I started blogging a year a half ago.  It is, by far, one of the best things I could have done to jump start my career. Here is why you should start blogging right now:

Writing skills – Writing is the basis of all wealth. No doubt about it. If you are a good writer, you’ll always be able to find a job. Writing is like speaking. The only way to improve is to do it.

Connections – I have friends all over the world that I’ve met online. (I know… I sound like a huge geek.) But seriously… it’s awesome to have friends all over. Whenever I travel, I’m always looking to if I have any friends at my destination. (Speaking of which… I’m going to Indianapolis Aug 22-23. Anyone want to get together?)

Build your online brand – Anytime you apply for a job, expect your potential employers to Google your name. What will they see? Good things… Bad things… Nothing? If you’re a marketer and they can’t find you on Google, why should they hire you? If you can’t market yourself, how could you possibly help market their business?

Prepare yourself to be lucky – Blogging can open more doors than many people realize. I’ve had many opportunities open up… everything from being asked to speak at events, to getting free tickets to conferences, to being mentored by A-list authors.  It’s hard to put that in numbers… but I’d say it’s a sufficient ROI on my $10/month I spend on hosting.  Luck occurs when Preparation meets Opportunity.

Credibility – A blog can position you as an expert in some field… As a mentor once asked me: “Do you know what it takes to be an expert in a field? Nothing.” If people perceive you as an expert, all of the sudden you’re the go-to person to get information from. Everyone should have some sort of niche like this. It can be an invaluable asset for your career.

Thinking differently – Posting a few times a week is hard… I’m constantly looking for more material. This keeps me constantly observing, questioning, and thinking. Instead of noticing something out of the ordinary and forgetting about it, it makes me question to see if there’s a lesson to be learned. (And then I write about it.)

Constant learning – Bloggers generally are lifelong learners. I learn something new every day from my RSS feeds… If only I learned this much in college…

Challenge your beliefs – I absolutely love it when someone comments on a post and proves me wrong. It makes me rethink my post to see if it’s really what I believed and, if so, I have the challenge of trying to get that person to see my point of view.

Those are some of the reasons I spend at least an hour per day reading, writing, and commenting online… So tell me, What have you learned from blogging?