Words make the world go round. And if you have a way with them, you have the power to change it. That’s just one of the reasons that being a blog contributor is such a great way to spend your time. If like me, you relish the opportunity to tell stories then you should come and contribute to our wonderful Insight section.
You’ll get the chance to tell the world the things that no-one told you when you were making your way in your career. We’ll even pay you for the privilege! But if you’re curious about what else you can get out of it, read this list of skills and then hit me up by email or on our Twitter to find out more.
Writing
Well, obviously. Running and maintaining a blog is about more than just writing but make no mistake, this is your bread and butter. And you’d be surprised what a useful skill it is.
Being able to write concisely and engagingly is becoming increasingly important across all industries. It’s not as easy as it seems, so being able to demonstrate that by being a blog contributor will help to no end.
Networking
Here at Debut, we don’t just leave our contributors alone to write articles. We keep in touch, we help where we can and we put on events so you can meet us and the other writers.
It’s a small start, but this little bit of networking is so good for your career. When you contribute to blogs, you’ll get to meet like-minded writers and start friendships and working relationships down the road.
Communication
Running a blog or being a blog contributor isn’t a solo activity. There’s so much collaboration and research that goes into it that you can’t help but pick up great communication skills.
Blog contributing will teach you how to work well with a team and provide you opportunities to build relationships with good leads and interview subjects. For all that, communication is key.
Promotion
Hey, don’t be so glum, chum. When I used to share things on my social media, I would be steadfast in the belief that nobody wanted to see it. That I was cheaply promoting myself and would become a major annoyance to my entire Facebook soon enough.
After writing regularly for a blog, I got over my fear and learned how to market myself properly. You’ve got an online personal brand already. Blogging can teach you how to expand it and tell the whole world about what you do.
Self-discipline
Some people come out of university having learned how to discipline themselves. Others? Not so much. Being a blog contributor is a great way to build that up though.
I’ve lost count of how many personal blogs have fallen by the wayside because I didn’t get myself into a routine. Writing for a blog with other people is a great motivator and before you know it, you’ll have the drive to do it yourself.
Time management
In some ways, this links to the motivation point. I missed more than a few uni deadlines in my time. And there’s nothing like a deadline to motivate you to work (supposedly).
But when you’re doing something you enjoy, you learn how to make time. If blogging is just your side hustle, you’ll set aside time, safe in the knowledge that you’re being doubly productive.
Tech skills
It’s damn near impossible to blog and not pick a few crucial interweb skills at the same time. Whether it’s HTML, CSS, content management systems like WordPress, there’s already so much that makes it all tick. To be a great journalist these days, you have to be more than a writer. These are the skills that will take you far in your career.
Confidence
Oh yes. When I first started writing about careers, I didn’t think anyone would care about my opinion. I mean, who was I? A year and over 100 articles later and I consider myself a careers expert. And so should you!
If you’re already an expert on something, blogging about that thing can teach more things that you didn’t know when you engage your audience. Blogging is a great way to mark yourself out as an authority on something, so go out there and get on as many as you can!
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