GETTING A CAREER OUT OF BLOGGING
And by this, I don't actually mean a career in blogging. Not everyone blogs because they want to be a blogger. Yeah, it would be nice and if that did eventually happen then that'd be great - but for me it's not the focus. I also like sitting here waffling on about stuff, even if people aren't that interested in what me & my cats have been up to.
Having said that, one of my main reasons for starting a blog was to help out careersy wise.. More in a general sense. I do think that in whatever shape or form, blogging is really useful for help when getting on the career ladder. I think it shows initiative & enthusiasm for a start! The points below aren't so much tips, more just the things I've found that helped me out along the way.
Network.
Biggie. You never know who you might meet with blogging, and they do say it's not what you know, it's who you know. Bleeeh.. Maybe it's partly true. Even if you're not keen on being the next blogging mega star, getting out there with the relevant folk is a great way to get yourself/out there. Events and blogging meet ups are always going for doing the networking thaaang.
Create your online portfolio.
I've found that it's been really useful having my blog there as a bit of a portfolio of work. It's a way you can show off plenty of your skills and have it on hand for employers. You can also use it for emphasising your experience - gone on about being amazing at HTML on your CV? Use your blog as the proof.
Get your social accounts in check.
Uhhh huh. Ain't no time for employers catching those god awful drunken photos on Faceyb. While you can keep those bits private (Praise. The. Lord.), you might as well show off the social accounts that you're proud of. For me working in social media this is probably most relevant, but I always think it's good to showcase your blog's social accounts for your more 'professional' side.. Even if that does include tweeting about Big Brother & annoying Daily Mail stories (that would be me).
Big it up on that CV.
I think a lot of us have that 'do I put it on my CV..?!' moment. I always thought it sounded a little bit dweeby and that employers wouldn't be interested. Today my CV is jam packed with blog related stuff. If you've put all that work in and it's brought some good results then why not talk about it?! I always state my biggest blogging achievements and the experience that I've gained from it. In my experience most of the interviewers have been really keen to talk about it.. Even if they really aren't that sure what blogging actually is.
Keep building on your confidence.
I was a major wimp before I started blogging, and while I doubt I'll ever love myself like Kanye loves Kanye (who does?), I am now a whole lot more confident. It's always nice to work on finding something that you're good at - whether it's taking amazing pictures or being faultless when it comes to spelling (definitely not me). There are also lots of lovely people out there in the blogging world that are really supportive and can pick you up when you're having a confidence dip.
Annnd that's what has helped me so far. I guess it does depend on what you're going into, but I think everyone gains a bit of something from it!
x
