Guys what are some benefits of blogging as a software developer can it help land a job

#discuss

Top comments (9)

I would say of all the benefits, the biggest benefits are the ones it bring to how you learn and communicate. Part of why I love writing is it forces me to better understand and communicate what I know with others. This leads to filling gaps in my knowledge, hearing other viewpoints, and finding better ways to share info with others. Employers reviewing your work for a job that see your writing will see all these traits, which is great since they're great qualities to see in a coder. Coders that can communicate and learn well are much better in the long-term.

I think it's better to focus on your own development through writing than the response and popularity of your writing, since you have much less control over the later. Having a famous blog is something that, realistically speaking, can't happen to everyone and the fame will usually fade out before your career does. For yourself, it's better to see blogging more as an extension of how you build your career than just becoming popular.

It also has the added benefit of helping others by sharing info with them!

Around25 • Aug 8 '18 • Edited

Totally second this, especially as a development team where we see different kinds of programmers. As such, there are some who take writing as a self-improvement habit and try to stick to it but moreover it's particularly striking how those exact people are also excellent at teaching interns and seeing the bigger picture with most of the projects.

So we made it kind of a 'company value' to try to seek out and hire this kind of people in the team. Here's an article - around25.com/blog/startup-culture-... - where our CTO wrote some considerations on the topic, in case you're interested in how the whole thing is seen from a managerial point of view.

Alan Barr • Aug 7 '18

If you are a person that likes to learn new things all the time then it is a must. Otherwise it can help position yourself as an expert in the field and it is much better than not writing anything. It can also help with landing new opportunities because if someone is looking they can see a progression in your thinking and abilities.

.\\ax Young • Aug 8 '18

If you blog about a technical subject, it certainly helps you learn it better yourself. Amazing how many times I've been writing a blog post or article on something I thought I knew really well, only to discover new things, and solidify it in my own mind.

Can it help getting a job? Yes - if it is good. Getting to an interview and having the interviewer realise you';re the guy that wrote that blog they read and used some code from (it happened to me) is a great way of putting you one step up the ladder.

Conversely I have had devs apply to me with a link to their online articles, repos etc. and looking at them has done them far more harm than good!

I guess, if you are going to put your self out there, make sure your posts are very well edited, professional etc. and always, always always be polite if people comment - even if they abuse you; you will almost certainly be in a position as a dev where you are speaking to a disgruntled customer, and as your potential boss, I want to see that you can keep calm in the face of adversity '_)

Charlie Strack • Aug 8 '18

I guess at the end of the day, anything that increases your online presence and visibility is a good thing in the current job market, although some may argue that the relevance of your blog topic is an important factor here. Obviously if you are yammering on about kittens, fruit juice, and gardening - it may not have much to do with your technological prowess. However, that being said, it WILL showcase your communication skills, your interests, and your passion for what you love/do/both.

George • Aug 8 '18

I'm not the biggest blogger but I've personally found that some people looking to hire developers do read through dev blogs you've made. It can sometimes give them an aspect of how you work, how you handle projects, and even a better aspect as you as a person. The blog you write whether its technical (I.E Showing something off or a tutorial) or if its something regarding the work place (I.E how you feel X works in X environment) can show a lot about a person. Granted their judgement won't fully be based off a blog you've written i believe that It can help in some areas.

(Best of luck if you're looking for a job btw)

Joshua Johnson • Aug 8 '18

Short answer is YES! Blogging helps in many ways. Mostly your ability to learn faster. When you have to explain how something works, you are forced to learn more about the subject so you can explain it. It can help you land a job simply by sharpening your technical edge. Secondarily, you could submit your blog as part of your resume to demonstrate your technical understanding.

Michael • Aug 8 '18

Communication is key!

I see a lot of very smart people who can code well but ask some to explain what they did and why and its a rabbit hole of confusion. Being able to find the words, and the way to explain something, comes out in writing since you have the structure in there to get your thoughts in order. I find that blogging has also helped me to further understand what I have learned by being able to re-communicate it. It's also a good record of issues I dealt with and how I resolved them, at times its been useful to look back a few years later when encountering a similar issue. So not only helping others but my future self!