So I decided to impart a little of the first-hand knowledge I picked up from getting into the job market and any other helpful pointers along the way. While at University studying computer science, we were generally discouraged from picking up any part-time jobs as they could interfere with our studies. It was excellent for the first year, but as you know, the funds soon ran out. I did not go down the weekend temp job in a bar like everyone else I knew then. Instead, I first tried to make some extra cash from fixing students’ computers and building budget gaming machines. It was fun, but it still didn’t get me enough steady income.
Mining from the bottom up
My first online venture was building a bitcoin mining rig and writing a blog about how I made it with setup instructions and illustrations. It was not so profitable as you had to wait a long time to get some revenue, and the parts were becoming more expensive. My blog, on the other hand, gained some interest and helped me find another project. It was an online gaming website to spend bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Also not a great success but gained some experience with web design and the cryptocurrency market. Something I would encourage if interested in either of these fields.
Manage your time
Then I was asked to write blog posts for our student website regarding maintaining your PC and other good habits while using a computer. We were allowed to use advertising and sponsors on the site, so this was a regular-paying job. I liked this work a lot as it fitted around my studies, and I gained more blogging skills even though the pay was not as much as I would have liked. Soon I encountered a problem where I had too much work and insufficient time to finish, especially in my second year. So I discovered a trusted writing platform that could help with my workload and keep me on track, not to mention free up my time.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get
After I left college and started to look for programming work, there was a time when I could not find a company to take on an inexperienced programmer. Luckily a few temporary jobs I kept since one was enough to survive. I even found a position by posting an advert on one blog site. My next tip is don’t be scared to ask the universe (or audience) what you want. At first, I thought this would seem desperate, but if you do it well, it is a legitimate portal to advertise yourself. Blogging is not my desired area of work, but it could be a successful option if I pursue it further for serious long-term employment.
A Techies Takeaway
So, upon reflection, would I recommend blogging while learning IT? If you enjoy writing and want to share something with others, then go for it. If you are learning graphical design, then this could be beneficial and have the potential to turn your blogs into something very creative. Which could give you the edge over everybody else? I’ve seen some cool designs with the use of Java and even just photoshop. If you are in the more logical area of studies, I would still advise giving it a try also if the money is not satisfactory at first. Just remember, don’t be scared to try new things!
