A lot of students begin a blog while in college. Usually, they focus on their major fields of study. The goal? To impress potential employers when they apply for their first career positions. Once they are out of school and in those entry level positions, though, they tend to get busy, invest in their new jobs, and forget all about that blog that is sitting out there, neglected and alone. This is probably a mistake, and here are six reasons why that is so.
- Statistics Say You Will Change Career Positions
Gone are the days of someone graduating from college, landing the first job, and staying with that organization for years. You are a millennial, and millennials have disrupted the employment scene as much as corporations have. There is less job security; pension benefits are not attractive even if they exist. And it is now considered quite normal for young career professionals to change jobs more often than previous generations. If you see your current job as a stepping stone to somewhere else, keeping up that blog is pretty important. You want potential employers to see that you are on top of your field. Pointing them to your blog is definitely a way to do this.
- Networking Potential
If you continue to blog, write good stuff, and you promote that blog on your social media accounts, you will gradually add visitors and followers. You never know who will decide to share your posts and with whom they are sharing them. Important connections can be made that will pay off later on. Developing and nurturing connections may lead to some amazing opportunities. One young man went into the hotel business out of college. He kept up his blog while he worked for a major chain, becoming a district and then a regional manager. About midway through his career, because he had networked through his blog, he was asked to join a partnership with two others to buy hotels. Today, he owns hotels all over the country and will eventually retire a multi-millionaire – true story.
- You Continue to Develop Your Personal Brand
Through a blog, others get to know you as a person as well as a career professional. You become known within your communities as one who has the expertise to share. You gain trust and credibility and can become an influencer in your niche – a nice place to be. Suppose, for example, that you have worked within an organization for a few years and you believe that you can strike out on your own and become a successful entrepreneur in your niche. If you have developed your brand and credibility, your reputation will go a long way toward getting those critical first clients/customers.
- Communication Within the Workplace
If you love working just where you are, and your plan is to stay put, there are great benefits from maintaining your blog. It is a solid method of communication within the workplace, with colleagues who can follow your posts and engage in conversations, especially if those colleagues are in remote locations. The other benefit is that your superiors will see that you are invested in your career and will think of you when positions open that would be a promotion for you.
- You Will Become a Better Writer
Blogging is a unique writing form. It is nothing like the academic writing you did in school. People whose blogs become popular know how to capture audiences quickly, with catchy titles, with humor, with creativity, and with great stories. The more you practice blog post writing, the better you will become. And the better you become, the larger the audience you will gain. You will also become better at simplifying what you want to say. In this rapid-paced digital world, simplicity is appreciated. You will be a better business writer too, when you must communicate that way with colleagues, subordinates, and superiors.
- Personal Satisfaction
This is one of those “soft” areas of being satisfied with who you have become and what you have accomplished. There is a lot to be said for being able to look back upon your blog posts over time, to see how you have progressed, to see how much better you have become at communicating and providing great content to people who appreciate getting it. That sense of accomplishment gives you a confidence that you would not otherwise have. It’s a personal success story.
Enhance Your Future prospects
Whether you decide to “job hop” a bit, stay with one organization for the long-haul, or ultimately strike out on your own, you will be glad you kept up your blog. It will open doors for you; it will brand you; it will give you credibility within your niche, and it will bring you lots of personal satisfaction. Commit to a regular schedule of blog post writing, even if it’s only a couple of times a month. You cannot know now where it may take you.
About the author:
Neighthan White is a writer and an undergraduate specialist in education sciences. In his late twenties, he is a regular member of Montessori techniques for children under 10 seminars, a blog editor at SupremeDissertations.com, a volunteer at Education without Borders and LDS, a startup investor, a language learner, a writer and a happy husband.
