4 Tips for Finding the Best Career Blogs

If you’re choosing or changing a career, the best career blogs help you learn about a particular career – ones that help you answer, what would it be like to be a _________? Many career blogs focus on general day to day work advice, the best of which are in our blogroll. But if you’re researching a specific career path, learn about it from someone doing the job or working in the industry.

Here are 4 tips for finding the best career blogs:

1. Search your favorite engine or blog program (Google’s Blogger, Live Search, etc) using your matching career interest: like “veterinarian blog.” Be sure to include “blog," otherwise you get everyone’s post about a veterinarian.
2. Look at the blogroll. Even if you find a blog that’s not exactly what you want, they often have links to others in the same industry that might be better.
3. Don’t settle for just one. Seek out different viewpoints. One person might love her job, another might not.
4. Be critical. Treat the information like anything on the Internet, consider the source and view it with a critical eye. Don't be surprised if some blogs may contain political/social views you disagree with. But that’s the workplace…
   

To give you ideas, I’ve listed some of my favorites for the Realistic Personality type, organizing them by Career Key’s groups. For more Career Key groups of matching careers, visit our online article "Match Your Personality with Careers."

Agriculture & Natural Resources
American Farm Bureau Young Farmer Blog
Life of a Farm Blog
The Tiny Farm (Organic Micro-Farming)
Blogriculture (check out their extensive blogroll of agricultural blogs)
The Beef Blog
Canada’s Forestry Blog
Steve’s Forestry Blog (U.S.)
Interested in groundskeeping? Love baseball or sports? What if you were in charge of a stadium grounds? Murray Cook’s Field Blog is for you….

I couldn’t find a good commercial fisher’s blog; if you have a suggestion, please email me. They’re probably busy out on the boat…

Safety & Law Enforcement
Community Corrections Officer Blog
The World Through the Eyes of a Paramedic
Firefighter Blog (California, Wildland) They also have an interesting fire related blogroll.
FirefighterHourly Blog (urban firefighting)
Diary of a Police Officer (U.S.)
Blues and Twos – Police Officer’s Blog (UK)
The Policeman’s Blog (UK and Canada)
Acadia National Park Blogs (Student Park Rangers)
Daicey Days: Baxter State Park Ranger Blog
Occupational Health and Safety Magazine: As I See It

Engineering
eContent: Engineering Blog Quest 2008 (find reviews of non-commercial engineering blogs)
Civil Engineer Blog
Not Only Bridges
Curious Cat: Science and Engineering Blog
Chemical Engineering World
Ocean Engineering Blog
The American Surveyor Blog

Transportation and Distribution
Flight Level 390: America from the Flight Deck
My Flying Blog
A Pilot’s Blog
Captain’s Blog (Cornelia Marie); when searching for ship captain blogs, watch out for those Star Trek spoofs!

Crafts – Structural
The Carpetology Blog (yes, all about carpeting)
C-School Blog: Construction Management Education
Construction Contractor’s Digest

I hope this list inspires you to find other blogs in your areas of career interest and for your highest scoring personality types. Our goal is to help you make the best career decision and the more information you have, the better. Feel free to comment or email me with suggestions and feedback.