Most Collegiettes know their way around social media — Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest — these are territories we know and know well. But what many Collegiettes may not know is that proper utilization of these tools and habits can land us internships and even dream jobs.
Whenever someone links to an article on Twitter or Facebook, he or she is acting as an editor, filtering news for their audience (followers or friends), making editorial decisions about what to post, why and when. Taking this a step further is what can and will get the attention of potential employers.
We’re all used to sharing information with our friends, but creating a platform for that shared information and managing it illustrates a level of professionalism and dedication employers like to see. You learn time management, improve your writing skills (through practice), flex your creative muscles and you might even pick up a little HTML coding skill or multimedia knowledge.
By creating a WordPress or Blogger website, or even a Tumblr, you open up a line of communication between you as a publisher and your chosen audience and the best thing about this is that you get to choose your audience through your content. Are you an Indie music buff? Fashion fanatic? Aspiring sports commentator? You can channel any passion into a solid website that, when executed well, will attract loyal viewers who not only value what you have to say, but will share it with others and might just attract your future boss.
Blogging isn’t just about having a virtual diary anymore. From filtered news blogs to how-to and review blogs, the lanes are open for anything and everything you might have to say. Looking for a job in a particular field? Start posting about it — news in your industry, things you’re learning in class, projects you’re working on — there’s no limit to what you can do.
Creating a blog on Blogger, WordPress or Tumblr takes about 10 minutes and is free. You can create your own domain name (or pay for your own .com domain). You can code your own layout or use one of thousands of premade themes for every style and taste. But remember to keep in mind that you want to look professional. A professional-looking blog can become an online portfolio and resume that you can list on business cards, email to employers and proudly link on your social media accounts.
A blog or website that is likely to attract a big audience (including that future boss) should be:
- Clearly focused. You’ll need a theme (like the industry you’re looking to break into) and you’ll want to stick to it. Be authoritative and be accurate. But if you’re blog is about the fashion industry, readers likely won’t want to see a post about your upcoming spring break trip to Cabo.
- Easy to navigate. Blogger and WordPress are excellent sites for beginner and advanced Bloggers because of their streamlined design. It’s simply to create your site and to publish to it. No one wants to visit a convoluted site, and this includes your readers. Your layout should be simple, fresh and easy to read. This means no neon colored text on black backgrounds. This isn’t Myspace. The cleaner you keep your layout, the longer people will stay and explore.
- Active, but not overbearing. Ever go through the list of people you follow on Twitter and delete accounts that almost never tweet, or those that tweet too much? That’s exactly what could happen if your blog goes silent for too long, or if you flood readers with updates. Whether they follow you on an RSS feed or any other platform, no one wants to drown in a rush of posts from one site. And you definitely don’t want people to forget about you. You’ve got to be dedicated to maintain a blog that’s going to get you the attention you want.
- Creative. Great blogs are never just filter feeds of news and commentary written by other people. Remember, this is your site and your voice — use it. Get creative with how you post. Video blogs can go viral overnight. Heard of Jenna Marbles? Her YouTube video blog is hilarious, and while her brand of content might not land you your dream job, the sentiment is still the same. Photo blogs, video blogs, podcasts and normal text posts are all tools at your fingertips. Get creative.
- Professional 24/7. Here’s where it’s not negotiable. If you want to impress potential employers, you have to have your virtual game face on all the time. Everything you post should be something you’d be proud to show off in an interview. Your future boss should be able to browse through your whole site and be nothing but impressed.
Think of your blog as a virtual resume and portfolio — an extension of your classy online presence. Think about what matters to you, take ten minutes, put yourself out there. Not only can an awesome blog attract people from your industry to you as a potential intern or employee, but it can help you land the job once you’ve gotten your name out there. The interview doesn’t stop when you walk out the door, your online presence should stand alone for you and do a fine job of it.
Photos:
Wordpress logo (photo): http://www.wordpress-plugin-solution.com/multi-functional-flexi-lightbox/
Tumblr graphic (photo): http://img.labnol.org/di/tumblr_stats.png
Jenna Marbles (photo): http://newmediarockstars.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/marbles2.jpg