How Your Blog Can Land You a Job

Blogging has come a long way since the teenage angst ridden days of Xanga and Livejournal. If you haven’t heard of someone making a living from his or her blog, you must be living under a rock!  

Just take a look around the Internet, people! Big names like Leo Babauta and Darren Rowse have been making a living from their blogs for years. There are also lesser-known bloggers who have used their blogs to create money-making side projects, land book deals and start blog-centric businesses. And just last week, my blog, which I’ve successfully used to land several clients, helped me get a full-time job offer. But more on that later.

So what’s the secret? How do people use their blogs to get projects and job offers? They do it by providing thoughtful, substantive content that appeals to employers.

Your Blog as a Portfolio of Excellence

I have used my blog as a portfolio to show potential clients that I know how to write. Some of them were so impressed that I knew my way around WordPress and the written word that they didn’t hesitate to offer me good rates for projects. Likewise, I have had other people find me through my blog and request me for their projects.

The secret is to use your blog like a portfolio. While it’s perfectly fine to add your own personal flair (after all, you are the editor-in-chief), keep in mind that professionalism is key. You need to find a focus and not ramble on and on about the random events of your day. Potential clients are looking for substance, professionalism and an ability to connect with an audience.

Nail those three things and you’ll nab readers from all over, all of whom have the potential to become clients or provide job opportunities.

A Place to Highlight Your Expertise

Blogs give you the perfect opportunity to become an expert on any given subject. Do you have an affinity for rock climbing? Is cooking your thing? Does gardening make you warm and fuzzy inside? Are you particularly passionate about a political issue or movement?

Whatever your passions and talents, blogging helps you become an authority on the subject. Pick a focus by looking at your life experience, educate yourself as much as possible, and share the wealth with others.

Need an example? I had no idea what I was doing when I got out of college, so I started a blog to keep myself focused and help others. There are plenty of bloggers out there, from mommies to skydivers, who have taken some experience from their actual lives, made a successful blog out of it and found exciting projects as a result.

A Unique Edge for Your Resume

Perhaps having multiple clients isn’t your thing and you prefer a traditional full-time job. No problem. Blogs can help you there too.

With today’s job market you’re facing a sea of tough competition for very few positions, so you’d better stand out and bring something unique to the table. I just used my Gen Y personal development blog on a resume and landed a full-time job at a local career consulting agency that specializes in placing college grads in professional positions. The president of the company was so impressed by my interest in the business and my creative abilities that she hired me on the spot.

Providing content of substance will not only get you readers, but it will also open your blog to a world of job opportunities. Untraditional as it may be, blogging can give you the creative edge employers are looking for while building a clientele of your own.