THE CAREER COUNSELOR S GUIDE TO BLOGGING

Transcription

1 THE CAREER COUNSELOR S GUIDE TO BLOGGING by Kevin Grubb, Shannn Kelly, and Megan Wlleben Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers 62 Highland Avenue Bethlehem, PA Phne: Cpyright 2013 by the Natinal Assciatin f Clleges and Emplyers. N part f this publicatin may be used, adapted, r reprduced in any manner withut written permissin.

2 Table f Cntents Creating a Strng Prfile and Persnal Brand by Blgging Tpic and Title f the Blg Creating a Bi r Abut Page Incrprating Pictures, Vides, and Media in Psts A Wrd abut Frequency f Psting and SEO Netwrking and Cnnecting Prfessinally by Blgging Yur Own Blg Guest Psting and Cntributing Cnnecting and Netwrking Finding Jb and Internship Listings n Blgs Jb Blgs Emplyer Blgs Keywrds in the Blgsphere The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 1

3 Web lgs, cmmnly knwn as blgs, are a pwerful methd with which any individual can write abut a tpic, publish thse thughts t the web, and cnnect with thers. There are currently hundreds f millins f blgs in existence, a number that is grwing rapidly every day. While blgging may have had early rts as a persnal jurnal, this medium has becme a viable resurce fr individuals and rganizatins t cmmunicate prfessinally abut all kinds f tpics. Blggers pst as ften as mnthly t daily, depending n their ability t cntribute. Three f the mst ppular blgging platfrms are Blgger, Tumblr, and Wrdpress. This guide will nt cver each platfrm, but will speak t ways students can use blgs as a means t: Create a cmpletely custmizable prfessinal presence nline. Grw and establish authrity n a specific subject. Cmmunicate ideas with wrds, images, and vides with little restrictin in character limit. Cnnect with blggers and readers abut tpics f prfessinal interest. CREATING A STRONG PROFILE AND PERSONAL BRAND BY BLOGGING When it cmes t creating a blg, n matter what the platfrm, it may be helpful fr students t cnsider it as a website f their wn. On a blg, writers have free reign t elabrate n tpics, create pages, and mderate cmments at will. T create a strng blg and strng persnal brand, there are a few special cnsideratins. Tpic and Title f the Blg In rder t build readership and cmmunity, it wuld be helpful fr students t cnsider fcusing their blg n a tpic. Many students might be familiar with blgs as they are a ppular methd used fr staying in tuch with family and friends when ging abrad. Even these blgs have a tpic: my study abrad experience. Thinking f a blg tpic may be challenging fr students. They may experience writer s blck at the thught f it, r they may feel like they have little t say. T help students vercme these cncerns, here are sme tpics yu can encurage them t think abut fr blg ideas: An internship r internships Chrnicling their internship experiences, frm the search prcess t success in the internship itself. All abut their majr and curses Blgging abut what they learn in classes and abut their majr. Interesting lectures r guest speakers Detailing many f the events and pprtunities t hear frm experts when they cme t campus. Leadership psitins and campus activities Writing abut their experiences utside f the curricular jurney and what they learn in them A persnal passin Discussing smething that a student particularly lves r reads abut in his r her spare time (smetimes these passins can have interesting intersectins with their career jurneys). The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 2

4 Like many gd ideas, if a student begins writing abut smething and later wants t pivt t a new directin, that s pssible, t. Encurage students t feel cmfrtable getting started withut feeling that their chice f tpic must be cncrete and final. Once a student has settled n a tpic, it s imprtant t cnsider a prper title. Of curse, this is a place where students can get creative. Hwever, the title shuld help the reader understand the tpic and scpe f the blg, s it s critical t keep in mind the audience. In additin, since the blg is a website and the gal is t get fund, students shuld keep in mind sme basic search engine ptimizatin (SEO) tips. Cnsider putting keywrds and phrases int the title and web address f the blg s that the blg will have a better chance f ranking high in search results. The title and web address sectins are imprtant places t cnsider key wrds and phrases t ptimize a blg fr search engines. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 3

5 Creating a Bi r Abut Page Althugh authrship will be assigned t the student n each pst, it s still imprtant t create a bi sectin r even an Abut Me page t make sure readers can always learn mre abut wh is writing. This als gives the student anther pprtunity t make a persnal impressin n the web. Fr thse struggling with writing a bi, encurage them t cnsider using their LinkedIn summary r perhaps their Twitter bi as a way t get started. It s als a gd idea t include cntact infrmatin r links t ther scial media here. The Abut Me sectin f this career cach s blg can give students an example f what they can include. Having a strng Abut page r bi can be an effective way fr readers t learn mre abut yu frm anywhere n yur blg. In additin, if students write blg psts fr ther blgs, it wuld be wise t have them cnsider a cnsistent byline fr their writing. Typically, bylines are tw r three sentences, and students can cnsider prviding links t ther scial media with these wrds t help peple get back t their presences nline. Incrprating Pictures, Vides, and Media in Psts A critical cnsideratin fr successful blgs tday is the inclusin f images, vides, and ther media that can be cnsumed by readers n any device. In fact, in any scial media, the emphasis always seems t cme back t this pint. S, it wuld be wise fr students t cnsider putting media int their psts where relevant. Fr example, n an Abut page, students shuld cnsider putting up a prfessinal picture f themselves t g alng with their bi. Matching up this picture with their LinkedIn prfile pht wuld be a gd way t keep a cnsistent presence acrss scial netwrks. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 4

6 A Wrd abut Frequency f Psting and SEO One thing that ften cncerns students is the frequency with which they shuld write blg psts. While blgs are mst successful when written ften (nce a week r mre), this is nt a mandate. Fr thse students wh are planners, it may be helpful t have them cnsider a schedule fr writing. Fr thse wh are spntaneus, it may be best t cme up with a few ideas fr psts and then write when they are inspired t d s. Then, allw them t see hw they feel after a few psts. In additin, ne imprtant thing fr students t keep in mind is SEO. T ensure their blgs will be fund easily and rank well, encurage students t cnsider including keywrds and phrases fr their psts. Thse key wrds and phrases shuld be placed in: The title f the pst. The first and last sentence f the pst. Any headings within the pst. Captins and descriptins f images, vides, r media. NETWORKING AND CONNECTING PROFESSIONALLY BY BLOGGING When dne strategically, blgging can ffer students a unique way t netwrk and cnnect with thers. Mst blgging platfrms (Blgger, Wrdpress, Tumblr) have easy ways t interact, which can prve useful in making cnnectins and building ne s netwrk. Blgs allw students the pprtunity t fllw prfessinals and prfessinal blgs, and build cnnectins by reblgging, liking, and cmmenting n thers cntent. Yur Own Blg T grw their blg presence, students shuld encurage interactin, make cmmenting and fllwing easy, and get scial. Encuraging interactin Within psts, students shuld encurage interactin and get peple talking n their blg. Students can ask readers t add their cmments, feedback, r respnses t varius psts. It wuld be gd t suggest that they respnd t peple's cntributins t help build a cmmunity. Cmmenting Students will want t make sure that they are writing abut things that get peple talking and that it is easy fr thers t cmment. Students shuld als cmment n blg psts r articles f thers when relevant t their interests r persnal blg tpics. Mst f all, advise students t be psitive nline with their cmments. There is ften heavy criticism and smetimes negativity in blg cmments, and it s best nt t g far dwn that path. Fllwing Make sure students prvide an easy way fr peple t fllw their blg, even if it's just links t the RSS feed. And mst imprtantly, remind them t add in ther scial media s that readers culd fllw them n ther scial media, t. Getting scial Cnnecting psts with ther scial media will amplify the reach f each pst and draw in new fllwers, making fr ptential new cnnectins. Remind students t test everything first and make sure they knw hw the autmatic updates and tweets will lk s they are happy with the way things are being psted. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 5

7 Link t ther, credible surces Encurage students t link t ther, credible surces and blgs when they write psts. The authrs f thse psts will ntice this link, and may be mre inclined t cmment r cnnect with the student. Guest Psting and Cntributing If students are unsure whether blgging n their wn is feasible, encurage them t seek ut guest pst pprtunities. Guest psting n ther blgs can als help grw a netwrk and help ne be seen as an expert withut the full cmmitment f a blg. This is a great way fr a student t try ut blgging and see if it is right fr them. It als ffers pprtunities t netwrk with thse wh cmment, like, r repst the cntributin. T find guest psting pprtunities, students shuld check their LinkedIn grups fr psted pprtunities r apprach smene they knw wh has a blg. Des a favrite prfessr blg? Perhaps a mentr r family friend blgs, t. Students can als check Twitter fr psted pprtunities. Many sites, such as The Daily Muse and The Huffingtn Pst, are ppulated by guest blggers r regular cntributrs. Students may be surprised that websites and blgs they read ften welcme cntributins frm guests. If students have blgs f their wn, it may be valuable fr them t ask fr guest psts f their wn. Bringing in a new authr may als bring in new readers. The authr f the guest pst will likely spread the wrd abut the blg nce it is psted. Fr sme students, especially thse in a clse-knit grup f friends, anther ptin t cnsider is a grup blg with numerus authrs. If the grup can create a shared visin and manage the psting schedule as nt t verlap, that culd be an excellent way t get started blgging and bst each ther s visibility. Cnnecting and Netwrking Whether students chse t have their wn blg r be cntributrs, bth f these ptins can help them cnnect and grw a netwrk. In either case, it is imprtant t encurage them t share psts n ther scial media platfrms like Facebk, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If they have a clse grup f friends r even a list f family, a direct t these grups abut their pst might be beneficial, t. In rder t be mindful f the cnnectins made with a blg, students shuld take nte f wh is cmmenting and liking their psts. These cmments and likes may lead t new cnnectins. The blggers that like a pst can turn ut t be gd cnnectins r lead t gd cnnectins Students can als see wh else fllws their blgs and build cnnectins that way. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 6

8 Fllwing a blg a student has r is interested in indicates that fllwers already have similar interests and culd perhaps be a gd, passive cnnectin. Tumblr lends itself t sme interesting and unique netwrking pprtunities. On sme sites, yu can als see wh an authr is fllwing, which may help in identifying mre blggers with similar interests. Names f the cntributrs can lead students t meaningful cnnectins with leaders within an industry. Fr example, this NPR site ffers students the chance t see like cmpanies, which can lead t the discvery f ther relevant blgs. This frmat als prvides the names and links t persnal blgs and t the cntributrs. Students can see each persnal blg, and if interested in editing, scial media, and/r wrking fr NPR, this infrmatin culd prvide them with a career advantage. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 7

9 Students shuld als search fr blgs relating t their majr, industry interests, r career gals. This can lead t nt nly gd infrmatin, but t ther peple with similar interests. Fr instance, here s a screen sht f a search fr blgs n startups: While blgging can be a great way t cnnect and netwrk, it des require dedicated effrt n the students part. It can be an effective way t netwrk when dne crrectly and with the right intentins. When students write their wn cntent, they have the pprtunity t be seen as an authrity n a particular subject matter. The blg psts they write may get shared arund the web, which culd give the student significant visibility and bring sme pwerful cnnectins t them. FINDING JOB AND INTERNSHIP LISTINGS ON BLOGS Blgs can ffer students a variety f ptins in their jb r internship search. As scial media has risen in ppularity, blgs have becme an integral part t an rganizatin s ability t prmte pprtunities. Many blgs, as previusly discussed, have been established by career advisers, bth affiliated and nt-affiliated with higher educatin career centers, industry leaders, r jb-search engines t share career advice. In many cases, such blgs als share actual jb and internship listings r resurces t identify listings. This final sectin will cver the different ptins available in the blgsphere t help students find jb and internship listings. These ptins include: Jb blgs Emplyer blgs Keywrds in the blgsphere The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 8

10 Jb Blgs Jb blgs are blgs that pst jb and internship penings and/r critical infrmatin abut jbs. This infrmatin can be leveraged by students t find actual listings, develp an understanding f a field r industry, r discver an rganizatin where they can then search fr pen psitins. Here is an example f a leading jb blg, One Day, One Jb. As the title implies, the blg psts a new cmpany each day, alng with infrmatin abut entry-level pprtunities and ther cmpany insights. Search by lcatin, field r majr. One Day, One Jb ffers a breakdwn by lcatin, field, and majr. Breakdwns similar t these, as well as ther filters that cater t jb seekers, are eched by ther jb blgs ut there. Search fr jbs while learning abut trends and hiring rganizatins. Belw is a sampling f ther blgs with listings. Remember, this is nt an extensive list; remind students t explre n their wn, and cnsider their brand and prfessinal gals during their searches. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 9

11 Wmen fr Hire frm Try Jhnsn MnsterWrking frm Mnster.cm The Wrk Buzz frm CareerBuilder.cm Simply Hired Blg frm SimplyHired.cm Emplyer Blgs Students tday can learn abut rganizatinal culture, success stries, and wrk life thanks t emplyer blgs. This frum has als becme an avenue fr students interested in a particular rganizatin t discver jb and internship pprtunities available. Mre imprtantly, it prvides insider infrmatin t help strengthen their applicatin r decide if the cmpany is the right fit fr them. Here is an example frm Micrsft s University Careers page. At the bttm f the blg landing page, there is access t the jb listing page and the ability t set up jb alerts. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 10

12 Here s anther example frm Ggle: Nt nly d blgs give students imprtant insights, but they educate readers n the types f jb and internships available. They can even list an actual jb title, as seen abve, which can aid in a jb r internship search utside f blgs. Keywrds in the Blgsphere The final piece t help students find jb and internship listings n a blg is t stress the imprtance f keywrds. As mentined in the Creating a Strng Prfile and Persnal Brand sectin, SEO is crucial t blgging. This rule applies when students are the blg cntributr and want t be fund, r as the blg explrer and want t find smething. If they search fr prfessinal pprtunities n a blg, remind them t use keywrds fr the industry, rganizatin, and jb functin. In ther wrds, they need t walk the industry walk. If they incrprate buzzwrds fr their field f interest, they will mst likely find related jbs and resurces in the blgsphere. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 11

13 Fr example, a search fr tp design blgs yielded the list belw and ne f the blgs included a jb bard fr designers. In the end, blgs are dynamic platfrms that present a rbust range f prfessinal infrmatin, an pprtunity fr students t shwcase their skills and vice, and a place t find jb r internship listings. Especially fr thse wh are cnsidering writing in the future, but certainly nt exclusively fr thse students, blgging is a viable means t put frth a vice n the web. With methds t build a brand, cnnect with thers, and find jbs, students can cnsider writing a blg as mre than a persnal r study abrad jurnal and start t view it as an pprtunity t develp prfessinally. The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 12

14 Kevin Grubb is an assistant directr at Villanva University s career center. He is als a cnsultant and speaker, and teaches a curse he created n using scial media t create a brand and jb search. Cnnect with Kevin n his persnal website, n r via his LinkedIn Prfile. Shannn Kelly is an assciate directr at University f Pennsylvania Career Services, where she advises Cllege f Arts and Sciences students and manages the department's scial media strategy. She cntributes t NACE's Sptlight Tech Talk clumn and has als been named a tp Gen Y Careerist t Fllw n Twitter n Brazen Careerist. Cnnect with Shannn n LinkedIn r tweet Megan Wlleben is an assistant directr at the Bucknell University career develpment center and is respnsible fr the scial media and student marketing. Cnnect with Megan n LinkedIn and Twitter, The Career Cunselr s Guide t Blgging 13

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