As a student, it’s highly likely that you will have come across the 21st century phenomenon that is ‘blogging’. Whether you’ve been trailing your local parliamentary candidate or checking out the latest celebrity gossip, chances are that even a perfunctory afternoon trawl of the world wide web will quickly find you sat in front a blog of some description. This is all very well, I hear you say, but blogs are just for famous people – what can they do for me? Well, actually quite a lot. You don’t have to be Barrack Obama to have one, nor do you need to be Bill Gates to run one. In fact, as the following list attests, they can be an invaluable resource in terms of securing employment:
Give yourself work experience
Work experience can be notoriously difficult to come by for certain professions, notably journalism. However, for budding writers a blog can provide the outlet with which to get your work out into the public domain, and allow you to gain feedback from other internet users. This advantage isn’t specific to writing – it is similarly applicable to art, design, music or anything creative, whilst using a blog to upload content related to a profession such as law or finance can also show prospective employers that you are taking a keen interest in this line of work.
Show initiative and commitment to employers
A well maintained, frequently updated blog can be a great way to indicate to potential employers that you are organised and self-motivated. Even if the content is not specific to a chosen career, the creation and maintenance of a blog shows initiative and diligence – both key skills in the job market.
Engagement with the World Wide Web
The nature of modern life means that an ability to both navigate and effectively utilise the tools available online are skills which are increasingly vital to a variety of professions, from marketing to publishing, pharmaceuticals to teaching. Engaging with the possibilities of Web 2.0, as evidenced through running a personal blog, could set you apart from other job candidates.
Link up with other like minded people
Many blogging sites give you the opportunity to interact with fellow bloggers, either by following their output, commenting on their work and so on. A willingness to interact with other bloggers, especially in conjunction with platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, can provide a priceless network of associates in a similar field who may be able to give you ideas, advice and support.
Potential Internet stardom
Whilst such circumstances might be rare, many famous blogs such as PopBitch and GuidoFawkes have started out as low-key personal blog spaces, growing over time into a full-time occupation for their owners. So if you think you might be the next Charlie Brooker or Pete Cashmore, setting up a blog could catapult you into the public eye and be the first step to internet stardom.
March 12th, 2010
Admin
James – welcome to the FreelanceStudents team! Great first article.