This one goes out to all my peeps on Google Reader (and those who subscribe via email). It's time to jump out of the feed-i-verse and come visit my blog in a REAL web browser! I am excited to announce that I gave it an extreme makeover (everything but the tummy tuck). Funny story about the history of the site and why this redesign is a big deal:
When I first conceived of the idea for this website almost four years ago, I had never heard of blogging. I just wanted something creative on which to practice the new CSS and HTML skills that I taught myself at the startup as our default webmaster. As an avid reader and information gopher, I had accumulated tons of resources about life after college and wanted to share them with others forging out on their own into the real world. So I built the framework for the site in HTML - about 50 pages - and then got tired. Designing and coding the site (the exciting part) was over. My next step was to write and fill-in the content, and I got writer's block. FOR TWO YEARS.
That's right, my beautiful website sat vacant on the Internet for two years with all the links in place, but placeholder text everywhere that said "insert description here." Then a little over a year ago, someone emailed me. She was a fellow UCLA graduate and sent me the following email:
From one Bruin to another, great job on the website. I'm personally looking for answers re: life right now on the internet and all I found is this cute website. I wish you tons of success and the fact that you started this website inspires me that I can do a lot. Thanks for your 2 cents and initiative to start such a website!
Somewhat panicked, I checked my Analytics and lo-and-behold, I had gotten a steady trickle of 5-10 visitors a day searching for "life after college." I knew it was time to fish or cut bait. I had to either take the whole thing down, or finish building out my content and actually take it seriously. Her email, seeing that I could inspire someone with even a half-baked site, gave me the push I needed to finish and launch Life After College.
So I worked like a mad-woman for two days adding links, books, and accompanying text to get the site up to snuff. I sent the launch announcement email to about 50 friends and family around 10 p.m. one night, and as I lay in bed something hit me. I was missing a major feature. So I jumped out of bed, figured out how to install a blog into my existing site, and stayed up almost all night making sure it came together before people checked their email in the morning.
The blog brought my website to life. It gave me a voice, and it helped me generate new, fresh content on a regular basis. It didn't take long before I started ignoring the rest of the HTML pages, and about six months ago I realized that at some point I needed to take them down and switch everything completely to the blog. It just makes life easier, and HTML-based blogs are SO last year. So, friends - here we are! Starting today, Life After College has a new look. I'm breathing a sigh of relief, and enjoying the blog's transformation as much as my own since this crazy journey began.
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As a side note, I moved all of my book recommendations to a new location: check-out my very own mini Amazon!