasn’t shown a capability to blog.

5) Sharpen your professional skills.

If you’re going to blog about a subject, you need to know your stuff. Putting out thoughtful content requires that you stay on top of your game, which will certainly be an advantage to you, especially if the job-hunting process is a long one. The more you blog, the more you learn.

6) Expand your reach.

Building your personal brand means showing up in all the places a prospective employer might find you. Of course that usually means LinkedIn. But having a link to a blog on your profile, as well displaying a feed of your recent blog posts, gives a potential employer stalking you on LinkedIn more ways to connect with you and learn about your skills.

7) Blog for the job

A few years ago I interviewed for a VP job at Fortune 100 company. The position had five key deliverables. The week before my interview, the five blog posts I wrote were about each of those five goals. If interviewers looked at my blog (and I know they did), they must have thought I was absolutely the perfect candidate. You can use a blog to strategically connect with blog prospects.

8) Extend the interview

Here is the last thing you say to your interviewer: “I’ve enjoyed our time together but there is so much more I could tell you about my abilities. I hope you’ll take a look at my blog (the web address is on my resume) so you can see for yourself the way I think about things.”  And you know what? They’ll do it. You have just extended your interview by another 15-30 minutes and that may make all the difference!

What do you think?  How has blogging helped you in your professional life?

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