I’m surprised I haven’t told this story yet on my little corner of the internet, but my blog actually has helped me land multiple jobs post-grad. Full-time, marketing positions. Sure, I had a pretty solid resume packed with multiple internships, but months went by after I graduated and I had, well, nothing. 2 months after graduation, I handed the event marketing coordinator of a magazine my blog business card with the intention of just networking/grabbing coffee. Instead we chatted about my blog, the thriving business I built as a 23-year-old, and I came out of it with my first big-girl job.
When I was more candid about blogging and all the skills I’ve learned while being a small business owner on the side, I suddenly began to dazzle employers. Sure, internships are great and crucial, but my blog proved to be the most impressive thing on my resume. Are you interested in the marketing/PR/journalism industry and want to know how to use your blog to help you get your foot in the door? Read on!
I learned technical skills
Every single marketing position I’ve held has wanted a candidate who knew the basics of Adobe Creative Suite. Every. Single. One. It wasn’t a dealbreaker necessarily if someone didn’t know how to use it, but it was a major plus if someone did. I don’t do anything super crazy with Photoshop at work, but I do need to know how to basic things like resize images, add borders, add typography elements, etc etc. By no means do you have to be a Photoshop or InDesign expert, but you should have a basic understanding of it! Also, being able to list that I know basic HTML skills and how to use the WordPress platform has been a major pro for me, and are skills that weirdly almost every position I’ve interview has required. It’s funny how they don’t really teach you these skills in school that much!
I knew how to pitch
I definitely learned how to pitch as a PR major in my classes, but outside of the classroom I was hardly using it IRL. After I launched my blog and started seeing pitches come to my mailbox and drafting pitches of my own to companies, I quickly learned what worked, what didn’t and what the right buzzwords were to convince someone to work with you. Going in an interview and naming off the list of companies you’ve successfully pitched to is major, y’all.
I became an expert in my industry
I’ve spoken at blogging/social media workshops, panels and conferences not only in D.C., but up and down the mid-Atlantic a a result of blogging. I’ve also consulted with local businesses and have done some freelance social media work as well. Being able to demonstrate that blogging is more than just a hobby and has allowed me to gain valuable skills in the digital marketing realm is insanely attractive to a company.
Networking
Most of the blog friends I have in D.C. also hold full-time positions elsewhere. D.C. is the type of place where everyone has some sort of side hustle, and we’re all ambitious overachievers. Not too surprising I fit in here, right? Quite a few of my blog friends are in the marketing industry as well, and I also meet other local marketing/PR reps in the area as a result of collaborating with them on the blog. I went from knowing zero marketing people back when I moved to D.C. in 2013 to having a network of nearly a hundred people to lean on.
I defined my personal brand
I inadvertently built my own personal brand by starting my own blog. Before I started blogging, I thought branding was a pretty, cohesive design. Now I realize that branding is way more than that. It’s your tone. It’s your content. It’s knowing exactly who you are, what you stand for and how you present yourself. Perfecting your own personal brand is powerful, and it will lead an employer to believe that you can perfect their brand as well.
Has your blog helped you out in your career? Let me know!
I hope this was inspired by my desperate, frightened tweet the other day, HA! But in all seriousness, great post! I’ll have to keep these in mind!
Xx Taylor
http://lightscameracatwalk.com
I managed the #1 weekly college newspaper in the U.S. while I was in college, but when I graduated, employers wanted to hear more about my blog than my time at the newspaper. I agree with all of theses things. Employers really value people who are self motivated! Excellent job!
Get post. I love how the whole blogging industry has opened so many doors for people they wouldnt have otherwise have thought would would be available to them.
http://www.itsallbee.com
Great post! I’m going to be graduating college in May and I’m SUPER nervous about it. My dad keeps telling me that blogging is a great thing to have on my resume and I always laugh him off, but clearly I need to have it on there!
XO, Rachel
http://www.seashellsandsparkles.com
I am not really close to starting a career, but I really enjoyed this post!
Thanks to blogging, when my old temp job found out I could work HTML and photoshop, they tried to offer me a full time position! Unfortunately, I was moving so I couldn’t take it, but it definitely helps a TON! Thank you for the post!
– Alexa
http://misfitalexa.com
That’s amazing how blogging helped you gain the experience and knowledge to land your career! Great post! Thanks for sharing 🙂
kristinacamille.com
What a great read! I haven’t seen a blog post with this same topic yet. Another great reasons to start blogging 🙂
This is really valuable advice! I’m a relatively new blogger but the dream is to do Social Media or Digital Marketing for a fashion brand. I’m quickly learning about what works and what doesn’t and what buzz words to use!
Lottie xx
http://lottielamour.co.uk
This is wonderful! Well done for landing a job with your blog. It’s true, blogging requires more skills and knowledge than people often give bloggers credit for. I’ve not landed a full-time job via my blog or anything but I have written for other brands through having a blog, so it definitely is a worthwhile pursuit! Thanks for sharing.
Euriental
Congratulations on landing a job! One of the reasons I have put so much work into my blog was in the hopes of it transferring into a post-grad job offer! It’s so great to hear that hard blogging work pays off! http://www.alwaysalldressedup.com
I found your blog through InfluenceHer Collective! These tips are so good! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to pin this post right away!
Sarah | http://www.thebellainsider.com/
AMAZING! Love your success story- hope I can do the same for grad school/the job-o-sphere!
xo, Ingrid
YES I needed all these tips! I’m trying to break into PR/communications and grow my blog at the same time, and these help with both!
I get asked all the time if I regret not going to school, and I reply – nope. I am 100% confident that if/when I decide to work in the PR/marketing field that my blog and social media presence will speak much, much greater than a 4 year degree.
So awesome. I’m hoping my blog can help me land a job after I get my Master’s !
Wow. You are such an inspiration for a new blogger! I can’t wait until my blog grows! It’s happening.. slowly, but it’s happening!
I love reading blogger success stories! You pointed out some great positive aspects to blogging. You are quite an inspiration!
I think my blog has helped me in my career in that I’m always writing. I think it’s a skill not many people have but one everyone SHOULD have, so I like staying in the practice of writing every week. My career has also helped me with my blog too!
Ellen | A Pop of Pink
Absolutely loved reading this post! I’ll be graduating in May, and while applying to jobs/schools, I’ve realized that talking about my blog is so important, as the skills are pretty essentials in most jobs! I didn’t major in PR or Marketing, but just doing this on my own has taught me so much!
Lauren
http://oliverstwistblog.com
This is fabulous! Yes, I totally understand this. I’ve learned so many marketable skills through marketing myself on my blog. Your blog looks fantastic too, btw.
These are all great points! I had just started blogging literally as I was interviewing for jobs, but I definitely think it helped out. It definitely helps me in everything I do now. You learn so much from blogging!
These are great points! Congradulations on getting a great job!
It’s amazing how much we learn from blogging. Just amazing!
Such an inspiring post! I don’t think people realize how many versatile skills you can learn from blogging and how it can also be used as a portfolio of sorts. I landed my recent job from blogging as well.
YES! I can’t agree more! Not only is it a creative outlet but it helps build business skills!
This is exactly why I started blogging! I realized late into my college career I wanted to do marketing but as a science major I needed more experience. Thanks for sharing!
http://goodtomicha.com
I couldn’t agree with this more!! Last week I spoke to a social media class at VCU about my day job (which is in social media/marketing) and I told ALL of them to start a blog, just for fun! It’s the perfect way to learn without having to worry about messing anything up on the job! It’s like a playground to learn skills and then at the end of the day you have something to show employers. LOVE this post, Alicia!
This is so inspiring 😀 And I know exactly what you mean – sometimes it’s end up being more “natural” to cultivate those crucial business skills while you’re working on a hobby you love. Sometimes it happens and you don’t even realize it!
I can’t even begin to express how much I loved this post! So inspiring!
Thanks for sharing with Virginia Bloggers! I loved this post. It speaks so well to why it pays off to pursue your passions part-time or full-time. Great work and congrats to your successes, Alicia!
I love reading this! I’m currently an undergrad student studying event management (so I’m kind of jealous of your position). I started my blog in hopes of doing the same thing and building myself up before I enter the real world. Thanks for sharing, you’ve inspired me to keep going!