If you’re looking to get some career inspiration in the new year, ramping up your reading list is one of the best places to start.
Even if you already subscribe to the blogging bigwigs like The Huffington Post and The Grindstone, some lesser-known blogs out there warrant your attention, too. Narrowing down a manageable list can be tough, but since hanging out in the blogosphere is part of my job, I’ve done the grunt work for you and sifted through the blogging noise to find the real gold.
Take a look at my favorites: a list of sensational women who offer resources, ideas, and inspiration for getting ahead in your career and developing your business.
1. Farnoosh Brock, Prolific Living
Brock, who recently left a very successful corporate career to pursue her goal of helping others to lead passion-driven lives, draws on her own experience to write about living life to its fullest, trusting your instincts, and following your dreams. She doesn’t tolerate senseless self-pity—and she speaks authentically here, because she’s been through personal struggles herself. Instead, Brock offers practical advice on getting to know yourself, finding your path, and staying motivated in your corporate job. This is a must-read for anyone who needs a little push and a lot of inspiration!
2. Penelope Trunk, Penelope Trunk
Penelope Trunk, co-founder of Brazen Careerist, has been touted the queen of unhindered commentary—her personal blog’s tagline is “advice at the intersection of work and life,” and she pretty much covers it all. Trunk is smart, brutally honest, transparent, and a little bit nuts—and she can be very controversial (her blog posts range from “Don’t Do What You Love” to “Choose Sex Over Money”). But agree with her or not, she ultimately offers some interesting nuggets of advice for just about everyone.
3. Kat Griffin, Corporette
This award-winning blog (named one of Forbes’ Top 100 Websites for Women this year) is a fashion and lifestyle resource for “overachieving chicks.” The site was born after its founder recognized that young professional women in demanding careers needed somewhere to go—other than fashion magazines—for wardrobe advice they could actually use. In addition to shopping tips and trend alerts, Corporette covers the tricky workplace style questions, like what to wear to the office on the weekend or how to dress when you’re laid off and looking.
4. Erica Diamond, Women On The Fence
Erica Diamond writes for women who find themselves sitting “on the fence,” whether in life, business, or love. Anyone struggling to move beyond a challenge (like dealing with the boss from hell or just trying to juggle it all) will find inspiration on her blog, which was also rated a Forbes Top 100 site. She both draws upon her own experiences and features guest bloggers of all backgrounds, walks of life, experiences, and points of view (check out jewelry designer Maya Brenner’s post on making your passion your paycheck).
5. Kristi Hines, Kikolani
What this one lacks in style, it makes up in content—especially if you’re looking to gain more online traction for your blog or business. With articles covering resources for starting a WordPress blog to what will—and won’t—get you traffic, Kristi Hines makes online marketing from social media to blogging to SEO completely accessible to readers. One of her best features is Fetching Fridays—a weekly round-up of the best articles and web resources out there.
Bonus: The Freelance Writing Blog
And while you’re at it—check out my site, The Freelance Writing Blog, which shows you how to generate meaningful, authentic, and effective content to grow your your business. Whether you consider yourself a “writer” or not, you’ll find tips aimed right at you. (Hey, I couldn’t resist a little shameless self-promotion!)
Tell us! What are your favorite career blogs?