Fifteen years ago, blogs were barely on society’s radar. A creative outlet, one might say, but nothing more. YouTube did not exist. Neither did Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. Today, The Huffington Post, owned by Arianna Huffington, makes upwards of $2 million monthly. Felix Kjellberg, or “Pewdiepie,” a YouTuber, makes $12 million annually.

The common perception is that technology has solely improved the job market in the elds of science and engineering: software engineers, web developers, and so on. But the opportunities for those interested in an education and career with a concentration in media have quickly expanded in the past decade. In addition, the revenue generated by those with more creative online professions (bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers) is often underestimated.

At the University of Maryland, College Park, students can enroll in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, in which they have two program options: Broadcast Journalism and Multi-platform Journalism. This second course, according to UMD’s website, is a program in which students learn the basics of reporting in addition to building websites, creating graphics, and interacting with others using social media. There are many different programs at almost every college and university that have a focus or include some specialized programs pertaining to the media.

It’s true that few blogs generate enough revenue for a complete salary, but there are different ways in which a blog can bring in income. Advertising is one; this is when companies pay bloggers each time someone clicks on their ad through the blog, or “Pay-Per-Click” (PPC) advertising. Another choice is sponsored posts, in which bloggers are paid to talk about/promote a product or service.

Some bloggers use their site to network and promote their personal brand. They write about things they are learning, or their experiences in a field of choice; this demonstrates experience and knowledge. For example, if someone is interested in politics, they might start a blog that shows what they know and how they keep up with information. This expresses to potential employers that they are engaged and passionate in their field.

But blogging is not the only online outlet that can create income. Revenue from YouTube channels can be generated, like putting an ad preceding the video-some profits from this go to the content creator. There are also sponsored videos, more popular among bigger channels, where companies pay the creator to make a video about or including their product.

Companies have recognized that to stand a chance in today’s market, they need to keep up with the Internet and social media, and this is where people who have created content online come in. They are of great use to companies, as they are specialized in this area and have the ability to estimate what people online will be more drawn to, therefore creating more business for the company. This cycle creates a host of new jobs that were not available 15 years ago, like social media coordinators or social media marketing specialists. Of course, marketing is not a new field, but with the increasing in influence of the Internet, these jobs are of the utmost importance.