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Career Growth

5 Reasons To Start Blogging Today

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August 16, 2017

- Career Growth

You have all these great ideas floating around in your head don’t you? Oftentimes so many of those ideas wake you up during the night, so you jot them down in your phone or on a notepad. Raise your hand if this has happened to you. Have you thought about blogging?

 

How many of you spend your time commenting on stories or having discussions on Twitter? Don’t you wish you had a more long-form outlet to formulate your thoughts? Have you thought about blogging? Well, start a blog!

 

“What a great idea,” you say, right? Followed by “how the heck do I get started?” Or you may say, “nobody will read what I have to say.”

 

There’s so much information out there on the web and so many opinions being posted each day. How will I stand out? Who will listen to me? How do I even get started? I don’t really even have the time to blog. Blah, blah, blah.

 

Don’t let all these questions or doubts hold hold you back. I have a good friend who is battling this right now (you know who I’m talking about Brett!) In trying to figure out a way to kick his ass in gear, I decided to write this blog in the hopes it spurs him into action.

 

If along the way I turn on the green light for someone else, well that will be a bonus. I’ve been blogging for slightly over two years and I didn’t know much about doing it when I began. But I needed an outlet, so I simply set up a WordPress site and off I went. I promise that blogging can be simple and relatively easy. It can also be very rewarding.

 

Below are my five reasons to start blogging today.

 

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Setup is Easy

Choosing where you want to build a blog is the first step you have to take and shouldn’t be a deterrent. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you’ve heard of WordPress.

 

This is where I host my blog and I suggest that you do as well. WordPress is one of the biggest platforms in the world with more than 82 million active users. The platform is simple to use with countless plug-ins and add-ons. It offers tons of themes and layouts, plus there’s a massive support forum if you ever get stuck. Your blog will look sleek and functional, it will allow people to interact with you easily and your content can be shared, commented on, and so on.

 

Medium is also a very popular content platform, as you should know by now if you follow Front Office Sports. The platform allows anyone to publish pretty much anything and it works hard to guarantee that visitors only see good stuff. Medium is built to reward content for its quality and even if you decide to build a blog on WordPress, it’s worth also posting your blogs on Medium to help with exposure.

 

Connections/Networking

If you’ve been reading my recent blog posts, you should by now know the importance of networking. Working to connect with people and learning from their experiences and friendships is vital to your career development. It also is an important factor when blogging.

 

Blogging about your thoughts and ideas allows you to share these thoughts with others in your network. It helps to strengthen existing bonds and expose you to new opportunities.

 

You should always look to nurture and expand your network and there’s no better way than to do it through blog writing. As you begin to blog more often and have more discussions with your network, you won’t ever have to worry about running out of topics. There should always be topics and ideas percolating in your head that make for perfect blog content.

 

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Research/Learning

Another positive aspect of blogging is very often you need to do extra research on a topic or topics before you begin to write about them. I’ve stressed this before, but continuing to learn throughout your life is a must. You can never let yourself feel like you know it all. Trust me, you don’t.

 

Reading, researching and learning should be constants as you get older. Exposing yourself to new ideas, stats and ways of thinking will only make you smarter. It can also help you meet new people and expand your network. Consider joining a book club or exchange. This kills two birds with one stone and allows you to read and meet new people.

 

It will most likely expose you to new ways of thinking and options which at first may be different from yours currently, but will change your perspective and open your eyes to new idea. Then you can apply what you’ve learning into a new series of blog topics.

 

Share Your Expertise

Blogging is an excellent outlet for sharing your expertise on various topics and getting those swirling thoughts out of your head. Do you often feel like you want to contribute to a topic but don’t have the platform? Do you feel like your comments are getting swallowed up on other platforms?

 

Starting a blog gives you that place to tell your story and give your side. Don’t worry about if anyone will read it, or if you show up in search or even if someone else has written about the topic 100 times. If it is an outlet for you to write and write about things you feel passionate about, do it. You won’t regret sharing your expertise through your blog.

 

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Writing Is Good

Writing reduces stress. Getting those thoughts out of your head is a good thing. Writing these things down helps to shrink them to a point where they are life-sized and manageable. Writing also is empowering in that way.

 

When we can manage our thoughts, ideas and other items into well-written blog, it can make navigating life much easier. There is research out there that believes blogging might trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, similar to stimulants generated by activities like running, listening to music or playing video games.

 

Having a platform to express yourself, as well as the ability to connect with other individuals experiencing similar circumstances, is not only therapeutic but allows for an added sense of community and empathy. Whether it is reducing stress, changing your state of happiness or making you more self-aware, writing ultimately changes your mind. Which in turn can change your life!

 

If nothing else, writing a blog will remind you that no one else is the author of your story. So get off your ass and set up that blog today. Tell the story you were born to tell.

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Career Growth

The Job Hunt Is Like Dating

By on

August 9, 2017

- Career Growth

This post (The Job Hunt is Like Dating) was originally posted on Front Office Sports.

 

As I inch closer to to landing my next full-time job, it’s becoming more apparent every day that I’m playing the field. Yup, just like when you’re looking for the right person to date or settle down with, the job hunt is like dating. Now I don’t claim to be a “player” who was playing the field that much in my personal life, but the parallels are just too striking.

 

In both dating and job-hunting, two strangers come together, seeking to find a spark and commonalities. That rapport will then make both parties want to meet again and eventually be together for a long-term commitment. Three steps help guide both dating and job-hunting.

 

The first step is researching prospects and trends to find the perfect match.

 

The second is succeeding in building interest and a connection with the other person or company.

 

The third step is agreeing to be together, putting in the effort to fuel a long-term connection.

 

Sounds so easy right? Well it’s not! Knowing those basics steps will help you navigate your search, but I’m here to pull back the curtain a little further and let you in on my reasons why the job hunt is like dating.

 

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Nothing Moves Fast

Be prepared for a long chase. A long courting period if you will. Both finding the right employer and the right companion should take time. Not only should it take time, it will. Both of my most recent job-hunts have taken close to eight months or more. I went into this one prepared for it to take at least that long, and it has. It was close to six months before I began to get real strong leads and begin to get interviews.

 

There are a lot of job postings and a lot of clutter to cut through in order to get noticed and get an interview. You must remind yourself consistently that nothing moves fast. You may apply for a job and four months later you hear from HR. All companies move at different paces and each pace is slower than the next.

 

Stay the course and pursue those leads and in time (usually a long time) the right opportunity will present itself as a result of your effort and perseverance.

 

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Nothing Will Be Given To You

You can follow my networking tips all you want, but it’s still up to you in the end. You have to work for what will eventually come your way. Nothing will be given to you. You may hear of the “old boy” network or maybe you’ve experienced someone get something you didn’t think they deserved because of who they knew.

 

Well, I can tell you that a situation like that most likely won’t happen to you. The vast majority of people have to work for all that is given to them. Never approach the job-hunt like you’re a “shoo-in” or that anything is promised to you. Work hard and put your best self forward. Don’t let that Imposter Syndrome creep in.

 

Have confidence in your abilities, connect with others, own your successes and avoid comparing your situation to anyone else’s.

 

Pursue All Leads

This is the part where, for me at least, the job-hunt has been the closest to dating. You must get comfortable playing the field and pursuing all the leads that you have.

 

In the last month I’ve had phone interviews, in-person interviews, more in-person interviews and even a job offer for a brief moment (more on this later…). You have to get comfortable in telling each suitor that they’re the one. They don’t need to know that you have a variety of suitors. That is your business. If the timing is right they will be the one. But, the timing has to be right.

 

It’s nice to be wanted and it’s nice to have choices, but sometimes the first choice is the one you take if you have to take care of your family. That said, don’t be afraid to keep the relationships you built intact, and continue to pursue leads even if you accepted an offer.

 

You have to look out for yourself and what is best for you and your family. Don’t get too romantic about a job or job offer. If another opportunity comes along that can better your life, take it. Trust me, you’ll regret not playing the filed and looking to find the best opportunity out there.

 

The day will finally come when you’re in the right job, for the right reasons, and your contributions will be balanced by support and the opportunity to grow. Much like my marriage, you will be fully invested and eager to put time and work into the relationship. Now, if only I can find a job as “perfect” as my wife.

 

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Stay Optimistic

This last point may be the most important. I’ve written this many times before, but the best way to further your personal growth is through positivity and proactivity. If you aren’t doing these two things, you will be unprepared to take action when faced with adversity. You must always stay positive and remain optimistic.

 

YOU ultimately control your attitude each day and how you will react and handle situations. If you allow the grind of dating, I mean job-hunting, get you down then you may tell yourself it’s impossible to find “the one.” You can’t allow the long process to get you down. Use your support system, use your networking, use prayer, use whatever it takes to remain positive.

 

I know that I am nearing to a breakthrough in my search. Even though it has taken a long time to feel like I am close to the goal line, I have remained positive throughout the entire process. I’ve remained mindful that I’m attacking this challenge the right way. I’ve even managed to stave off Imposter Syndrome when it creeps in.

 

If anyone reading this wants to connect or discuss how to attack their next job-hunt, feel free to reach out in the comments, on Twitter or drop me a line. I don’t claim to be an expert, or have all the answers. But through my writing and sharing my experiences, I hope that I can help someone facing a similar situation. If I can help anyone through this process in any way, I’d be more than happy.

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Career Growth

Engage, Engage, Engage…Invite

By on

June 15, 2017

- Career Growth

Another component of working to better yourself is being selfless and offering help to others when possible. Balance your efforts between looking out for yourself and finding ways to help others. If you don’t pay it forward from time to time, there will be no favors to come back your way.

So, what do I mean by all this? I mean that it is possible and actually quite easy to both look out for yourself and others at the same time. You can do that by using a method I like to call “engage, engage, engage . . . invite.” Engage with your core contacts, lost contacts and acquaintances frequently and consistently. It’s only after you’ve maintained ongoing contact that you should invite them to help you in some way.

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