The blogging community can often, wrongly, be looked down on. Some view bloggers as girls or boys with too much money and free time bragging about what they have online. With a new generation of children's favourite celebrities being Zoella, Jim Chapman and so on- many aspire to be come a Youtuber when they're older unfortunately this means that those in a different generation can view those that 'blog' as putting their careers on hold in order to become the next internet sensation.
However, if you have your own blog- you know this is a load of crap. Most people blog for fun and although many of us dream of becoming full time, we're happy with it just being a hobby. And it's a great hobby to have! It's creative, social and enjoyable. There's no set times to be places and you can do it when you please.
In a time when getting our own work experience is proving to be increasingly difficult, it's really important to prove your worth by yourself and I think a blog is a great way to do this. Blogging is a great way to learn and show cast your skills. The list believe are just a few of the skills you gain through blogging and youtube. It can often seem difficult incorporating them into your CV or realising how they translate in the 'real world' , so there's a bit of advice for that too. Enjoy!
1. Writing Skills
This seems very obvious,but being able to write well should not be underestimated. Emails make up a large part of most jobs and can actually be one of the hardest parts. Sounding professional but not pissy is a true art. Writing continuous blog posts can really help develop your own writing style.
How to put this on your CV: There are a couple of ways you could tie this into your CV depending on your format. If you have a section on skills use ' Strong writing skills' , then use your blog as an example of this. Or if you have a skill/hobby section something along the lines of 'Running my own blog has enabled me to improve my writing skills. By consistently publishing posts I have developed my own writing style and practice grammar, spelling and sentence structure regularly, ' would work equally well.
2. Running a business
If you're blog makes a bit of money, whether through adverts, links, sponsorships- you SHOULD write this all down. Showing you've made money of your own accord shows initiative, a business mind and a real ' go getting' attitude. Which is such an important skill set to have and hard to show through regular work experience.
If you're blog makes a bit of money, whether through adverts, links, sponsorships- you SHOULD write this all down. Showing you've made money of your own accord shows initiative, a business mind and a real ' go getting' attitude. Which is such an important skill set to have and hard to show through regular work experience.
How to put this on your CV: If you're making money through your blog, I'd put it in my work experience section! Refrain from using the term 'Part time Blogger' though, as annoyingly that can bring around quite a few bad connotations Write the Title of your blog and then - owner of. List in bullet points underneath all you do and if you've worked with brands then say. You do not need to go in specific examples.
3. New Technical Skills
Photoshop, Premeire pro and HTML coding are just a few of the skills bloggers pick up. Some can be self taught through youtube videos and online information, other's you may have taken a class to learn. Either way it shows a willingness to learn and in a world of computers any skill is appreciated.
How to put this on your CV: Linkdin is great for skills, you can simply list them. CV is a little trickier, Again this really depends on how you've structured it. But the key is to keep it as simple as possible. You do NOT need to list everything you can do on Photoshop. Something along the lines of ' Through my blog I have developed many skills, which include but are not limited to XYZ. These where self taught/ because I wanted to learn more I enrolled on a course where I gained X qualification'.
4. Public Speaking
Much like emails, in most jobs you will be expected to speak. Whether this is via the phone or pitching, you will need to be able to deliver confidentially. In all honesty this point applies more to Youtubers than bloggers. Getting really excited about a product when speaking to no one is actually harder than it looks. Similarly, just speaking with no one to bounce off of is also tricky and can lead to the an over use of ums are ahhs. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but watching yourself speak is a great way to see what needs improving.
How to put this on your CV: Much like the writing skill this just needs to be put into a quick sentence ' My Youtube has allowed me to develop my presentation skills, but constantly practicing talking about products and watching myself speak- I have developed my public speaking skills'
5. Negotiating
If you're offered sponsorship or reviews than you may have had to negotiate. You don't necessarily have to be a top blogger for negotiations to happen either. A brand recently asked me if I could feature their app in one of my youtube videos, they where simply just asking me to do it for the sake of it- no freebie review or pay. So instead of saying no straight away, I've asked to feature as a blogger in a newsletter and write my own edit on their app- meaning coverage for myself and them. Negotiation is such common place in so many career sectors. Any examples of this you should include.
How to put this in your CV: So if you're are receiving sponsorship and working with brands, you should probably have your Blog down as Work experience. In this section write 'Negotiation with Brands' and then write your strongest example. Maybe it was with a particularly tricky brand or you turned around a situation. Either way just write one, you'll have chances to speak about the others in your interview.
3. New Technical Skills
Photoshop, Premeire pro and HTML coding are just a few of the skills bloggers pick up. Some can be self taught through youtube videos and online information, other's you may have taken a class to learn. Either way it shows a willingness to learn and in a world of computers any skill is appreciated.
How to put this on your CV: Linkdin is great for skills, you can simply list them. CV is a little trickier, Again this really depends on how you've structured it. But the key is to keep it as simple as possible. You do NOT need to list everything you can do on Photoshop. Something along the lines of ' Through my blog I have developed many skills, which include but are not limited to XYZ. These where self taught/ because I wanted to learn more I enrolled on a course where I gained X qualification'.
4. Public Speaking
Much like emails, in most jobs you will be expected to speak. Whether this is via the phone or pitching, you will need to be able to deliver confidentially. In all honesty this point applies more to Youtubers than bloggers. Getting really excited about a product when speaking to no one is actually harder than it looks. Similarly, just speaking with no one to bounce off of is also tricky and can lead to the an over use of ums are ahhs. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but watching yourself speak is a great way to see what needs improving.
How to put this on your CV: Much like the writing skill this just needs to be put into a quick sentence ' My Youtube has allowed me to develop my presentation skills, but constantly practicing talking about products and watching myself speak- I have developed my public speaking skills'
5. Negotiating
If you're offered sponsorship or reviews than you may have had to negotiate. You don't necessarily have to be a top blogger for negotiations to happen either. A brand recently asked me if I could feature their app in one of my youtube videos, they where simply just asking me to do it for the sake of it- no freebie review or pay. So instead of saying no straight away, I've asked to feature as a blogger in a newsletter and write my own edit on their app- meaning coverage for myself and them. Negotiation is such common place in so many career sectors. Any examples of this you should include.
How to put this in your CV: So if you're are receiving sponsorship and working with brands, you should probably have your Blog down as Work experience. In this section write 'Negotiation with Brands' and then write your strongest example. Maybe it was with a particularly tricky brand or you turned around a situation. Either way just write one, you'll have chances to speak about the others in your interview.
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