Extra Credit: Why You Need a Professional Student Blog
This post is a part of Formstack’s Back to School Campaign. From August 20-September 21, we’ll be sharing all things relating to higher ed, from how to survive your first semester of college to what cloud computing tools you should use as an educator. When it comes to all things campus, we’ve got you covered. Check out our campaign page for more information and enter to win a free semester of text books!
Gone are the days when blogs are just a sounding board for people to talk about what they had for breakfast. Although personal blogs are still an effective use of this medium, organizations are quickly realizing the share-ability and subjectivity blogs can provide for their business. Even the personal blogs of several industry figureheads contain valuable perspectives on business and current events. With the multitude of professionals online that operate credible industry blogs, it could be intimidating for students to consider starting one of their own – What if my opinions aren’t accurate? Is my writing ability developed enough? However, having an industry-themed blog as a student is an excellent way to build connections for after graduation, when you make the official switch from “student” to “professional.” Here’s why:
- Having a professional blog shows that you care. By simply offering a genuine view on current events in your particular industry, you are proving to others that you care about your area of study. This will help you stand out to potential employers, implying that you take the industry and future jobs seriously.
I bet he wishes he had a professional student blog.
- It builds your online presence – in a good way. Have you ever Googled yourself? What would you prefer potential employers to see – photos of you holding a red cup or a link to your professional blog? Professional blogs are an easy way to establish yourself online in a credible way. You can even register a domain in your name for a small annual fee, making it even easier for others to find you online.
- Blog posts can be shared in 140 characters or less. The Internet makes it easy to share, well, anything. By publishing your perspectives in blog format, readers can easily paste your link into any social media outlet. Just one post can be plastered on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social networking sites – enabling communication and feedback from a larger audience.
- It can double as a portfolio. Many professionals use their registered domain as a one-stop source for their blog, contact information and notable work. By sorting your blog posts into categories, you can publish portfolio pieces on your blog while still providing relevant content.
Students – do you have a blog? What kind of content to do you feature on it? Do you have your own registered domain name?
“Handshake” symbol by Jake Nelsen, from thenounproject.com collection.
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About the Author
Eva (@evachristine09) is a public relations intern at Formstack. She is a senior at Anderson University, studying communication arts with a focus in public relations. When Eva's not working for Fifth Street Communications, AU's student-staffed PR firm, you can find her hanging out with her friends or taking too many pictures of her cat. Probably the latter.
