how blogging has boosted my career

I wish I had started this career blog earlier. For years I have been reading other popular career blogs in order to stay current and stretch my knowledge. There were always so many handy tips to choose form, that if I read one post per week it made a difference in my performance and/or personal brand at work. 

But then I remembered that I enjoyed writing just as much as reading, I always have.

Many of my friends know that I work in HR and love asking me career related questions, and having a group of employees to service means I can see and hear first-hand what people are frustrated with in their careers. I always aim to help or advise, and so it hit me:  If I can help one person, why can't I help many? 

And then I just started! I asked a motivating mentor of mine for a few blogging tips and she allowed me to feature a guest post on her blog. I have loved every moment since! And even though it hasn't been that long, it has given my career a subtle (but powerful) boost in a few ways:

• Confidence - When someone gives positive feedback or I see someone sharing a post from my blog I know that the content is relevant and that people can relate. It's great to know that the things I am sharing are worth reading. Sharing your thoughts and getting people's feedback is a great way to measure your own progress.
• Snowball effect - Because I am more confident of my career knowledge and influence, it comes across when I network with other professionals. I get questions and interviews with people I would never have connected with otherwise.
• Career ownership - I no longer just have a day-job, I am an HR Professional with a Career Coaching blog on the side. I hold the steering wheel for this part of my career and I can decide the route I want to take with this project, whether it be speaking engagements or individual coaching sessions. So many new things are possible now...

My blog is still pretty new, so even though it hasn't landed me a new job at Forbes, I have discovered a whole community of career bloggers and I consider them all to be peers and mentors. Most of all, it adds a creative/fun aspect to my career that wasn't there before and I love every minute of it!