How To Get A Job Blogging Resume

Are you looking for a job? Do you want to include your blogging experience on your resume? Find out how to add blogging experience to your resume the right way.

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If you run a blog, chances are it's not your full-time job. Maybe your blog is a passion project around something unrelated to your professional life, such as a food or fashion, or perhaps it's a professional blog where you share your research and expertise on your particular industry.

Whatever the case, when it comes time to look for a new job, it's common to wonder, "Should I put my blog on my resume?"

While your blog may be a source of pride for you, it's not necessarily a great fit for a resume – sometimes it is, and sometimes it really isn't. In this article, we'll examine how to evaluate whether or not to include your blog in your resume, and, if it's a good fit, how to present it to hiring managers.

How To Add Blogging Experience To Your Resume

Before you start tweaking your resume, you need to know if adding your blog is actually a good fit. To find out, answer the following three questions:

Are the skills I've gained from blogging relevant to my professional field? (For example, Photoshop or web design skills if you work in design or marketing.)
Is the subject matter of my blog relevant to my professional field? (For example, a food blog if you work in the restaurant or catering business.)
Is the content and layout of my blog professional? (If you blog is unprofessional or poorly put together, it will detract, not add, to your job application.)

If you answered "Yes" to all three questions, then it's almost definitely a wise choice to include your blog on your resume. However, if you answered "No" to most of them, then it might be best to leave it – especially if you have tons of other things to write about already.

If you do decide to it's worth including your blogging experience, here are four tips to really get the most out of it on your resume:

1. Put it in the appropriate section of your resume.

If your blog is a legitimate complement to your professional life, include it in the "Experience" section of your resume. Give yourself a job title ("Digital Marketing Blogger", for example), and add the dates you've been blogging. Be sure to mention the exact name of the blog you've been writing for. Hyperlink the blog on your resume so it's easier for hiring managers to find it and get a sense for what it's all about.

2. Add the right skills.

While, at first glance, it might appear that you haven't really learned anything relevant to your career from your blog, there are a number of key skills that most bloggers learn. These can directly apply to your career, especially if you work in marketing, media, or communications:

Photoshop – Most bloggers use this or similar editing software to get the most out of the images that populate their blog posts
Web Design – If your blog looks professional, you likely put in a good deal of effort to make it look like that. That experience in designing and formatting web pages can come in handy in most careers.
Writing – This one might seem a little obvious, but make sure to include it. Most jobs involve some amount of writing, and your skills will make you stand out.
Social Media – Most businesses today have an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram. Your experience marketing on those platforms will make a difference to employers looking for multi-talented hires.

3. Include relevant numbers and statistics.

One of the easiest ways to make your resume stand out is to demonstrate your capabilities. The numbers make it easier for hiring managers to evaluate your skills and verify that you're capable of what you say you are. For your blog, make sure to include key data such as total traffic, levels of social media engagement, revenue generated, and how many articles you've published.

4. Detail your blogging experience in your cover letter.

While a resume is the standard document you send in when responding to a job offer, it doesn't offer much space for you to elaborate on the specific skills you've built through running a blog. So instead of mentioning your blogging on your resume, mention it on your cover letter instead. In fact, a recent study from resume service, ResumeGo, that sent out over 7,000 job applications found that including a tailored cover letter with your job application increased the likelihood of getting an interview by a full 50%. Worth it? I'd say so.

Conclusion

While many blogs are unprofessional or more personal in nature, a quality, professional blog can be a solid complement to your resume. By using the strategies I've outlined above, you'll be able to get the most out of blogging and get your dream job faster.

[If you're looking for more tips on blogging, read: Everything You Need To Know About Blogging]

by McLean Mills. McLean is a career coach and resume writer who covers career topics. He used to be a career advisor for University of Florida. He is a regular contributor to Monster.com and Business2Community. Follow him on Twitter @mcleanmills7