How Writing on the Internet Can Help You Get a Data Job
And why you should start right now
In your path to learning programming, data science, and machine learning, you’ve probably learned a lot from blogs and tutorials on the internet. They’re everywhere and they’re great.
Although I, too, am all for extrapolating the course and going after answers yourself, reading blogs, forums, etc., I’m here to tell you that you should not only read and learn but also write and teach!
I started writing about data science for fun. I had read a lot of great articles that were very helpful and I wanted to share something too. I wanted to be part of the data community on the internet and it felt great to have an article published on a blog. But then I realized how helpful those articles I wrote were (and still are) to my career.
Of course, I’m talking about the data field, because that’s where my experience comes from. But the thoughts can be extrapolated to basically any area of expertise.
Why do it?
Once your article is on a blog, it begins to work for you in multiple ways. First of all: they’re advertising you. People will stumble on your text sooner or later, either because you wrote about what they are learning or, even better, because they’re hiring people with the abilities you just demonstrated, either for a full-time data job or for a freelance writing job (yes, you can get paid to write).
Make sure to insert your LinkedIn profile on everything you write, and the blogs will draw people to your network. I still get lots of connections from people who found something I wrote two years ago.
Also, when you get an interview (and you eventually will), having a portfolio of published blog posts can make all the difference in your favor. It will give you more stuff to show and talk about with the interviewer, of course, but it also creates a sense of authority for you and your work. Not to mention it will improve your communications skills, which are critical for any data scientist or data analyst.
How to start if you’re a total beginner
By now, you have already noticed that I am a big enthusiast of writing on the internet. But when I tell that to people, I usually hear something like this:
“But I am a total beginner myself, what can I teach or talk about?”
I once read something that helped me when I was having similar thoughts as you: no matter how much of a beginner you are, there will always be people who are even less advanced than you.
Data science and programming are very popular nowadays, so there are always new people starting their journey and looking for basic content. So you don’t have to be afraid that your article is too basic. You’re not writing about rocket science, state-of-the-art, world-changing projects, and you don’t have to.
And yes, I’m aware that it’s not easy to start. Maybe you don’t think you’re a good writer or you don’t know what to write about. Here’s how to overcome this:
1. Don’t think you’re good at writing? Write. Again. Keep writing. It may seem contradictory, but it’s not. The more you write, the better you get. And don’t be ashamed to submit your texts to blogs or publishing in your social network. The community is very welcoming and, just by publishing something, you’re already doing more than 90% of the people who are fighting you for that same job.
2. Don’t know what to write about? Write code. Your own code. If you don’t do it already, start creating your own projects. Find something you like, and see how you can apply data science to it. Every time you make something, write about it. That’s how I started to have consistency in my writing. Again, it does not have to be a giant, complex, rocket-science project. You will be surprised to see how much you can write about only 25 lines of code.
Where to start
When I get past that first question, the second one is always this:
Where would I post my writings if I’m just starting out? Who would accept my article?
Starting on Medium is a great option as it’s very easy to begin. Medium provides a very intuitive and clean layout, and you just have to set up an account and start writing, which means you can focus only on your goal: to write.
You can publish your writings on your profile without any need for approval from anyone. You probably won’t have a big audience at first, at least until you get some followers, but Medium does a good job distributing what you publish and you’ll eventually reach some people.
But you can always submit it to a publication. There are tons of tech-related publications on Medium and you should not be afraid to submit your story to them. A few good examples are:
And you have other great blogs outside of Medium as well, such as Hackernoon and freeCodeCamp, for instance.
You may think that because these are big publications, they will only accept very advanced articles, but that’s not true. As long as you have something well written and show some interesting work or thoughts, there’s a good chance they’ll publish it.
Start right now, but know what to expect
You’ll have absolutely no disadvantage from taking some time to write about what you know or are learning. It’s a win-win situation.
But, remember, you’re not trying to change the world and your first article won’t become a viral hit. It’s important to know why you’re doing this for. You are just sharing some knowledge, improving your communication skills, creating a portfolio, expanding your online presence, making some new connections, and trying to stand out. Focus on those topics. Those have to be your goals.
Finally, keep in mind that it won’t be easy but it sure will be worth it. If you need any help, feel free to be in touch.
Writing code and writing text are closer to each other than you may think and this combination can make you a better data practitioner. Remember: Your articles will work for you 24/7 and for free. Take advantage of this!
