Blogs and social media play a much larger role in our professional development than most people tend to think. I am talking beyond the obvious benefits of LinkedIn and Twitter, which most marketing folks agree are very important in our industry.
 

Marketing and communications are exciting, fast paced industries, which unfortunately for us marketers, tend to make for a very competitive job market. Whether you are currently unemployed or considering a switch to a new company, standing out from the crowd and noise can be a very difficult task—especially when you literally have hundreds of people jockeying for the same positions. And, it only gets more difficult the longer you are out of the industry.

So, how do you stand out in today’s marketing world? Well, the answer is pretty straightforward actually: you have to set yourself up as someone who possesses an entrepreneurial spirit, strong work-ethic and is digitally savvy. Check out “Characteristics of a Modern Marketer” for additional reading

These elements can be very difficult to convey on a resume alone, so you have to give employers the ability to dig into your personality a little bit more. Allow them to see you and all of the amazingness you bring to the table.

I recently started a new job at Findaway World in Solon, OH. And, after I was hired I found out it was not all of the accomplishments on my resume and my well-put-together LinkedIn profile that ultimately landed me the job. It was my blog, 24hoursbetter.com. I listed the blog at the end of my resume as something I work on in addition to my 9 to 5. The blog is a project I am working on with a group of people that is dedicated to the ideal being a lifelong student and learning something new everyday.

Being a lifelong student and learner is something that is very important me and not only did 24hoursbetter.com give me an outlet to share this passion, it also gave me the extra edge I needed to stand out amongst the noise. It conveyed to Findaway World that I had the ability to think creatively, work in a group, be a self starter and that I possessed the entrepreneurial spirit they were looking for to fill the position. Another one of our authors also used the blog to land his latest his job, too. We are only six months into the blog and the effects have been phenomenal so far.

So, this is my challenge to you: find something that you are passionate about and start developing a blog or online community on that passion. We use wordpress.com to power our blog, but you can use whichever platform works best for you. If you are worried about getting overwhelmed, consider working with a group of people to make the task less daunting. Then, when you are looking for a new job, add this passion to your resume and stand out from the crowd. I promise you will have a whole new sense of confidence when talking about yourself.