writing skill important

Why Are Writing Skills Important: A Comprehensive Overview

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on April 19, 2023

Categories Writing

In today’s fast-paced world, effective communication is more important than ever. Writing skills are critical in helping people convey their thoughts, ideas, and information efficiently and accurately. The importance of these skills can be found in various aspects of life, from professional settings to personal relationships.

Strong writing skills enable individuals to communicate their ideas and opinions clearly and concisely, making it easier for readers to understand and absorb the intended message. This is particularly important in the workplace, where employers seek candidates with excellent written communication abilities for various job roles. Furthermore, in the digital age, written communication has become the primary avenue for obtaining information and interacting with others, emphasizing the need for continuous improvement in this area.

By developing and refining one’s writing skills, individuals can enhance their personal and professional growth and contribute positively to their surroundings by facilitating better understanding and collaboration with others. Ultimately, the significance of writing skills cannot be overstated, as they are instrumental in achieving success in various aspects of life.

25 Reasons Why Writing Skills Are Important

• Enhances clarity in business communication, ensuring that ideas and proposals are effectively presented.
• Improves professional image by showcasing well-structured and organized business documents.
• Facilitates collaboration and teamwork by promoting clear and concise communication among colleagues.
• Boosts career prospects, as strong writing skills are highly valued in the workplace.
• Increases credibility and authority in academic research and publications.
• Fosters effective communication in personal and professional settings, reducing misunderstandings.
• Enables individuals to convey complex ideas and information in an accessible manner.
• Supports career growth and development by demonstrating expertise through well-written content.
• Enhances grammar proficiency, leading to fewer errors and increased readability of written work.
• Builds strong relationships through clear and meaningful written communication.
• Improves the ability to persuade and influence others in professional settings.
• Reflects positively on a company’s image when employees exhibit excellent writing skills.
• Facilitates the creation of high-quality technical documents, increasing user satisfaction and comprehension.
• Helps avoid costly mistakes and misunderstandings due to grammatical errors or unclear writing.
• Demonstrates mastery of an essential skill required in various professional settings.
• Improves written communication skills, leading to better collaboration and productivity.
• Enhances overall writing style and effectiveness, making the work more engaging for readers.
• Identifies good writers as valuable assets, distinguishing them from those with poor writing skills.
• Supports students’ academic success by improving their ability to convey information and ideas.
• Increases the impact of the writing process by refining and perfecting written work.
• Promotes efficiency and effectiveness in workplace communication.
• Encourages lifelong learning and personal growth through writing courses and workshops.
• Enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills in academic and professional settings.
• Develops the ability to adapt writing styles for various audiences and purposes, increasing versatility and marketability.
• Cultivates creative expression through storytelling, poetry, and other forms of creative writing, enriching personal experiences and fostering connections with others.

The Value of Writing Skills

Writing skills are crucial in today’s world for various aspects of life.

Personal Development

Good writing skills can enhance an individual’s personal development in numerous ways. Writing enables individuals to express themselves effectively and properly communicate their ideas and emotions. Through writing, people can engage in creative exercises to enhance mental processing, explore new perspectives, and stimulate critical thinking abilities.

Writing can also help gain self-confidence by becoming a better communicator with family, friends, and strangers. It is a powerful tool for reflection, enabling one to examine events from the past, better understand themselves, and plan their future goals and aspirations.

Professional Growth

Strong writing skills can significantly impact an individual’s career prospects in the professional sphere. Many employers form their first impression of future employees through resumes, cover letters, and email communications, making writing skills essential for career success.

Effective writing is necessary for drafting clear and concise reports, presentations, and proposals. Moreover, it facilitates collaboration and teamwork among colleagues by improving communication efficiency, ensuring accurate understanding, and fewer misunderstandings.

Writing well is emphasized even further in business environments that rely on digital communication. Digital written communication could involve shared documents, emails, or cloud-based platforms. Employees’ writing skills should align with these digital options to establish strong professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Effective Communication

Strong writing skills are crucial in improving effective communication in personal and professional settings. Converting thoughts, ideas, and information is essential for success in various fields.

Clarity and Organization

Writing with clarity and organization helps readers understand the message with ease. A well-structured written piece ensures the intended message is delivered and the content is easily digestible for the target audience. Clear and organized writing helps to:

• Enhance professional image
• Build connections with customers
• Convey points quickly and efficiently

Accurate grammar, punctuation, and word choice enhance clarity by minimizing confusion or misinterpretation. This results in fewer misunderstandings and stronger relationships between the writer and reader, ultimately leading to better operational efficiency and productivity in the workplace.

Persuasion and Influencing Skills

Effective writing is not only limited to transmitting information but also involves persuading and influencing others. Persuasive writing helps in:

• Selling ideas, products, or services
• Convincing readers to adopt a specific viewpoint or take action
• Creating compelling proposals that generate support and consensus

By using persuasive writing techniques such as providing evidence, anticipating objections, and crafting a compelling call-to-action, writers can make a strong case for their arguments, making their content highly persuasive and influential.

Critical Thinking Enhancement

Developing effective writing skills is essential not only for conveying information but also for enhancing critical thinking abilities. This section explores how writing skills contribute to better critical thinking by focusing on two sub-sections: Analyzing Information and Problem-Solving.

Analyzing Information

When an individual engages in writing, they must carefully evaluate and interpret the information they gather from various sources. This process requires the writer to employ critical thinking skills to determine the information’s accuracy, relevance, and credibility. Analyzing information strengthens a piece of writing and enhances a person’s ability to examine different perspectives, determine inconsistencies, and challenge assumptions.

Furthermore, writing requires individuals to organize their thoughts; this step involves prioritizing, categorizing, and synthesizing the data. As a result, critical thinking is developed and refined through writing and evaluating arguments and ideas.

Problem-Solving

When faced with a particular issue, individuals often must identify potential solutions before deciding the best course of action. Writing can be a valuable tool in this process, as it assists individuals in clearly articulating their thoughts and ideas.

Effective writing necessitates the incorporation of critical thinking skills to identify and address problems, design logical solutions, and concisely communicate these options. Such problem-solving abilities are critical not only for academic and professional success but also for personal development.

In summary, enhancing writing skills significantly contributes to the improvement of critical thinking abilities. Developing proficiency in analyzing information and solving problems through writing helps individuals become better communicators and more effective decision-makers.

Creativity and Self-Expression

Developing writing skills is crucial for nurturing creativity and self-expression. Writing enables individuals to communicate their thoughts, emotions, and ideas more effectively and engagingly. This section delves into the importance of creativity and self-expression through writing, focusing on emotional intelligence and storytelling ability.

Emotional Intelligence

Writing can help enhance emotional intelligence by allowing individuals to explore, understand, and express their emotions. Through creative writing, individuals can engage with their emotional experiences and tap into their inner feelings, allowing them to understand their emotions better and manage them more effectively. This heightened emotional intelligence contributes to improved relationships and overall well-being. As mentioned in Positive Psychology, self-expression is vital to living a fulfilled life and reaching our full potential.

Practicing creative writing, such as poetry and personal essays, enables individuals to express their thoughts and emotions more openly and develop emotional intelligence. By giving form to their experiences, people can gain greater insight and understanding of themselves and their world.

Storytelling Ability

One significant aspect of writing skills is storytelling ability. Creating compelling narratives is vital in communication, persuasion, and entertainment. A well-crafted story can influence people’s thoughts and beliefs, inspiring change and fostering empathy. Creative writing allows individuals to think outside the box and explore different perspectives through storytelling.

Storytelling skills can also benefit professional communication, as engaging narratives capture attention and convey messages more effectively. Good storytelling can make a significant impact, whether writing a marketing campaign, a company report, or effectively conveying information in the workplace.

Collaboration and Teamwork

Effective collaboration and teamwork are essential components for success within any professional context. Writing skills are crucial in fostering these collaborative efforts and ensuring productive communication between team members.

Writing for Diverse Audiences

As an essential aspect of collaboration, writing skills enable individuals to convey their ideas and insights to colleagues with varying backgrounds and expertise. A good writer understands that different team members may have different levels of familiarity with the subject or focus areas. They should, therefore, tailor their written communication to be easily understood by various audiences within the team.

For example, when writing an email involving technical details, it is essential to provide necessary background information and concise explanations for a more general audience. This approach ensures all team members can follow the discussion and work together effectively.

Adapting to Feedback

Another crucial aspect of collaboration and teamwork is being receptive to feedback from team members. Writing skills are essential because they allow team members to provide clear and constructive feedback on each other’s work. By articulating their suggestions and concerns effectively, individuals can help create an environment of mutual respect and continuous improvement.

When receiving written feedback, professionals must demonstrate adaptability and a willingness to refine their work. This may involve reorganizing content, revising language, or rethinking their approach altogether. By being receptive to feedback and skillfully incorporating it into their writing, team members can better align their work with the group’s needs and contribute more effectively to the team’s overall objectives.

Digital Presence and Online Reputation

Writing skills are crucial in managing and enhancing one’s digital presence and online reputation. How individuals and organizations present themselves through written communication can significantly impact their credibility and success in the digital world.

Social Media

Effective writing is essential for engaging and meaningful social media interactions. Clear and concise content helps convey messages accurately and makes it easier for others to understand and respond. Companies can use social media platforms to build brands and foster customer relationships. A well-written and thought-out social media presence can help to project a positive image, which in turn aids in building trust and credibility among users. People favor companies with strong written communication, exhibiting professionalism and attention to detail.

Blogging and Content Creation

Blogging and content creation are potent tools for individuals and businesses to establish expertise in their respective fields. Effective writing lets them present complex ideas straightforwardly, engaging readers and enhancing their perceived authority. A well-structured and informative blog post or article can attract readership, generate leads, and build a loyal customer base.

High-quality content also contributes significantly to search engine optimization. Search engines like Google assess the readability and relevance of written content when ranking websites, making it crucial for online success. Maintaining a consistent and well-written blog can drive organic traffic to a website and ultimately increase visibility in search results.

In conclusion, honing one’s writing skills is essential for managing and improving digital presence and online reputation. Effective written communication across social media platforms, blog posts, and other content enables individuals and organizations to connect with their target audience and project a professional image, contributing to overall success in today’s digital landscape.

Writing skills are essential today as the foundation for effective communication in various personal and professional contexts. A firm grasp of writing techniques facilitates the exchange of ideas and information and enhances the clarity and impact of one’s messages across diverse platforms.

Through honing these skills, individuals can convey their thoughts more precisely, contributing to successful collaborations, business transactions, and interpersonal interactions. Moreover, well-developed writing abilities are highly sought after by employers, who increasingly prioritize effective written communication in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Ultimately, investing time and effort to improve one’s writing skills is advantageous for academic success, personal growth, and career advancement. By fostering creativity, imagination, and critical thinking, these skills empower individuals to express themselves confidently and persuasively, quickly navigating modern society’s complexities.

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Writing Skills:

• A - Z List of Writing Skills

The Essentials of Writing

• Common Mistakes in Writing
• Introduction to Grammar
• Improving Your Grammar
• Active and Passive Voice
• Punctuation
• Clarity in Writing
• Writing Concisely
• Coherence in Writing
• Gender Neutral Language
• Figurative Language
• When to Use Capital Letters
• Using Plain English
• Writing in UK and US English
• Understanding (and Avoiding) Clichés
• The Importance of Structure
• Know Your Audience
• Know Your Medium
• Formal and Informal Writing Styles
• Note-Taking from Reading
• Note-Taking for Verbal Exchanges
• Creative Writing
• Top Tips for Writing Fiction
• Writer's Voice
• Writing for Children
• Writing for Pleasure
• Writing for the Internet
• Journalistic Writing
• Technical Writing
• Academic Writing
• Editing and Proofreading

Writing Specific Documents

• Writing a CV or Résumé
• Writing a Covering Letter
• Writing a Personal Statement
• Writing Reviews
• Using LinkedIn Effectively
• Business Writing
• Study Skills
• Writing Your Dissertation or Thesis

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Writing Skills

Writing skills are an important part of communication.  Good writing skills allow you to communicate your message with clarity and ease to a far larger audience than through face-to-face or telephone conversations.

You might be called upon to write a report , plan or strategy at work; write a grant application or press release within a volunteering role; or you may fancy communicating your ideas online via a blog.  And, of course, a well written CV or résumé with no spelling or grammatical mistakes is essential if you want a new job.

Today, when anyone can be their own publisher, we see more and more examples of poor writing skills both in print and on the web.  Poor writing skills create poor first impressions and many readers will have an immediate negative reaction if they spot a spelling or grammatical mistake . As just one example, a spelling mistake on a commercial web page may cause potential customers to doubt the credibility of the website and the organisation.

For many of us it will have been a long time since we were taught any writing skills and a refresher may be needed.

This section of SkillsYouNeed aims to make you think about your writing - from grammar , spelling and punctuation , how to plan your writing, and the various processes and checks to go through before pressing print or broadcasting your message online. It also provides guides for specific pieces of writing that you may need to produce, whether at school, university, or in the workplace.

Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation

Correct grammar, punctuation and spelling are key in written communications.  The reader will form an opinion of you, the author, based on both the content and presentation, and errors are likely to lead them to form a negative impression.

If you are unconvinced about the importance of accurate writing, think of the clues we use to identify spam emails, “phishing” websites, and counterfeit products: poor grammar and spelling.

Similarly, some employers state publicly that any CV or résumé containing spelling or grammatical mistakes will be rejected immediately, whilst a BBC news article quotes research that calculates spelling mistakes cost online businesses “millions” in lost sales.

Checking for poor writing and spelling mistakes should be seen as a courtesy to your readers since it can take them much longer to understand the messages in your writing if they have to think and re-read text to decipher these.

All written communications should therefore be re-read before sending to print, or hitting the send button in the case of emails, as it is likely that there will be errors.  Do not assume that spelling and grammar checkers will identify all mistakes as many incorrect words can indeed be spelt correctly (for example, when “their” is used instead of “there” or “principle” instead of “principal”) or entire words may be missing. If at all possible, take a break before re-reading and checking your writing, as you are more likely to notice problems when you read it fresh.

Even if you know spelling and grammar rules, you should still double-check your work or, even better, have it proof-read by somebody else. Our brains work faster than our fingers can type and accidental typographical errors (typos) inevitably creep in.

Improving Your Writing Skills

The good news is that writing is a skill which can be learned like any other. One trick for checking and improving your work is to read it aloud. Reading text forces you to slow down and you may pick up problems with the flow that your eye would otherwise skip over.

Another way to improve your writing skills is to read - as you read you pick up new vocabulary and engage with different writing styles.

See our pages: Effective Reading and Writing Styles for more information.

There are a number of areas to bear in mind as you write.

As well as grammar, spelling and punctuation, it’s important to remember your audience . Always write with your audience in mind, and it can also help to bear in mind the medium in which you plan to publish. This knowledge will help you to decide whether you need to write in a formal style or a more informal one , and will also help you to decide on a suitable structure .

Finally, have a look at our page on Common Mistakes in Writing and Gender Neutral Language to help you avoid falling into some easy traps.

There is a time and a place for clichés. They exist because they explain exactly what we want to say in easy-to-understand terms. But some people find them very annoying, and you need to use them with care. See our page on What is a Cliché? for more information.

Writing under Specific Circumstances

There are many times in your life when you will be asked to write something very specific. Whether this is to take notes of a conversation, write the minutes of a formal meeting, or prepare a report, all these types of writing require specific skills, and usually a particular style.

Writing at Home

Many people would say that the art of letter-writing is dying out. However, there are still many times when you need to put pen (or word processor) to paper. See our page on How to Write a Letter for more.

Writing in the Workplace

Being able to write well is a skill which will get you a long way in the workplace, partly because it is fairly rare in many places.

One skill that many people lack, especially in management and other professional environments is the ability to write in plain English. That is avoiding unnecessary jargon, industry specific buzzwords and clichés and keeping sentences short and concise. See our page Writing in Plain English for more.

Taking the time to polish your writing skills is likely to pay off in the longer term, and learning how to write specific types of documents will also be useful.

See our pages on How to write a report , a business case , an executive summary and a press release for some specific examples that may also have wider applications. For example, being able to prepare a strong summary is a skill that is extremely useful for briefing senior managers.

You may also find our pages on note taking for reading , note taking for verbal exchanges and taking minutes: the role of the secretary useful if your job or a voluntary role includes recording formal meetings.

Writing Job Applications

At one time or another, most of us need to write a job application.

Nowadays, job applications usually require a CV or résumé , together with a really strong covering letter . A good LinkedIn profile will also help your application to stand out from the rest, as will managing your online presence effectively.

Writing for Study

Apart from the workplace, you are most likely to need writing skills as part of a course of study, whether at college or university.

You may, for example, need to write essays, a report, a research proposal or even a dissertation or thesis. These pieces of work are often very long, and need careful structuring and writing.

For more information about all of these, see our Study Skills pages, including specific pages on writing an essay , a research proposal , a literature review , and a dissertation or thesis . Finally, don’t forget to read up on Academic Referencing to ensure that you don’t fall foul of any plagiarism guidance.

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Writing Skills

Getting your written message across clearly.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

In today's information overload world, people don't have time to read book-length emails, and they don't have the patience to scroll through badly constructed blogs for "buried" points. So, it's vital to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively.

Have you ever faced a situation similar to the following scenario?

A colleague has just sent you an email relating to a meeting you're having in one hour's time. The email is supposed to contain key information that you need to present, as part of the business case for an important project.

But there's a problem: the email is so badly written that you can't find the data you need. There are misspellings and incomplete sentences, and the paragraphs are so long and confusing that it takes you three times longer than it should to find the information you want. As a result, you're under-prepared for the meeting, and it doesn't go as well as you want it to.

Why Are Writing Skills Important?

The better your writing skills are, the better the impression you'll make on the people around you – including your boss, your colleagues, and your clients. You never know how far good writing skills will take you: they can even create a positive personal brand , which can help to open the door to new opportunities.

In this article and video, we'll look at how you can improve your writing skills and avoid common mistakes.

5 Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

Getting your tone right is just as important as using the correct spelling – and there's a lot more to think about too! Here's five points that can help you to become a clear and confident writer.

1. Consider Audience and Format

The first step to writing clearly is choosing the appropriate format . Do you need to send an informal email ? Write a detailed report ? Create advertising copy? Or write a formal letter?

The format, as well as your audience, will define your "writing voice" – that is, how formal or relaxed your tone should be. For instance, if you write an email to a prospective client, should it have the same tone as an email to a friend?

Definitely not.

Start by identifying who will read your message. Is it targeted at senior managers, the entire human resources team, or a small group of engineers? With everything you write, your readers, or recipients, should define your tone as well as aspects of the content.

2. Pay Attention to Composition and Style of Writing

Once you know what you're writing, and for whom you're writing, you actually have to start writing!

A blank, white computer screen is often intimidating. And it's easy to get stuck because you don't know how to start. Try these tips for composing and styling your document:{{stub}}

• Start with your audience – Remember, your readers may know nothing about what you're telling them. What do they need to know first?
• Create an outline – This is especially helpful if you're writing a longer document such as a report, presentation, or speech. Outlines help you to identify which steps to take in which order, and they help you to break the task up into manageable pieces of information.
• Use AIDA – If you're writing something that must inspire action in the reader use the Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) acronym to grab their attention.
• Try some empathy – For instance, if you're writing a sales letter for prospective clients, why should they care about your product or sales pitch? What's the benefit for them? Remember your audience's needs at all times.
• Use the Rhetorical Triangle – If you're trying to persuade someone to do something, make sure that you communicate why people should listen to you, pitch your message in a way that engages your audience, and present information rationally and coherently. Our article on the Rhetorical Triangle can help you to make your case in the most effective way.
• Identify your main theme – If you're having trouble defining the main theme of your message, pretend that you have 15 seconds to explain your position. What do you say? This is likely to be your main theme. Our article on Inverted Pyramid Writing explains how to grab your readers' attention and get your message across quickly.
• Use simple language – Unless you're writing a scholarly article, it's usually best to use simple , direct language. Don't use long words just to impress people.

3. Have a Writing Structure in Place

Your document should be as "reader friendly" as possible. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points and numbering whenever possible to break up the text.

After all, what's easier to read – a page full of long paragraphs, or a page that's broken up into short paragraphs, with section headings and bullet points? A document that's easy to scan will get read more often than a document with long, dense paragraphs of text.

Headers should grab the reader's attention. Using questions is often a good idea, especially in advertising copy or reports, because questions help keep the reader engaged and curious.

In emails and proposals, use short, factual headings and subheadings, like the ones in this article.

Adding graphs and charts is also a smart way to break up your text. These visual aids not only keep the reader's eye engaged, but they can communicate important information much more quickly than text.

4. Avoid Grammatical Errors

You probably don't need us to tell you that errors in your document will make you look unprofessional. It's essential to learn grammar properly, and to avoid common mistakes that your spell checker won't find.

Here are some examples of commonly misused words:

• Affect/Effect: "Affect" is a verb meaning to influence. (Example: "The economic forecast will affect our projected income.") "Effect" is a noun meaning the result or outcome. (Example: "What is the effect of the proposal?")
• Then/Than: "Then" is typically an adverb indicating a sequence in time. (Example: "We went to dinner, then we saw a movie.") "Than" is a conjunction used for comparison. (Example: "The dinner was more expensive than the movie.")
• Your/You're: "Your" is a possessive. (Example: "Is that your file?") "You're" is a contraction of "you are." (Example: " You're the new manager.") Also watch out for other common homophones (words that sound alike but have different spellings and meanings) – such as their/they're/there, to/too/two, and so on.
• Its/It's: "Its" is a possessive. (Example:"Is that its motor?") "It's" is a contraction of "It is." (Example: " It's often that heavy.")
• Company's/Companies (and Other Possessives Versus Plurals): "Company's" indicates possession. (Example: "The company's trucks hadn't been maintained properly.") "Companies" is plural. (Example: "The companies in this industry are suffering.")

To learn more about commonly misused words, misused apostrophes, and other grammatical errors, see our articles, Punctuation Basics – Part 1 and Part 2 , or work through our Written Communication Skillbook.

Some of your readers won't be perfect at spelling and grammar. They may not notice if you make these errors. But don't use this as an excuse. There will usually be people, senior managers in particular, who will notice!

Because of this, everything you write should be of a quality that every reader will find acceptable. So, be conscientious when you write.

5. Proofread Your Work

The enemy of good proofreading is speed. Many people rush through their documents, but this is how you miss mistakes. Follow these guidelines to check what you've written:

• Proof your headers and subheaders – People often skip these and focus on the text alone. Just because headers are big and bold doesn't mean they're error-free!
• Read the document out loud – This forces you to go more slowly, meaning that you're more likely to catch mistakes.
• Use your finger to follow text as you read – This is another trick that helps you to slow down.
• Start at the end of your document – Proofread one sentence at a time, working your way from the end to the beginning. This helps you to focus on errors, not on content.

More than ever, it's important to know how to communicate your point quickly and professionally. Many people spend a lot of time writing and reading, so the better you are at this form of communication, the more successful you're likely to be.

Focus on these five areas to improve your writing:

• Consider audience and format.
• Pay attention to composition and style of writing.
• Have a writing structure in place.
• Avoid grammatical errors.
• Proofread your work.

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Module 7: Study Skills

Why writing skills matter, learning objectives.

• Describe the purpose of writing assignments and what an instructor might expect to see from your writing

Obviously you can write. And in the age of social media and smartphones, you may be writing all the time—perhaps more often than speaking. Many students today are awash in text like no other generation before.

So why spend yet more time and attention on writing skills? Research shows that deliberate practice —that is, close focus on improving one’s skills—makes all the difference in how one performs. Revisiting the craft of writing—especially early in college—will improve your writing much more than simply producing page after page in the same old way. Becoming an excellent communicator will save you a lot of time and hassle in your studies, advance your career, and promote better relationships and a higher quality of life off the job. Honing your writing is a good use of your scarce time.

Also, consider this: a recent survey of employers conducted by the Association of American Colleges and Universities found that 89 percent of employers say that colleges and universities should place more emphasis on “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.” [1]

The ability to communicate effectively was the single-most favored skill in this survey. In addition, several of the other valued skills are grounded in written communication: “Critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills” (81 percent); “The ability to analyze and solve complex problems” (75 percent); and “The ability to locate, organize, and evaluate information from multiple sources” (68 percent). This emphasis on communication probably reflects the changing reality of work in the professions. Employers also reported that employees will have to “take on more responsibilities,” “use a broader set of skills,” “work harder to coordinate with other departments,” face “more complex” challenges, and mobilize “higher levels of learning and knowledge.” [2]

If you want  to be a professional who interacts frequently with others, you have to be someone who can anticipate and solve complex problems and coordinate your work with others, [3] all of which depend on effective communication.

The pay-off from improving your writing comes much sooner than graduation. Suppose you complete about 40 classes for a 120-credit bachelors’ degree, and—averaging across writing-intensive and non-writing-intensive courses—you produce about 2,500 words of formal writing per class. Even with that low estimate, you’ll write 100,000 words during your college career. When you add up all of those words, that’s roughly equivalent to a 330-page book! You’re going to do a lot of writing as student.

Spending a few hours sharpening your writing skills will make those 100,000 words much easier and more rewarding to write. All of your professors care about good writing.

It’s Different from High School

Because most professors have different expectations, it can be tricky knowing what exactly they’re looking for. Pay attention to the comments they leave on your paper, and make sure to use these as a reference for your next assignment. I try to pay attention and adapt to the professor’s style and preferences. —Aly Button, SUNY student

By the end of high school you probably mastered many of the key conventions of standard academic English, such as paragraphing, sentence-level mechanics, and the use of thesis statements. The essay portion of the SAT measures important skills such as organizing evidence within paragraphs that relate to a clear, consistent thesis, and choosing words and sentence structures to effectively convey your meaning. These practices are foundational, and your teachers have given you a wonderful gift in helping you master them. However, college writing assignments require you to apply those skills to new intellectual challenges. Professors assign papers because they want you to think rigorously and deeply about important questions in their fields.

To your instructors, writing is for working out complex ideas, not just explaining them. A paper that would earn a top score on the SAT might only get a C or D in a college class if it doesn’t show original and ambitious thinking.

Professors look at you as independent junior scholars and expect you to write as someone who has a genuine, driving interest in tackling a complex question. They envision you approaching an assignment without a preexisting thesis. They expect you to look deep into the evidence, consider several alternative explanations, and work out an original, insightful argument that you actually care about. 

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• Hart Research Associates, Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn, http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/2009_EmployerSurvey.pdf , 9. ↵
• Ibid., 5. ↵
• Hart Research Associates, It Takes More Than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success. http://www.aacu.org/sites/default/files/files/LEAP/2013_EmployerSurvey.pdf . ↵
• College Success. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
• Writing in College: From Competence to Excellence. Authored by : Amy Guptill. Provided by : SUNY Open Textbooks. Located at : http://textbooks.opensuny.org/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence/ . License : CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

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The Science of Strong Business Writing

• Bill Birchard

Lessons from neurobiology

Brain scans are showing us in new detail exactly what entices readers. Scientists can see a group of midbrain neurons—the “reward circuit”—light up as people respond to everything from a simple metaphor to an unexpected story twist. The big takeaway? Whether you’re crafting an email to a colleague or an important report for the board, you can write in a way that delights readers on a primal level, releasing pleasure chemicals in their brains.

Bill Birchard is an author and writing coach who’s worked with many successful businesspeople. He’s drawn on that experience and his review of the scientific literature to identify eight features of satisfying writing: simplicity, specificity, surprise, stirring language, seductiveness, smart ideas, social content, and storytelling. In this article, he shares tips for using those eight S’s to captivate readers and help your message stick.

Strong writing skills are essential for anyone in business. You need them to effectively communicate with colleagues, employees, and bosses and to sell any ideas, products, or services you’re offering.

• Bill Birchard is a business author and book-writing coach. His Writing for Impact: 8 Secrets from Science That Will Fire Up Your Reader’s Brain will be published by HarperCollins Leadership in April 2023. His previous books include Merchants of Virtue, Stairway to Earth, Nature’s Keepers, Counting What Counts, and others. For more writing tactics, see his website .  

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Writing Skills: Significance Of Writing Skills

There was a time when people used to think that only journalists and digital marketers must have excellent writing skills….

There was a time when people used to think that only journalists and digital marketers must have excellent writing skills. But now, thanks to the growing importance of communication, you require effective writing skills in almost every industry and for every job.

Don’t you agree? Think of the reports, sales proposals, marketing copies, user manuals presentations you have to draft regularly as a part of your work responsibilities. And, of course, how can we forget the very first step to applying for a job: a resume or CV.

There’s no doubt that how well you have written your CV decides your future for that job role. A precise, neat, and engaging resume that highlights the milestones of your career, capabilities, and achievements grabs the attention of the recruiter within seconds.

Once you start work, every day at the office starts with writing as we are required to send emails to peers, managers, and clients. And that’s when your writing skills come in handy. So, let’s understand the basics of writing skills.

What are writing skills?

Writing is the art of expressing our views, ideas, and thoughts. Though writing seems easy while thinking about it, many times, it results in unorganized and scattered pieces of information on paper. This often creates confusion or sends a wrong message.

Effective writing can be a daunting task as it demands much more than mere correct grammar. You need to gain knowledge about sentence structure, develop your vocabulary, and build other basic writing skills.

Importance of developing writing skills

Good writing skills are essential for success in the workplace. Whether it’s emails, project reports, or sales proposals, content full of typos, grammatical errors, and poorly constructed sentences suggests a similar attitude towards work.

Thus, along with improving communication, understanding the significance of writing skills can also influence how you are perceived at the workplace in terms of:

• Being Professional : With effective writing skills, your message can be understood by your peers in a better way. Writing clear messages makes it easier for others to understand your ideas and thoughts.
• Proving your ability at the workplace : Whether your job requires a lot of writing or not, people may remember even a few grammatical errors and spelling mistakes from your content. And these minor mistakes may make you seem less capable at the workplace.
• Boosting professional confidence : Each content piece has a motive. A well-written business proposal entices investors and probable partners. Clear and to-the-point emails can further impress possible buyers. And your well-crafted reports will fascinate your manager.

Every time, when with your impressive written communication, you create another happily and successfully finished project, you grow more confident, positive, established, and inspired.

Five important writing skills you should have

Now that you have understood the importance of writing skills, let’s look at the important writing skills every professional must develop.

• Strong grammar skills : It happens to most of us. You have a great idea that popped up in your mind. But just because of a poor grasp of spelling or grammar skills, you may fail to express your ideas and convey the message convincingly and correctly. Try to use auto spell-checkers to aid with correct grammar and spelling usage.
• Research : While writing reports or creating marketing copy or proposals, you may come across a topic you don’t know much about. Your ability to research, find suitable information, and pick up only relevant information quickly plays a crucial role in creating effective reports and other written business communication.
• Think of user manuals as an example. If your work involves getting feedback or creating FAQs, charts, and training documents, then you must focus on learning technical writing skills. Along with strong communication skills, your writing skills, and command over vocabulary and grammar should be exceptional.
• Assessment skills and active listening can lead you toward building a positive rapport with your customers and colleagues.
• The more you know how to use these platforms, the more convenience you can bring to your daily tasks at the office.

Important steps for writing

One cannot create a presentable copy just by developing creative writing skills and fine vocabulary. Here are some common and important writing steps that will ensure you create effective content every time.

• Research : Whether you are writing a project report, sales proposal, or creating marketing copy, research as much as possible. Think from your reader’s perspective and note all relevant information, ideas, and thoughts.
• Organizing content : The next step is organizing your ideas and relevant information in the proper sequence. Or in other words, create a draft or outline you further want to elaborate on. Outlining helps you in writing a long piece of content by fixing the proper flow and breaking information into paragraphs to make it more meaningful and effective.
• Writing : Now is the actual time of writing. Always use direct language and choose words suitable to the objective of your document. The division of paragraphs, headings or subtitles, and relevant statistics can make it easier for readers to understand.
• Editing and proofreading : Once you have finished writing a report or drafting an email, it’s time to edit, format, and proofread for spelling, grammar, and sentence and paragraph structure. Remember, your readers may take simple grammar, punctuation, or spelling mistakes as signs of negligence towards your work.

How to improve writing skills

• Make use of wide vocabulary : While you are practicing your writing skills, you will find yourself repeating some words. You are not alone. Almost every writer has their own favorite words, which they like to use often. However, using fillers and repeating words throughout the document will annoy your readers. Instead, make use of varied vocabulary, synonyms, and antonyms to make the content fresh, effective, and readable.
• Write for your audience : This applies to everyone whose job role requires business writing skills. Whether you are writing a blog or drafting an email to your client, having a strong understanding of the intellectual and reading levels of your target audience will help you tailor your text accordingly.
• Creativity : People are always bombarded with more information online and offline every day. This often makes your readers fickle, especially when they are forced to read 10-page long reports or manuals. Thus, it’s your chance to show your creativity and present the same information in fewer words without affecting the credibility and meaning of the content.
• Edit and proofread : The first draft is never perfect. Whether you are just starting or have years of experience, every writer needs to edit and proofread their content. Try to write down your ideas and relevant information in the first attempt. Go with your natural creative flow. Don’t pause to edit and correct your mistakes as you can do it later on.

Writing has become an important part of every professional’s life. The way you convey your message, ideas, and thoughts to your peers, managers, and clients affects your chances of climbing the career ladder. So waste no time and start developing effective writing skills online with Harappa’s Writing Proficiently course.

Explore our Harappa Diaries section to know more about skills related to the Communicate habit such as Report Writing and Interpersonal Skills .