We’ve seen a fair number of blogging competitions over the past couple of years, where one lucky entrant gets an all-expenses-paid trip somewhere to blog about an event or location.

The latest one to catch my eye is being run by Hosteling International Canada.

They’re looking for a video blogger to report from Vancouver during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (12-28 February 2010).

To be in with a chance of winning, bloggers need to submit a one-minute video explaining why they would be the best person for the job. read more

Antarctica: Another natural wonder is about to be blogged.

Following on from the lucky Brit who gets to blog about the Great Barrier Reef comes a new dream blogging job.

Quark Expeditions will be sending one couple on a $20,000 cruise to Antarctica in February next year, where they’ll blog about the experience for all to read. read more

Collis Ta’eed, of Envato fame, has a great post up on The Netsetter, about analyzing and tracking the competition. This is something that is a lot easier today, with all the great services online, than it was five years ago. If you’re serious about knowing what your competitors are doing, you really should check this one out.

Tim Ferris obviously want more followers on Twitter, because he’s “bribing the world” with his $3/follower promise. Problem is, you won’t be getting the money, American public schools in need will, thought DonorChoose.org. Ferris donates $1/follower, and “an anonymous supporter” matches that with another $2/follower, which breaks down to $3/follower. So you’d be doing a good thing, following Tim Ferris on Twitter while this campaign is rolling, which is until 50,000 new followers have been gained. That’s $150,000 for a good cause. And you could always unfollow later down the line.

Should the extra money to the schools not be enough to convince you, Ferris is also doing a competition where you can win a MacBook Pro and some other stuff. Check out his post for more, and do follow him. I will.

It’s amazing where blogging can get you these days, but if blogging about computers or promoting the Great Barrier Reef is too tame, perhaps you’d like to enter a blogging competition that could jump start a new career as a pilot.

In reality, AirAsia’s “So You Wanna Be a Pilot?” blogging competition is really just another way of picking applicants for the first round of its pilot intake in August. Passengers can rest assured that no amount of passionate prose about why bloggers wish to become pilots will excuse them from the many tests required to even begin training. read more

Asus, manufacturer of a number of desktop, notebook and netbook PCs, is offering Brits the chance to blog about one of its products in a new competition.

In association with Mobile Computer, Asus will pick six bloggers who will each author a month-long blog about a particular machine. At the end of that time, the person whose blog has received the most visitors will win the machine they’ve been blogging about. read more

There are thousands of career-related Web sites out there, and my primary blog, Jobacle, is one of many. Every time I get reminded of that fact, I get a little dizzy, and then I look away. Because I know I can do it better. Or die trying.

The reality is many of these sites have more resources in terms of manpower and financing. But I can’t let that stop me from creating a product that I believe in.

That’s why I wear blinders 90% of the time.

I know that the shrewd MBA grads out there will remind me that monitoring and analyzing the competition is a key component to making your business a success. However I also believe there is something to be said for trying something different.

That’s why I don’t read your blogs, fellow career writers. And if you’re alos writing in an over-crowded niche, I recommend the same.

Sorry if the truth hurts. I hope you won’t unsubscribe. After all, I don’t think any good writer will hold reciprocity as a standard.

The Web is messy. Every now and then take a peek around, but stargazing is for people looking for an excuse not to write. It’s good to know who is writing in the same genre as you, and it’s nice to occasionally come around for inspiration, but i would not make monitoring part of your daily habits.

What say you?

Do you look at other blogs and enjoy the content, or do you envy their comments, traffic or subscriber numbers? read more