The reason
There are a couple of reason why I think it’s a great idea to start a blog, especially as an IT professional.
Showcase what you can do
The main reason I’m starting to blog is because I think it’s a great way to show what you’re good at. You can really showcase your expertise by writing in-depth articles on your subject matter. It’s freely available 24/7 for anyone interested and it gets your name or brand out there. And hopefully someone else reading it can learn something!
Enjoy your own content
The stuff you blog about will be something you are personally interested in or passionate about. This usually leads to better quality output. Something you do with passion, especially if it’s voluntary typically means you are going to produce something good. Blogging about side projects give you the freedom to create whatever you want.
It makes you a better writer
I’m not the best at explaining my ideas and thoughts, neither verbally nor written. Writing a decent blog post is still difficult for me. I need to sit down and really think about structure, content, vocabulary, … It’s that struggle that, over time, will improve my ability as a writer. This is a skill that will help me at work as well as in life in general.
It allows you to think
Writing a blog post forces you to really think something through. I spend most of my day speeding through problem solving. A blog post is not a sprint but something you can take your time to perfect. It allows you really process an idea or concept.
Track your progress
Over time I (hopefully) see my skill increase. A blog will be a nice journal that will stay here forever that nicely keeps track of this progress. It must feel good if you can at some point look back at older blog posts and see clear improvement in skills and writing.