This post is part of the Guest Blog Grand Tour over at Life Without Pants – an epic two-month journey of over 50 guest posts. Want to learn more about Matt Cheuvront & see how far the rabbit hole goes? Subscribe to the Life Without Pants RSS feed & follow him on Twitter to keep in touch!
It all started with a boy and a dream…
I started my blog back in February. Why? Because I had a passion that wasn’t being realized. Because I saw an opportunity. I knew that I loved writing, that I had a passion for communicating and working with people – but I didn’t know what to do with that, and at the time, my job wasn’t letting me be me, so I needed something more – a creative outlet – and opportunity to make a name for myself.
Enter Life Without Pants…Yeah, I still don’t know how I came up with that title. When I sat down to write my first post – I had no idea what it would amount to or who, if anyone, would be reading it. But I just started writing – and pretty soon – good things started happening.
If you’ve followed my story at all, you’ll know that back in July I quit my job, sold virtually everything I owned on Craigslist, and moved to Chicago with my fiancé. There was no plan, other than finding a job and getting settled. Easier said than done (especially during this recession).
I knew I wanted to take my first professional step into the world of online marketing – an opportunity to turn what was a hobby into something that, you know, would pay the rent.
So I turned to my blog – virtually the only tangible thing I could point to as experience in the online world. During interviews I talked about the value in building a community around a brand, the ability to find and connect with potential clients, and shared my knowledge of design and SEO. A little bit of effort on my part in the months leading up to my move went a long, long way, and it wasn’t long before I had landed a job as an Internet Marketing Developer here in the city – not to mention the other opportunities that have come before me in the past several months, including working with the lead Cornhead himself, good ol’ Richie boy here.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned – it’s that a blog can be more than a blog. For me, it was an extension and reflection of my creativity – something tangible I could show that I had built from the ground up. A blog with a ridiculous title that has been around for less than a year has somehow become a defining part of both my personal and professional life.
So my advice, to anyone who may be looking for a job, moving to a new city, or even just looking for a creative outlet: Start writing. Set up a blog for yourself – get on Twitter, and start engaging with the community around you. It doesn’t matter what you write about, you don’t need a clear purpose or a set goal – all of that will come in time. Sometimes the first step is a small one, but a step nonetheless – and you’d be surprised of the impact a few words can have to helping you get to where you want to be.
What has your blog done for you lately?
Blogging has been such an awesome tool in terms of: 1) Creative outlet 2) Spreading a message that's important to you 3) Connecting with other like-minded thinkers 4) Learning from others 5) Feeling a part of a community 6) Holding yourself accountable to your own advice 7) Evidence of your dedication 8) Evidence that you're badass 9) Evidence that you're smart enough to know the difference between "your" & "you're," and will not confuse the two on a job assignment, if it were a potential employer looking 10) Helps to validate your own thoughts and, in turn, provide you with an extra confidence boost to get out there and get the job done...whatever that may be. As usual, awesome insight, Matt. You were born to be a blogger, man! P.S. Richie - Good call on a guest poster! P.P.S. Richie doesn't know it yet, but since we live in the same city, he is doomed for a nasty hangover once I'm back in the area.
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