Attention College Students: Time To Start a Blog!
Starting a blog is super idea for anybody but it’s a particularly good plan for college students looking to further their employment prospects. A blog has a million and one advantages-but that would make for a rather lengthy article! So instead, I'd like to bring you five reasons why you should consider blogging as a student.
1. It’s networking!
Every career-savvy student knows that getting your foot in the door for most jobs is all about networking.
Increasingly, in the current market, it’s who you know not what you know that is becoming the deciding factor in the employment decision making process. So why not get to know everyone!? A blog is your virtual invitation to the world (and hence employers and recruiters having a scout around) to get to know your work and, crucially, you. Tailor your blog's about page, by including contact details, a bit about yourself and the aims of your blog, can leave the door wide open for introductions and opportunities from all sorts of people, top-dogs included.
2. It’s training!
Even if your blog isn’t going to be the next big thing or be made into a TV show, it doesn't mean that your time hasn’t been well spent. Each article you write, proofread, edit and publish is good practice for all those things. Even if you don’t want a career in anything related to journalism, it will still benefit your college work- think of all those essays and assignments that require meticulous editing! It also helps you get used to how blogging software works as, if you aren't a technological whiz, the dashboards of websites can be quite daunting. Getting a grip on using sophisticated tools like WordPress, before you graduate saves bundles of time later!
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3. It’s pro bono work experience!
Work experience can be a real nightmare to try and get- so why not make your own?! A blog equips you with skills you would learn at a placement, from the comfort of your own home and for a longer period of time. You can use your blog as a way of perfecting your time management and organisational skills and, if you do it alongside your studies, then acquiring a healthy work ethic and prioritising your assignments comes into play too. Then, when you have an interview, you can explain how having a blog has provided you with experience of the working world which you sought out yourself.
4. It’s a portfolio!
The great thing about a blog is that all your work is in one, accessible place. This means when employers ask to see a sample of your work or ask what types of things you have written or have knowledge of, you can steer them in the direction of your blog where it will all be there ready and waiting for them to enjoy. It’s also easy to keep tabs on your posts and, if you categorise them into relevant topics, your potential employers will easily be able to see what you’re capable of, interested in and have achieved.
5. It’s impressive!
Having a blog says more about you than just ‘you like to write’. Creating and maintaining a blog requires patience, creativity, initiative and perseverance- and what future employer wouldn’t want all that!? Blogs attract in potential employers as you’ll show up in search engine results (so make sure you use relevant target words in article titles and content!). Make sure you publicise each post on other social media to get into as many results as possible, optimising your chances of exposure to potential employers. Combine these methods with top-notch content and you’ve got the secret to employment success.
So, there you have it – five great, shiny reasons why college students should start their own blog. It opens the doors to useful contacts, makes for great practice and is something to really be proud of. So what are you waiting for?
Ready, set…blog!