Blogging: Why you should share your story

I just read a post written by J.T. O’Donnell about how blogging is the new cover letter and it got me thinking.

Anyone can write a few sentences about a job and why they are a great ‘fit’ and therefore should be invited to an interview, but how honest and ‘real‘ is that?

At the end of the day, you want a job and maybe you REALLY want that job, so, quite frankly, you write what you think the company wants to hear in order to get the interview, the cover letter is just a necessary evil, a stepping stone.

But how accurate and honest is it?

Blogging allows you to be yourself, it allows your personality to shine through and enables you to share something that is actually important to you and demonstrate your expertise.  When you write about something you are passionate about, it cannot fail to stand out  – even if the grammar is a little shaky or the style isn’t a well adopted format–the fact that it is real and honest and the content is clear and relevant will resonate with someone (and perhaps hundreds of someone’s, you never know).

We all have something to say, a story to tell, and experiences that, if told, could influence, help or support someone else.

So why not share them?

Write that experience down, share that funny story or meaningful moment so that someone else who might be feeling a little lost, confused, or alone, can feel less so.

Being authentic and true to yourself allows you to attract others with similar interests and vision (especially within an established network like FoodGrads). Best of all, instead of writing a cover letter that might require compromising yourself, you might actually attract an organization/start-up/hiring manager to find you.  Imagine not having to change who you are or what you like to do, imagine a job where you get to be yourself and do what you love?

Gen Z make decisions based on what their friends and peers are saying and doing. So doesn’t it make sense both personally and professionally to be part of the discussion?

The results show that peer interaction positively influences Generation Z’s, decision-making, most predominantly in the first stages of the process. – See The influence of WOM and Peer Interaction in the Decision-Making Process of Generation Z within the family

How can you be part of the discussion?

Students; share your experiences at school, why did you chose to pursue a food related course?  What would you change/do differently? Tell us about an assignment/project/internship/ that tested you or made you smile!  Deena shared her story on why she changed her major.

Have you known what you wanted to do since you were a kid?  Michael tells us how his hobby became his career goal in his post.

New Grads; share your wisdom now you’re done!  How did you land your first job?  What was the process like and was it different to how you imagined it would be?  Go on, tell us about the first embarrassing interview when you………

Morgan shared her experience about explaining what she does for a living to her friends and family.

You can effect change but only if you’re part of the conversation

Bruce Vincent

Veronica wrote over 40 articles on the flavour compounds of different foods and it helped her get a job interview for a sensory food scientist position.

My final note, don’t be afraid.  Trying something new is always nerve racking and creates self doubt.  Almost all of the people who blog with us are first timers (me included) and shared their concerns about putting their thoughts and feelings in writing, but they did it and all said the same thing, it was FUN, plus our readers are finding this stuff really useful!  They don’t have to be long, in fact the most popular are often the shortest, as long as they are meaningful.