Today’s interview is on Teresa Wu, a Communications Major at UCSD graduating in 2010. As a freelance writer, she has interned at multiple companies such as: Glamour, Mediabistro, and Unigo. In her spare time, she blogs excessively and also started the websites mymomisafob.com, and mydadisafob.com. She has spent the past few months studying abroad in Nicosia, Cyprus and now she is back at New York City interning at VaynerMedia and AOL’s Lemondrop.com.

1) What inspired you to begin your passion for blogging?

I’ve been blogging since 6th grade, actually. I sort of fell into it; my blog started out as kind of a personal outlet for me to write about the trivial details of my life (actually, come to think of it, it still sort of is). I’ve always been a writer, and on top of that I have this compulsive need to document my life — I’m kind of obsessed with the idea of being able to read back on my younger self. I’m the kind of girl who can’t remember what she ate for breakfast, so it’s very gratifying to be able to read the thoughts of 14-year-old me. Once blogging became habit, it was something I grew to love. For me, it’s less of a chore than it is an escape. Some people run, some people paint — I blog.

2) What do you usually blog about and what message would you like to convey readers?

I go through phases of blogging: sometimes I’ll veer toward blogging about social media or career or the state of print media — whatever comes to mind, really. But most of the time, I revert back to blogging about myself and my life – I think that’s what the majority of the people who read my blog enjoy, and that’s my favorite thing to write about, too. I don’t necessarily write with the intention of conveying a specific message to my readers, but I do hope that they’re entertained, and on occasion, inspired by the way I run headlong into everything I do, whether that’s prospective jobs or awkward situations.

3) Why do you feel blogging is such an important part of society today?

I’m 100% sure I wouldn’t be where I am in my career if it hadn’t been for blogging — I got my first online writing gig with CollegeOTR.com because I blogged. I landed my first major internships last summer with Glamour.com and Mediabistro.com — that definitely wouldn’t have happened if I weren’t blogging. Blogging is especially valuable to writers because it allows you to practice your craft day in and day out — and in the age of the web, editors look to blogs for both writing talent and to see that you have the chops to effectively promote your work. Even for non-writers, though, blogging can be very valuable career-wise: blogging is great for networking purposes and for putting your ideas out there… I honestly believe everybody should blog!

4) Are there any writers who have had significant influences on you?

Actually, one of my blogger friends, Lena (thechicktionary.com), really inspired me — even though she was only a year older than me, she had a massive following on her blog when I found it a couple years ago and was already freelancing for a variety of publications. Another friend, Alana (alanataylor.com), was the first to convince me to really put myself out there — she totally curbed my fears of self-promotion. But really, I’m inspired every day by all the talented writers out there on the web.

5) I noticed you have a lot of internship experiences so which ones did you enjoy most and why?

I honestly think that you can get something out of any internship, whether that’s connections or experience. I loved Glamour because of the fun perks (free makeup? I’m in!). At Mediabistro I developed my love for social media. Right now, I’m interning at Lemondrop.com, AOL’s women’s lifestyle destination, as well as Vaynermedia.com. In both positions, I’m doing a lot of blogger outreach, learning to build community and engage with readers and fans. Basically, I spend my day perusing blogs — it’s the kind of thing I’d do for fun anyway. It’s difficult to pick just one internship that I enjoyed most!

6) Do you have any advice or tips for aspiring bloggers?

Write what you love; write what you’re passionate about. If you try to write about something you don’t care about, you’ll get bored of it. Of course an audience is important, but readers can tell if you’re not into it.

Twitter: @resawu

Social Media: www.wuink.com