If you’re applying for any sort of writing job, you absolutely need to have a portfolio website. If you want to do it the right way, step 1 is to buy your domain name and web hosting.
Having a LinkedIn profile is not enough. You need an online portal where you can showcase all of your best work in a format that is easy to read and visually appealing.
It does not take that long to make a website, and you have so many options available to you for free! WordPress, Blogger and Tumblr are easy to use and have many different themes available. Not only are they free for you to use, but you can also take advantage of all of the documentation that is already out there for these content management systems. If you have a question about one of these platforms, it’s most likely been asked before and you can find an answer online in just a few minutes.
Not only can you use your blog to showcase your work experience and portfolio, but you can also use it to write about topics that you’re interested in. For example, if you’re a movie junkie, write movie reviews on your blog. Love to cook? Use your blog to write about your favorite recipes! If you love taking pictures (doesn’t matter if you’re a professional or an amateur), this is a great way to showcase your photos and document your life.
It honestly doesn’t matter what you write about as long as you’re writing something. It shows a prospective employer that not only do you have experience, but you’re someone who has a voice.
Try to add blogging into your schedule. You don’t have to do it every day — you won’t have something to say every single day — but try to aim for once a week starting out. Once you get into the flow of things, you’ll be able to gradually increase how much you’re writing. Before you know it, you’ll be sitting down to write your blogs without even thinking about it.
Seriously, blog about whatever you want, but make sure what you’re writing is something you wouldn’t mind a prospective employer seeing. Keep it clean — don’t use curse words or talk about underage drinking. Although this may seem like a no-brainer, you’d be surprised by how many people out there need to be reminded of this. Also, don’t talk negatively about your job — even if you’re complaining about your part-time job at the coffee shop, it’s not something you want out there to see. Even though you probably don’t take this job as seriously as you would a “real world” job, you just don’t want that negative energy out there.
The most important thing, though, is to make sure you’re reading over your work before you click the “post” button. Nothing looks worse than a blog riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. It only takes a few minutes to read over your work — do it! If you’re not the best at catching writing mistakes, ask a friend or family member to look it over. Everybody needs an editor.
Happy blogging!
