I’ve been blogging for a long time. The oldest blog post of mine that I can still find on the Internet was published in 2010. And no, I’m not providing a link. It’s too embarassing. LOL.

But what kind of blogger/influencer would I be if I didn’t share my “secret” for how my blog helped me earn $250,000+?

So without further ado, here are the simple 3-steps that helped me earn $250,000+ with my blog:

1. Start a blog. Keep it simple. If in doubt, use WordPress.org or Blogger.com. Or Medium. Or Substack. It doesn’t matter. Don’t even worry about finding an exciting theme. (You can always add frills like that later, if you want.)

2. At the top of your résumé/CV, put a link to your blog.

3. Whenever you’re motivated, write a blog post about something relevant to your work.

   This last step is often the hardest. But don’t let it be. You don’t need to be motivated that often. Once or twice a year is enough. And don’t worry about creating unique content. Just write a 2-paragraph review of the last book you read about Kubernetes. Or write a 200-word description of a new JavaScript technique you discovered. Even if you know it’s already been written about 10,000 times by other, more experienced bloggers.

   Pro tip: Any time you want to write a note to yourself, so you don’t forget something (e.g. “How do I do an interactive rebase in git?”), put it on your blog.

It’s that simple. But people like to complicate it.

From my conversations with others, when most people think about blogging, they’re thinking about building an audience. They’re thinking about contributing unique, inspriting, inspirational content to the world.

These can be good things. But they should not be your goal.

Rather, your goal is extremely simple: Write about your experience.

That’s it.

Write about your experience.

How will this help you earn $250,000+?

Here’s the thing.

Your experience is what hiring managers and interviewers care about. Well, and how you can communicate. And a sea of mediocre job applicants, a blog, even with only 2 posts from 3 summers ago, stands out. And if one of those posts demonstrates that you’re willing to take the time to explain a techincal concept, even just to yourself… that’s worth a lot to a hiring manager.

Most recruiters and hiring managers will browse your blog before even calling you for a phone screening. And many will ask you about it during an interview.

I know of no better way to leave a positive impression, earlier in the candidate search process, than simply having a blog. Having an active GitHub profile comes in a close second.