Kayla Casavant | Student Columnist
Recently, Grammarly released a study regarding the importance of good writing skills in the work place. They concluded that those who demonstrate strong writing skills and control of English grammar, regardless of profession, are paid more than those who do not. This observation makes a lot of sense. Many companies and employers are now requiring potential employees to submit a writing sample when applying for a position. The sample serves as an opportunity for a potential employer to assess the candidate’s overall writing abilities.
This sample may also be the first impression you make on an employer. Everything from the correct use of grammar to the language used reflects upon who you are. Your writing can speak volumes about you. Somebody who uses academic language and displays an understanding of English’s grammatical rules comes off as intelligent and professional. Conversely, somebody who allows text abbreviations to sneak into their writing and utilizes the vocabulary of a fifth-grader does not leave the same impression.
In essence, writing is a form of communication. For that reason it is important that it be correct from a grammatical standpoint, but also in it’s composition. Intensity of vocabulary and variance of sentence structure can display intellect and savvy. Even in a career that is not writing intensive, being able to write well can be an integral part of accomplishing tasks and goals.
The birth of the Internet and the accompanying technology has thrown open an unimaginable number of doors in regards to communication. Messages are flying across the globe every second. Documents are being sent from continent to continent. In this age of global communication, the ability to write well has become one of the world’s most marketable skills. In a 2011 USA Today article, investigating what qualities the modern employers looks for in a candidate, strong writing skills was number one. Their study found that among employers, from executives at Siemens to UPS, 97% ranked writing skills as absolutely essential or very important. They believed that strong writing skill enhanced a workers ability to do their job at all levels of the company.
The wording, tone, structure, and professionalism you display in your writing has the power to elicit desired reaction from a reader if utilized properly. A well-written e-mail could be difference between getting an account, and losing it. If you can use your writing skills to accomplish assigned tasks, you become an invaluable resource to your company.
Every piece of writing is driven by purpose. The use of proper rhetoric can determine how effectively this purpose is achieved. By carefully and choosing words and structure, a writer has the power to persuade, inform, and intelligently argue. Writing forces us to take the knot of thoughts in our head and rearrange them until they have the desired meaning. It is through academic language and proper grammar usage that one is able to get their message clearly across to their reader.
Writing allows us an opportunity that verbal discussion often does not. Writing allows us to think about how we wish to design a message and frame it in the most effective way. When engaging is verbal discourse, there is not usually time to truly think out exactly what you want your point to be, and how you are going to support it. However, in writing you do have that convenience. Writing is a method of communication where you can be clear and not allow your points to become muddled. You have complete power over how your purpose is achieved.
Writing – more importantly writing well – is how we make sure that we are truly understood. Much like anything, the more we write, the better writers we become. We learn how to frame arguments, and where commas go. Writing forces us to learn structure that we can use when it necessary to participate in verbal communication. When we write well we are not wishy-washy as we can come of in speech, but rather concretely clear. Employers look for writers who can clearly accomplish a task.
According to the study, good writers in all professions do better. While in a writing intensive profession such as journalism or editing, these skills are necessary; they are integral to being a top-notch IT professional, businessperson, banker, engineer or salesperson as well. Without good writing skills, there is a significant lack in your communication abilities. When others cannot understand us, our message is lost. In a world where we very much rely upon one another to succeed, it is essential that we can properly express our thoughts and objectives to others.
