By Alexandra Conte — FTC Publication Committee Member, English MA (Tech Comm.)

Hello Knights, 

Have you been thinking about how to improve your writing skills or how to turn writing skills into another employable attribute? If you answered an enthusiastic yes, then let me welcome you to the blogging world.

Low-Stakes Writing 

Blogs are typically websites with multiple short posts of interesting or informative information. What makes blogging unique is that it is personal and allows your personality to shine through in a less formal setting. Blog posts are short (usually between 250-500 words) and have no strict rules. However, some conventions are popular in this writing genre (lists, bullets, images, etc.) 

Employable Skills

Blogging is an excellent skill to have because many companies seek to use company blogs to promote their services to new and existing clients. Thus, this skill is resume-worthy and serves as a writing sample for a portfolio. Technical Communication is a writing-heavy field, and blogging showcases a less formal writing style. It also demonstrates your ability to consider and adapt writing conventions based on the audience and genre. 

Find a Virtual Space

An essential aspect of blogging is determining where to post blog posts. Different options depend on your intended audience and your blog’s purpose. For example Future Technical Communicators (FTC) blog is for students, while the Society of Technical Communicators blog is for professionals and students interested in the field. 

  • FTC
    • Feel free to pitch ideas to FTC leadership! We would love for FTC members to become featured on our club blog! We have a blogging style guide for those interested. 
  • Society for Technical Communication
  • Personal Website
    • WordPress
    • Weebly
  • Personal Website
    • Google Sites

For more information on blogging, contact us for access to the blogging style guide. The style guide is a quick way to understand writing conventions for the genre and is adaptable. 

Alexandra is an English MA (Technical Communication track) student. Her interests include technical writing and editing. In her free time, she enjoys reading and exploring coffee shops.