By now most people have heard of, read the book, or watched the movie Julie and Julia. Julie Powell is a woman stuck in a dead-end job, who decides to inject some excitement in her life. A self-proclaimed ‘foodie by night’ Julie’s excitement comes by way of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Powell’s goal is to create every one of Child’s recipes in 365 days, and she blogs about it along the way.

The result: a book deal, a movie deal, and a new job as a writer.

Blogging changed her life.

Julie Powell is not the only one who’s blogged their way to a career.

Blogging, medium of the ‘citizen journalist’, is actually a helpful tool when developing your game plan to land the perfect job. Social media, blogging in particular, has become a self-marketing tool that can enhance a resume.

When attempting to take my career in a new direction I was advised to start a blog about topics pertinent to the desired job. The idea is to show prospective employers you are up to speed on the industry, you are super keen to work, and you know your stuff.

Targeting a blog to your areas of interest reveals your willingness to go over and above simply looking for some employment. It shows a genuine interest and helps boost your professional persona.

Ok, so creating a blog is all well and good, but once you’ve published posts how do you get people reading it?

Using networking sites like Facebook and twitter to drive traffic to a blog not only demonstrates your knowledge of current media, but it can also lead to some serendipitous networking and possible career opportunities.

If you are working hard at finding your perfect job, start a blog, put it on your resume, promote it through twitter, and see where it takes you.

Next thing you know, you might be making a movie.

What are your thoughts on blogging as a career move? Let us know.