Undergraduates: start a blog now!!!
YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. Everything you do or say becomes a part of your personal image and directly reflects what people think about you and how people act around you. This not only greatly affects your social life, but your professional life as well. I feel that every undergraduate student should start blogging to build his or her personal brand.
Think about it. If you’re thinking about interviewing with a company, you can bet that they will google you before they set up an interview. Unlike a blog, your resume is a lifeless glimpse of your experiences. A blog is a very personal, deep look into your thoughts, passions, interests, fears, and abilities that allows the interviewer to get to know the you that you want the world to know.
I was thinking of impactful and concrete reasons that students should begin blogging immediately. Luckily, I met CK today at Startup Camp in San Francisco hosted by Sun Microsystems. CK wrote a terrific blog on just this topic. So since CK has her info down like Charlie Brown, I feel that the best thing I can do is tell you how to ease your way into the blogging community.
1. Begin by searching for blogs that interest you
Use blog search engine sites such as Technorati or social network creation sites such as Ning to search for blogs that you have a deep interest about.
2. Read the blogs and learn which blogs have the most readers
Understand which blogs have the most readers and why. The beauty about blogs is that you don’t have to have perfect grammar, nor do you really need to proof read your posts. It’s all about being real and expressing your true feelings.
3. Comment on the blog posts
Write a comment on a blog post that brings value to the blog or asks a relevant question. If you disagree with what the person wrote, then even better! I have seen so many great discussions and debates online that end up in great friendships on the blogosphere. DO NOT write spam comments that blatantly advertise your site. People know when you’ve actually read their blogs and are writing meaningful content.
4. Create your blog!
Just feel free and dive right in. Use free blogging platforms such as Wordpress. There are many designs, widgets, and settings that you can play with so take some time to play with all of them. Trust me, you’ll really enjoy customizing your blog page once you get the hang of it.
Once you’ve created your blog, make sure to let me know so that I can check it out. See you on the blogosphere!!!
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Jun,
I agree with the structure you have given in establishing a blog. I think whatever you do at college and whatever you major in, you really need to market yourself, in a very distinct way. Companies or grad schools are looking for candidates who have a story behind what they have done or accomplished. The best way to do that is to get ONLINE! I won’t be surprised down the line if college apps or company recruiters ask for websites or blogs. Maybe in a few years.
One little concern, however, is that some bloggers have a tendency to think that they can be overnight journalists. That’s why I like what you said in point 2 and 3: “Understand which blogs have the most readers and why” AND “Write a comment on a blog post that brings value to the blog or asks a relevant question”.
Good post.
Greg, you’re definitely right when you write “[most students can't] become overnight journalists.” It takes some time, but after blogging for a few months, you get the hang of what titles work, what topics work, and what kind of readers you’re attracting.
Get your feet wet and try commenting on blogs. You’ll be surprised at how quickly bloggers respond