If you are looking for a job in a specific industry, getting your foot in the door may be as simple as spending an hour or two a day keeping up to date on the latest breaking news and developing trends on industry-focused blogs and then participating in discussion about these new ideas. While reading focused blogs will keep you more educated about your industry than any mainstream news outlet could, you can also use these blogs to add your own insight and expertise to the discussion.

By posting useful comments on various industry-focused blogs — especially consistently — the writers and editors of these blogs will eventually recognize you for your expertise and strong communication skills. Use this opportunity to post additional useful information, or to offer an additional viewpoint that the original author of the blog post may have missed. Since you are using this opportunity for recruitment by the blog — or by other writers or editors — be careful to avoid inflammatory comments or otherwise being disagreeable. You can make counterpoints, but be sure to do so with respect.

If the editor of the blog appreciates your contribution to the discussion, they may approach you to write a few articles as a guest blogger, or perhaps even do a few posts that are paid by the publisher. You may even get approached by editors of other blogs who recognize your skills and expertise, or hiring managers from other companies who frequent the blog. While you may not get offered a “full-time” job right away, keep in mind that many employees operate under contract or as freelancers. If this is your very first chance at getting your foot in the door to the job of your dreams, take the opportunity for the experience and leverage this experience for a paycheck after you can prove you can do the job.