We are
13 years into the 21st century and we do not have flying cars. No, we do not
have teleportation machines, and we have not found alien life-forms on other
plants. In fact, we have actually stripped one of the plants of their planet
status which was rather disconcerting. In my opinion, many individuals enjoyed
having Pluto as the small, gray plant at the end of the acronyms - a way of
remembering the names for Geography class. Sadly, that won't work anymore.
However, disregarding all the things we don't have, we do have the Internet.
The
Internet has changed our lives, both personal and professional, and living in
the technological era we have had to adapt. Yes, there are those professions
which remain purely 'on-site' but there are many which have moved online and
require the new professionals to acknowledge and begin their careers as such.
It is with this premise in mind, that I choose to discuss promoting skills
online and the easiest way to complete this task is via blogging.
Originally,
many individuals saw blogging as a form of self-expression and an alternative
to journals. Initially it was a method of stating your opinion on various
topics from the 'iffy' taste of your banana smoothie to the issue of
homosexuality being viewed as a immoral sin. Now, blogs are being used as
promotional tools whereby individuals will present their abilities to future
employers which may happen to peruse their web-space.
As an
example, I will use the blogs of aspiring journalists. Two decades ago, in the
1990, a journalist would be required to gain experience at local newspapers or
underground publications in order to 'polish' their CV. They would be expected
to make contacts and meet individuals whom they feel would be beneficial to
their career by leaving the solitude of their bedroom and 'getting their hands
dirty'. To obtain an internship or entry level position - highly unlikely
without the unpaid internship for 5 years - the aspiring writer would have to
post their CV to different companies in the hope one of them will respond
positively.
Read this on also: 5 Killer Ways to Get Income Targeted Traffic
Nowadays,
not only is the individual able to send their CV via email and save on stamps,
but they are also able to demonstrate their abilities on a blog with the hope
the employer will see this. This increases their chance as they no longer rely
on a CV alone. The blog's theme, design and content allow the employer to gain
a sense of the individual and make an informed decision.
One of
the more popular platforms for journalists is Wordpress and Blogger as more
industries choose this platform as a base for their website. By doing this they
already have a secondary connection with the potential employer. Furthermore,
Wordpress allows for more structured and professional themes/templates making
the site less child-like.
As may
be seen, a personal blog can be used for more than musings on 'random stuff'.
If structured properly and carefully maintained it can assist in displaying
important occupational skills.
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