Start blogging to land your next job

Let’s face it, finding a job even in a good economy can be somewhat daunting and intimidating. I lost my job during Covid and am learning new ways to build my personal brand and learn about the best ways to network for a job during the pandemic. I'm sharing what I learn to help people looking for a job over 40 to build their confidence in their job search.

What's your secret sauce?

Every interview I've been on over the last 3 months has said: "there is so much good talent out there, we have so many options." It's more challenging than ever for qualified job seekers to stand out. Also, the ways in which employers are finding candidates evolve quickly with the availability of new and better technology. This quote from Ken Sundheim, CEO of KAS Placement Sales and Marketing Recruiters, sums up our challenge in a nutshell.


“More and more often, job seekers who simply rely on a resume and/or cover letter (even a LinkedIn profile isn’t as helpful as it once was) are frequently outflanked by those who carry a robust online presence.”

Starting a blog can help your career

Blogging isn’t just for professional writers. Anyone can set up a WordPress, Tumblr, Blogger, or Medium site can start blogging on a topic of their choice with a commitment of 1-3 hours a week. The really great thing is that once you create a blog, you can repurpose that content in many ways to further expand your web of digital influence. 

Here's how writing a blog compliments your resume:

• A blog is more or less your resume but better because you control the content
• It creates a positive digital footprint
• Helps you build networks with new followers
• Gives you more visibility, particularly when optimizing with keywords
• Helps them stand out in the crowd

Blog about topics where you are an expert

You might be wondering, “I have no idea what I should write about or why someone would want to read my blog.” Push those thoughts out of your head and think about a topic that interests you, where you’d like to show off your expertise.

Think of blogging as an opportunity to dive deep into your topic so you can learn new angles while showing off what you know.

I'm reminded of this scene from the movie "Finding Forrester" where William Forrester (Sean Connery) is an elusive writer and is coaching Jamal Wallace (Robert Brown), a high school kid from the Bronx intercity who hasn't yet realized his true genius how to write. Connery's advice on how to get started: Write, don't think. The words will come.

Frequency and consistency will get you attention

Target to write a blog post at least once a week to build your audience,
and stay up-to-date on current news and trends on the topics you’ll be writing about.

Your hard work will pay off because you’ll appear more interesting to recruiters
and business leaders because they’ll have a sense of who he is after reading your
content.

Questions? Comments? I'd love to hear from you.