How to Create a Personal Blog that Lands Job Offers

A personal blog can be used for just about any purpose: You can use it to review concerts you’ve seen, take photos of your cat, or critique actresses’ runway dresses. Or, if you’re in the market for a new job, your blog can help you land one—if used wisely.

Here’s how.

Focus on your industry. If you’re serious about getting a job in HR, don’t spend all your time writing about old movies: With blogging, it pays to research and write about your personal take on recent trends and industry news. That lets potential employers know that you’re not just a card-puncher—you’re truly passionate about working in that particular field.

Establish a brand. It can take a long time to make a viable living from blogging, but building credibility and brand recognition isn’t nearly as difficult. Once you’ve focused on your niche, ask high-powered people within your field for interviews: Before long, your site will become a source of knowledge for industry leaders. When you go in for interviews, your blog can help you demonstrate your authority and knowledge.

Start conversations within your posts. Even the most powerful bloggers and companies love to see who’s linking to them, so don’t be afraid to link liberally within your blog posts. It’s an easy way to gain attention from industry experts who would otherwise never pay attention to you, and build up your Rolodex (improving your job-hunting prospects).

Comment on the blogs of people who might be able to hire (or refer you). Once you’ve written a few industry-relevant blog posts, make a concentrated effort to post thoughtful comments on the blogs of industry influencers who live in your area. Impress them with compelling comments, and they’ll likely take the time to look at your blog, and may even contact you about a job opening. Even if the process isn’t that easy, building powerful connections can always help open the door to a referral in the future.

Blog for a living. No matter what your career interests might be, building a successful blog proves that you’re a good writer and promoter. If your site really takes off, you may be able to rely on it for a living, using monetization strategies such as banner advertising, sponsored posts, and affiliate marketing. In most cases, however, it takes years of scraping by to get to that point. On the bright side, your blog is likely to help you secure other blogging gigs, even if they’re on different topics. Regardless of what you ultimately want to do for a living, blogging is a great way to build up a highly relevant skillset that will appeal to employers of all kinds.

• Category Career Advice