If you’d have told me five years ago that I’d be using my blog to help me land jobs once I graduated, I’d have found it hard to believe. My blog didn’t even exist in the real world yet for one thing, but I’d also just started a degree which I believed would be the key to my future. In some ways it was, but it didn’t kickstart the career I’d hoped it might, and when I graduated I was left in a ‘what next?’ limbo of half-fleshed out skills and no real drive.
When considering what sort of jobs I should apply for once I graduated – a topic which spanned a whole 15 credit module in my third year – I came to the conclusion that whilst I’d learned a lot on my uni course, my main passion was writing. I enjoyed writing my dissertation more than I enjoyed some of the practical modules on my course, and the blog I’d carved out in my free time was something I was more than happy to dedicate my time to. But – aside from a B in my English Literature & Language A-Level – I had no real writing experience. Right?
It took a meeting with a creative careers advisor for me to see that my blog really was something to shout about. By this time I’d built up three years of content covering a huge variety of topics, was taking all my own photos and managing three social media channels, all whilst generating a steady readership. I used all of this to my advantage, and added a whole new section to my CV for ‘skills’. I also added my blog into my career history, as even though I’d probably earned about Β£200 total I’d definitely put in the hours.
I also developed a new-found confidence for talking openly about my blog.
If you’re going to use your blog to help land a job, it almost goes without saying that you need to be open about talking about it. However, if you haven’t built your blog with employment in mind, it can be difficult to suddenly consider it from this perspective. I started worrying about employers finding sex education and contraception posts I’d written, plus an archive of cringey lifestyle posts about what I was up to, and it did throw me a little. Did I want to bare my soul to people I would have to get to know in a professional setting? Did I want people chatting to me about my contraceptive choices and the pros of menstrual cups? My answer is yes – if it’s on the blog I’m happy to talk about it, but you may not be and it’s something worth considering if you plan to promote your blog professionally.
What sort of jobs can a blog help you get?
I’ve used my blog to land three content/marketing jobs so far (though I’d like to think my personality has contributed too!) but there are so many jobs a blog could be relevant to. If you think of it like an online CV, you’ve literally got creative freedom to shout about all the wonderful things you’ve done. If you’ve got a wealth of experience in one particular field, you could even start to include those topics on your blog to prove it.
Really it comes down to passion. If you’re passionate enough about a topic or a job you’re applying for, you’ll be able to relate your skills to it somehow. Don’t force your blog into conversation necessarily, but when it’s relevant it’s so easy to do. Putting your blog on your CV also means anyone interviewing you has likely already seen it, and it’s a great conversation starter!
Let me know if you’ve ever used your blog to help you land a job. Do you have your blog listed on your CV or on Linkedin? Let me know!
Further reading:
- How to find a job after graduating
- Why there’s no shame in interning after graduating
- An introvert’s guide to interviews
