I love the community here and the fact that we can openly share ideas between one another.

But I keep hearing/reading from various sources (not specifically here) that one of the great benefits of writing tutorials/blogging is how much it helps your career through connections and such.

I feel like this is akin to people saying how free work is all about "exposure" or that "it's great for your portfolio!"

Aside from maybe helping me get my first job out of college, I can't recall a single interview I've had where they cared about what I've written.

They may care a little about side projects, in that it checks the box that you're willing to work outside of work, but the difference between having written a single article and having written 500 articles seems to be nil.

I'm not trying to be selfish and stating that there's no point in doing this if it doesn't advance my career. There are many, many reasons to write that I find very valuable (and I'm sure many of you would agree with).

I guess I just wish people wouldn't give that specific advice without evidence to back it up. Blogging won't land you a job, at least not in the near-term. It takes months (even years) of effort for it to start to have any professional effect.

What are your experiences? Has writing here (or elsewhere) helped you land that killer job? Am I completely wrong in my objection?

Edit: These are awesome responses everyone! It's helping remind me that while we may never hear "You wrote this blog post therefore you're hired", it helps us learn the soft skills needed in interviews and communication in general.