Blogging is a great tool for individuals of all generations to use. A blogger can chronicle his or her life, brand him or herself as an expert, or promote a product, service or cause.
Generation Y students are all involved in social media and regularly check the various networks they belong to. I encourage all of my peers and followers to start producing content online instead of simply passively consuming. However, I consistently hear:
“What can I blog about? No one cares about what I have to say!”
Well, this article outlines some topics to blog about for high school students, college students and recent graduates. The following represents only a few areas of interest a blog can focus on. Remember, be sure to be cognizant of the fact that any content published online represents your personal values and beliefs, thus it reflects on your personal brand.
High School Students
Personal hobbies can be a great topic to create a blog on. Afterschool activities show dedication to a subject and convey the ability to commit and excel when you are interested in a particular area. The ability to learn a new skill (i.e. art, sports, language, theatre, community service, etc) is appealing to college admissions officers.
For example, during my onsite interview at Skidmore College we began discussing my love of photography. Little did I know that the interviewer had a daughter who enjoyed acting. As a proud parent, the interviewer was having difficulty capturing her daughter’s performance in the lowlight conditions. My expertise in the area led to a great conversation in which I provided some useful tips. Needless to say, I don’t attribute my acceptance to Skidmore College to my photography advice, but it definitely didn’t hurt!
If blogging and other social media tools were available at the time, I would have been sure to utilize the mediums to broadcast my various extracurricular activities. Come to think of it, I would have enjoyed cataloging my numerous college tours in a blog to inform my peers of the pros and cons I found at each institution.
College Students
As a recent graduate, I completely understand students’ hesitancy to commit to maintaining an active blog. It takes a considerable amount of dedication to meet the demands of professors on top of the copious amounts of social distractions experienced on a college campus. However, there is no rule that blog content must be 100% original and written with the intent of being published solely on a blog. Let me explain.
Think about some typical assignments seen in college courses:
- Write a response about our guest speaker’s lecture for next class.
- Summarize a recent article from The New York Times and conclude with your thoughts on the topic.
- Research an industry and discuss your opinion as to how [insert industry leader] can successfully maintain control over the market.
All of these assignments would produce a concise article written on a current topic with valuable insights from the student – you! Publishing this piece of work highlights your recent work as a student and provides future employers with both a writing sample and insight into your work ethic.
College students can continue to blog about hobbies and extracurricular activities, similar to that of high school students. Furthermore, the opportunities to travel to other universities and spend semesters in foreign countries provide inspiration for blog content that will engage an audience.
Post-Graduate
Recent graduates are under enormous pressure. If they are lucky enough to be employed, they have the stress of an entry-level job occupying their time. If unemployed, he or she is continuously worried about the task of securing gainful employment. Furthermore, all graduates are entering the “real world” and need to cope with new life challenges, including, but not limited to, living on their own in a new city (most likely), budgeting their money and making the right choices to ensure their future.
However, the uncertainty of this time period provides for exciting content to write in the form of a blog. Entry-level workers and the, less fortunate, unemployed can blog about attending networking events, insights into their industry, travels, family and adjusting to life in the real world.
Important: Keep in mind that everything posted online is public and searchable. DO NOT publish personal information or details about your employer or clients. Pause Before You Post!
Example Posts
– Networking – Link
– Networking Event – Link
– College – Link
– Guest Speaker – Link
– Advice to Peers – Link