Following a journalism event earlier this month on blogging your way into a job, City University London journalism student Rajvir Rai takes a more reflective look at the advice given:
[I]t is clear that a few years ago a blog really set you apart from crowd, but now with a plethora of people (including many who have no desire to become professional journalists) jumping on the bandwagon, standing out to the extent that the industry recognises you is becoming increasingly difficult – if not impossible.
Unless you have stuck upon a totally unique idea it is unlikely that your blog will be the reason you get a job. Using myself as a case study, I blog about areas that interest me (sport, Asian issues and the media) and I do okay out of it, but I don’t for one minute think that a potential employer will be impressed enough with this site to offer me a job.
If simply having a blog won’t cut it anymore, how else can journalism students make themselves stand out online?
I think running a regularly updated, well written blog does still help undergrads stand out. But I think guest blogging is the way to really get noticed. Approach other influential bloggers in the industry, get to know them and their blogs, and then offer them a guest post that’s of genuine value to both of you.