Do you know a student who loves writing, has a unique perspective, and wants to beef up their resume before heading into the workforce? In college, the majority of students have to exercise their writing skills on academic papers and assignments but don’t always get to put it to real-world practice. They could be the perfect candidate for starting their own blog or contributing to an established blog.
In the article “Blogging as an Online Student — How It Can Help (Or Hurt) Your Career,” columnist Jennifer Williamson shares the following ways that blogging can positively influence students’ journey into the working world while they’re still in school:
You start a positive online record — before you graduate.
Williamson says keeping a personal blog that is professional and focused on your interests could help you land a job in your field. When you are searching for topics to write about, ask yourself if you would be seen in a bad light if a future employer searched your blog and read your entry. If you are having second thoughts about whether or not you should post something, it’s best to play it safe and avoid posting it. Once you give information to the Internet it lives forever. If you can’t resist sharing something but don’t think you would want a future job to be jeopardized by the opinion you’re expressing, consider posting it in a social network for your friends that is under tight security or sending a personal email to someone close.
You demonstrate your enthusiasm for an area.
Most employers assume a student straight out of school won’t necessarily be planning on staying with the company for a long time, says Williamson. Recent graduates tend to do some searching before settling into a position. However, having a blog about your field of interest will show your employer that you are not only serious about becoming a team member, but you take a personal interest in staying current and that you’ve worked to establish yourself as a member of the community.
You make connections.
You never know who might land on your blog. Having this personal space for your writing could be the key to someone finding you and offering you a job. Also, if you’re actively seeking work, encourage your employer to check out your personal but professional blog.
You demonstrate good writing ability.
It doesn’t matter what field you’re in, your ability to communicate through writing is invaluable, says Williamson. Because your blog is a personal reflection on you, it’s especially important that if you’re asking people to visit your blog that you have proofread before posting. Don’t lure employers to your grammatically incorrect blog. It tells them that your undeveloped writing communication skills could hurt their company.
Williamson also shares some negatives to blogging that are worth quickly noting:
- Blogging is time consuming — If it’s between writing a blog entry or doing your homework, do your homework. Blogging is a commitment that could be hard to keep if you don’t have time for it in your routine.
- Some blogging could reflect badly on you — Remember, once you right it, it lives forever. Don’t say things you would regret. If you want to rant, do it somewhere that can’t come back and bite you.
- Blogging could get you expelled – Although rare, students can be expelled for speaking violently about their school, students, a teacher, or a department.
At LifeBound we prepare students for their greatest transitions throughout their school years and into the world of work. We recently updated our site to include a blog for students, parents, and educators. We are working to develop a community of colorful and diverse voices that can enlighten our readers to different perspectives on issues personal and global. If you are or know of a student (high school or college), parent, or educator who would be a fit for our blog, please email our blog manager Angelica at angelicajestrovich@lifebound.com to learn more about becoming part of the LifeBound team.
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Source:
“Blogging as an Online Student – How It Can Help (Or Hurt) Your Career,” by Jennifer Williamson. 25 April 2011. Distance Education. Accessed on 1 November 2011. http://www.distance-education.org/Articles/Blogging-As-an-Online-Student—How-It-Can-Help–Or-Hurt–Your-Career-381.html
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