Need a Career Boost? Start a Blog!

A blog can prove a powerful thing, capable of exposing millions of people to new ideas, concepts, and advice. That potential influence means that starting a blog can strengthen (and grow) your career, by allowing them to differentiate themselves from the ever-growing pack of specialists. A widely-read blog can also create new career opportunities.

Technical data analyst Karthik Rajan is one example of a tech pro who found a blog boosted his career. Since he started writing regularly, he has been invited to publish in Forbes, Huffington Post, and Entrepreneur. “What Apple is to products, a blog is to your career,” he said. “Both employ a pull strategy—drawing people to what you have to offer and increasing SEO.”

Rajan’s writing has led to recruitment interest, with people periodically reaching out to him with career opportunities; before blogging, it was the other way around, with him pursuing jobs.

Here are a few other reasons why blogging is a viable avenue for professional growth:

• Blogs provide an additional channel for demonstrating expertise, showcasing talents, and telling success stories. Everyone has a resume and a cover letter; bloggers have a full “library” of relevant material they can use to impress employers.

• Creating original content enables tech pros to establish thought leadership in their industry and evolve into a trusted name for advice. Once a tech pro has become an established expert in his or her field, opportunities come along more frequently.

• Writing is a sought-after skill in many jobs. Employers place value being able to effectively communicate technical concepts in a way that is clear and concise. Having blog content to show employers can help a candidate demonstrate their ability to communicate with people on their team.

• When people write good content, it gets shared on social media. Writing a blog is like having a personal-branding marketing assistant. Writing a blog increases your searchable links, making you more discoverable.

• A blogger who attracts attention to their personal brand also boosts their company brand. Successful bloggers develop large followings. Employers that are savvy to digital marketing (and understand the power of word of mouth) realize the value in bringing on someone that has a large and influential presence on social media.

Jeffrey D. Strickland, a senior analytics consultant, began blogging about a year ago. Over 9,000+ followers later, he’s found out that people are interested in what he has to say. “I have received a half-dozen unsolicited interview offers for jobs in analytics,” he said. “I was invited and spoke as a keynote speaker at one analytics conference and was invited to two more.”

That’s in addition to invitations to facilitate analytics workshops, and even a few book-publishing offers. “I often get messages that start with, ‘I read your blog…’” he said.

Neil Hughes, a service improvement manager, has received some big time recognition since starting his blog and has also used it to create new job prospects. “Sharing my ideas with technologists from all over the world has enabled me to explore many new career opportunities that I didn’t have prior to starting my blog,” he said.

Blogging can be a powerful tool for job seekers, but it isn’t something to do for just a few months while looking for a new job. Rather, blogging is a long term commitment for sustainable career growth. While it’s not for everybody, with the abundance of self-publishing platforms available today, blogging is easier than ever.

Originally published on Dice.com. Read the original here: http://insights.dice.com/2015/11/04/blogging-to-boost-your-tech-career/