This article has been syndicated from GoodTomiCha, an InfluenceHer Collective Member. Read the full post here.
Fashion was never the industry I thought I’d end up in. Dreams about an internship at Vogue or Louis Vuitton were never on my radar. I was a pre-med major in undergrad and I’m surrounded by family members in the medical field. However, towards the end of my college experience, I turned to business. I started my blog as a creative outlet to offset the stress of organic chemistry classes and I’m so glad I did! When I realized you could make a career out of writing about things you love, I started to take monetization more seriously.
For a couple of weeks, I submitted applications to the heavy hitters like Google, Facebook and more when I was approached by a recruiter on LinkedIn to apply for Intel. 3 interviews later, I accepted the global marketing and communications position at the Fortune 500 tech company and moved to San Francisco in the summer of 2018. But how do you stand out in a sea of applications for a $200 billion company? The tech industry shows no signs of slowing down. I remember my interviews specifically asking me more about my blogging experiences than my academic background (which I was very thankful for). Here are just a few ways a blog can help you land that internship:
Consistency is key
The amount of time it takes to consistently create content, engage with an audience, and run the backend of a website is not lost on employers. They have to figure out how to do that every single day. Hiring someone who already has that kind of experience is valuable. Being a part of an organization versus taking the initiative to create one speaks volumes of your commitment and leadership skills.
Understanding the importance of SEO
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a key contributing factor in the success of a brand online. For example, if someone is searching for CPU’s (Intel’s largest product by volume) but their competitor comes up first in results, they lose sales. Fashion blogging is no different. As bloggers, we’re fighting in a very saturated market to be seen by consumers every day. Each blog post is carefully edited for clarity, helpfulness and optimized for better rankings on Google.
In tune with pop culture and trends:
Have you laughed at a brand’s response to a follower lately? Or seen Wendy’s classic clapbacks on Twitter? That’s the result of an employee who takes the time to observe the media landscape. It’s not as easy as it sounds — keeping up with every meme, hashtag and trend is exhausting but can be super beneficial from the brand perspective. Bloggers are already on our phones 24/7. Creating the content that resonates with our audiences while also being culturally relevant can exponentially grow your business no matter what the size.
Expand your network
This goes way past LinkedIn. We know how important connections are to landing a job! This isn’t the first time my blog has helped me in my career — 2 years ago, I packed up my bags after graduating from Auburn. Wide-eyed and determined, I moved to New York City to work for INSIDER, Inc. The first day of my internship I ran into a fellow style blogger (who I knew previously) that started the same month! It was comforting to automatically have a familiar face on the first day. Now, I’m connected to bloggers at each of the big TV networks, tech companies, fashion and beauty houses.
Personality shines through
A resume and cover letter can only do so much. Think how much more a potential employer can get to know you by the quality of the work you’re putting out there for a well-served audience. Fitting into a work environment is just as important as the skills you’re providing. If your future boss thinks you’d make a good fit in their work culture, your chances of being hired skyrocket.
Do you want to be a software engineer? Start a blog about how you like to build PCs from scratch. Hope to get into medical school? Share your stories as you work with clinics in your area or your passion for medicine. Your digital footprint is already out there for potential employers to see — you might as well make it work for you and not against you.
Read the full post here.