One thing I would say is that starting a blog is one thing, but keeping it going is another. It is a requirement of my students that they keep a blog, but so many of them only update as part of a class, or when reminded to do so by a tutor.

But I always stress the importance of keeping a blog going for the long term. If you can keep a blog going for a year or more, with constant, regular updates, it not only shows your ability to meet your own deadlines, and to keep coming up with material, but it also helps a lot to hone your craft.

Sacrifice a few hours a week to keep your online presence going, and it makes an excellent calling card to show to potential employers.

@Craig: Great points. That’s why I called these tips. I don’t have the authority to say, “You must do this to get a job.” I’m a student too.

I’m just trying to pass along various tidbits of advice I’ve heard repeatedly since high school, and I’m still working on most of these myself. If someone wants to do all 10, they should take a gradual approach. This kind of advice doesn’t become irrelevant once you graduate, you can (and should) continue once you get into the professional world.

Ideally younger students will read this and be able to pace themselves they can be as prepared and viable candidates as possible.

I completely agree regarding be able to get the story, that’s a definite must and ties into a number of the tips (networking, multimedia, etc).

Great comments all around. Thanks to everyone who has weighed in so far! Please encourage your friends to add their thoughts.