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Ryan Healy is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Ryan Healy and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Since founding Brazen Careerist, I’ve blogged less and less each month, to the point that I only posted three times in December. And that’s not cool. Especially since blogging has given me more value than any other activity I do on a day-to-day basis and is the reason I have my dream job today. In short, blogging has changed my life.
So here are five reasons why every college student that wants their dream job needs to start a blog in 2009.
1. You stand out from the crowd
Jarred Taylor works in the legal department at Google in Mountain View, CA. As far as dream jobs go, Google headquarters is probably right there at the top of a lot of lists. Jarred loves his position, and he’s pretty convinced that he got the job because of his blog.
“Everyone who interviewed me,” Jarred says, “from the recruiter in the phone screen to the senior attorneys during the videoconference, asked me about the blog. ‘What do you blog about? Why? Give an example of something you’ve learned from what you’ve researched.’”
His blog didn’t have a huge following or a ton of readers, but the interviewers at Google understood that if Jarred took the time to write about his career interests in his free time, he would also go above and beyond at work. Including his blog on his resume allowed Jarred to get his dream job by standing out from the crowd.
2. People find you
I’m not all that good at seeking out people or new opportunities. I push myself, but it’s not my strong suit.
The beauty of blogging is that people find you. When I posted several times per week, the amount of emails in my inbox from seemingly random people was through the roof. Publishers contacted me about writing a book, journalists sent interview requests, generational researchers asked for input, companies requested speaking engagements, and readers wrote in with career-related questions on a regular basis.
On the days I post, good things happen. And I can say for certain that it’s not a coincidence. By putting yourself out there with your blog, people will find you, and your dream job could come knocking at your door. Just make sure you recognize the opportunity when it does.
3. You can show your true personality
I get a lot of applications from people applying for a job at Brazen Careerist. We have a special set of questions that we ask everyone to answer when they apply so we can get a sense of their interests, goals and personality. The answers always give me some good insight, but I often want to know more, before we decide to do an interview.
Because of this, I love when someone leaves a link to their blog along with their resume. It’s like saying, “Here’s a sneak peek into my world. I have nothing to hide.” Other than face-to-face interaction, nothing shows who you really are more than a blog.
Unfortunately, we are in a temporary hiring freeze (click here to read more), but if we were scaling the company at full strength, the people who directed me to their blog would be at the top of the interview list.
4. The connections are amazing
I’m confident enough to say that if I needed a job tomorrow, I could skip the typical Monster.com or Careerbuilder job search and find a great one through the connections I’ve made blogging.
I’ve networked with executives, authors, entrepreneurs, CEO’s, professional speakers and more. I’ve maintained as many relationships as possible, some as mentors and others as weak-tie connections, but simply having the opportunity to meet such a diverse and influential crowd could have never happened without writing my blog.
5. You grow up, quick
I never would have admitted it at the time, but before I started Employee Evolution I was pretty immature. I thought I knew more than I did, I didn’t work as hard as I could, and I didn’t fully appreciate all the things I had. Two years later, I still have a lot of growing up to do, but the amount I’ve grown as a person has been astounding.
Someone tells me I’m wrong on nearly every post I write. Sometimes I listen and rethink my position, while other times I chalk it up to the other person being wrong. But I’m always able to re-evaluate, compose myself and reply with an insightful response or a nice email. Learning to deal with people who disagree, and treating your blog like a business will teach you a lot about how the world works, giving you a huge leg up on your “non-blogging” peers
It may not be easy, and it certainly won’t happen overnight, but starting a blog and following through can take you anywhere you want to go. What are you waiting for?
6. You learn how to think differently Coming up with good content on a consistent basis is pretty hard to do... Blogging has taught me to be more observant and to analyze things that I normally wouldn't think twice about. Because nobody wants to write about the obvious.
Great post, Ryan!
I totally agree here, everybody who wants to brand themselves needs some type of landing page or blog.
You've got to take the time and have commitment though; if you don't have something you truly want to write about then it's not going to be worth it. There's nothing worse than a dead blog
Hey Ryan, you'll appreciate this story...
Last fall, I was asked to speak to over 50 English majors at a university. The majority of them were Journalism majors. When I got up and asked how many of them were at least reading blogs and hopefully contributing to them, not a single hand rose and a bunch started to giggle. I even caught a few teachers in the front row rolling their eyes. I continued my speech and sat down. Two minutes later, I was vindicated...
The next speaker was the owner of a well-known, cutting-edge regional newspaper that was actually GROWING in this economy. His first comment to them all was, "JT's right, the first thing I look for on ANY college student's application to work for me is whether they've been blogging so I can see their work." You should have seen the reaction in the room.
I then went home and wrote this post where I mentioned your new blog:
http://www.careerealism.com/2008/09/16/fyi-college-students-so-you-dont-...
I'm thrilled you wrote this! If you'll let me, I'd love to re-post it over at Careerealism.
It's good to have you writing!
JT
Just out of curiosity, if every college student started blogging, as the author suggests, would that not negate point number 1 by making you no longer unique? This seems to be a major dilemma. Every college student who starts blogging in 2009 should also hope that no other college students start blogging in 2009 in order to take advantage of these benefits.
The blogging bubble is going to burst soon. It is not a sustainable model of business and quite frankly is just an excuse in place of doing something more productive. While some blogs are good, there is a proliferation of blogs of people acting like experts on topics they know nothing about. What's worse is friends and other bloggers make comments like "Great post" and the like. Eventually, it will collapse on itself and only the best, most useful and informative blogs will survive.
The rest will find their authors ill prepared for the realities of corporate employment and find themselves unemployable. HR directors are looking for what you can do for the company and can care less about what you did yourself as a startup or blogger. If you don't know how to operate in a command and control environment you are of little use to the corporation and in fact may be a flight or productivity risk.
I'd advise college students to blog if they see fit, but don't think it is the ticket to avoiding the cubicle. The cubicle is waiting for you so you best take your seat now before you venture on a path of false security.
@Andy Good one, I should have added that to my post. I'm focred to think differently nearly every day.
@Matt Very true. The time you have to spend on branding yourself is not small by any means. But the people who spend the most time, get the most out of it, just like everything else in life.
@JT, great story! Blogging gets a bad rap with people who aren't familiar with it. Most of my friends thought I was crazy for starting a blog, but now they really respect everything that I have done and blogging in general. Funny how that works.
@Simmons I think you took the title to literal. Sure, if every student blogged you wouldn't stand out. But the chances of that happening are slim to none. Also, the early adopters always get the most out of whatever it is they adopt, and it will be the same for college bloggers
@Steve, not true, the blogging bubble is not going to burst anytime soon. In fact, its just beginning to replace traditional media. When you see sites like the Huffington Post and Tech Crunch getting more traffic then the established players, you know something is changing. That said, you're right, not ever college student will get the most out of blogging, and sometimes all the "ra, ra, great post" stuff is a little like patting each other on the back for no reason. But those who have relevant, smart, or controversial things to say, will always find a place, and will always be recognized.
Thanks for all the comments
Ryan
Great advice, Ryan! And I think blogging adds a lot of value even if you aren't writing about topics specifically related to your career. It stills show potential employers how well you communicate, and provides more info about how you think than any resume can provide. I blog about my cooking and recipes (like zillions of others), but when I'm out networking for my career, I can mention my blog in conversation, and it's something memorable that contacts can mentally "tag" to me for future reference.
@Ryan - I agree with the Huff Post and Tech Crunch, but those are really just going to evolve back into more traditional forms of media however for now they have a lot of independent fliar to them. In the end, it will be about money
@Ryan Healy, I see your point.
I also would like to know if you think the style of blogging matters. Plenty of people have blogs that are no more than diaries of their day. Some spend their time writing about gossip at work, who they are meeting at bars to have sex with, etc. What value do these blogs serve? Additionally, Is it more valuable to have an argumentative-style blog that might piss some people off? Or is it better to stick to writing about butterflies and cupcakes and topics that makes everybody happy?
"Blogging" is a vague term that covers a great deal of content. I can't help but think the content itself matters a great deal.
@Simmons
I've often wondered about these "sensational" blogs that seem to have a mission statement of "I want to piss off as many people as I can."
As a blogger, I sometimes get discouraged because these types of blogs are logging hundreds of comments and thousands of page hits while my blog is lucky to get 1 comment per post.
However, people often tell me they like my blog because I give balanced, intelligent coverage of relevant topics, which is what keeps them coming back. I doubt the same can be said of sensational bloggers.
In any event, I am proud to list my blog on my resume and have employers/friends/family read it. I doubt I'd feel the same way if my blog was dedicated to such topics as "Sarah Palin is a Raging b!tch" or "Gay Marriage Leads to F*!king Sheep."
@Simmons - I'm with The Office Newb on this. I've watched a lot of bloggers take the 'Dennis Rodman' approach and get lots of immediate attention, but I wonder just how far they will have to go to keep people interested. Is it sustainable? Will the readers eventually tire of the personna? I think building something you are proud of and will always be proud of is key. It is, after all, part of your identity. And, while people may not comment on your site as much, it doesn't mean they are not visiting/reading it.
@The Office Newb - I agree, you should be proud of your blog. I've been reading your posts for a while and always enjoy your perspective.
Just make sure if they start a blog in college, one which they hope to be part of a resume they write an appropriate blog.
I'd never even have given a thought to my blog being part of my resume in college, to this day either as a matter of fact, but I can see how writers or journalist wanna be's could find it useful.
Don't be so harsh on people who write thing like ""Sarah Palin is a Raging b!tch", I don't think the majority of bloggers are looking to get their dream job via the internet or through their blog.
For those who are it's good advice to start one and to keep it something you'd find acceptable on a resume. Also know
they find you anyway even if you don't plan on it, even if you do not use your real name. I can attest to that as my grad school interview included a review of a blog post I wrote in 2005 the summer before my Junior year of college, the post was titled "
"I’m off for a couple so Suck Some Mad Penis For Me".
Though I believe it got me into grad school I wouldn't recommend it, so keep it professional.
It's good to remind college students that a blog can be a two-way street. The readers enjoy the content, but also I've found that it helps as a creative outlet for me. I'm forced to research my opinions and thoughts, keeping everything fresh and concise. It's also a great way for my many mentors to keep track of me!
Stop using your companies pre-printed thank you notes. Hand write a thank you note! Hand writing is much more personal and it shows you care. More...
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