Good writing is an essential life skill. You may not aspire to join the creative industry, dream of becoming a published author, or may not have a natural inclination to write. But you still cannot deny the functional importance of writing skills in everyday life, especially from a professional perspective. And the best part is that reasonable writing skills can be learned and acquired by anyone. So, if you are thinking about how good writing skills matter in jobs, read on.
Importance of writing skills
Knowing how to write and having good writing skills are two different things. The former indicates a beginning, while the latter signifies the journey of honing, improving and building upon the capability of expression through written text. Knowing the importance of writing skills in everyday life can motivate you to graduate from simply knowing ‘how to write’ to learning how to develop ‘good writing skills’. From a generic point of view, an individual with reasonable writing skills can enjoy unique practical advantages. A psychologist can explain this in detail, but we have listed down the following three benefits.
Ability to think cohesively
The human brain is capable of thinking many things. But most of our thoughts remain elusive as we often fail to piece together ideas emerging in our minds. Writing helps us to note down our thoughts, review them, find a meaningful pattern and achieve better clarity in our mind.
Ability to analyse deeply
Every one of us sometimes finds it difficult to stay neutral or avoid being judgemental. Our ability to analyse facts correctly can help in such situations. The mental clarity that emerges from writing our thoughts down can help us separate facts from our biases. We get the chance to observe our thoughts from an objective standpoint.
Ability to be self-aware and happy
Most of our distresses arise when we cannot think clearly. Mental clarity and the ability to analyse facts correctly help us become self-aware and happy in life. We start believing in ourselves.
Why is writing important for jobs?
You might not need to write reports, blogs, or a thesis as part of your job. But that does not make good writing skills unnecessary. Confidence in writing skills can help you land better jobs, succeed in your duties, and prosper in your career, in any field or any role.
Value addition to resume
If you are still wondering why writing is important in the context of jobs, it can help you improve your resume, cover letters and other job application essentials. It can lend them your personal tone. Good writing can distinguish your resume from others and help you stand out at the personal interview level. Your ability to write effectively will be evident from your resume, which is a value addition in the eyes of recruiters.
Effective text-based workplace communication
No one in the workplace hierarchy likes untidy emails with confusing sentence constructions and verbose language. Business communications are primarily text-based, either in the form of memos, emails, letters or process documents. Your ability to communicate with well-written texts can decide your professional success in your workplace. Besides, social media is becoming an integral part of workplace engagement. And good writing skills are essential for better interactions over social media platforms.
Stellar business planning & presentation
Everyone dreams of acquiring managerial responsibilities as they grow in seniority. Your ability to analyse, plan, develop and deliver effective business plans and presentations can increase your value as an executive candidate in your office. The importance of writing skills is not just limited to creating presentations, but also applicable to the clarity of thoughts necessary for an impressive presentation.
Content for influential personal branding
Smartphones and social media have provided us with a never-before opportunity to create content. We no longer just watch videos or listen to songs; we can create them for building personal influence within our social networks. Just like companies, you can use personal branding techniques to develop your own professional reputation. It is crucial for developing workplace credibility. And content is a vital part of branding. Good writing skills can help you create your own personal branded content or participate in the content creation process.
What are good writing skills?
Good writing does not mean creative expression, flowery language or excellent wordsmithing. Honestly speaking, good writing must mark check all the pointers in the following list.
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Grammatically correct without spelling errors
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Structured and easy to read
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Concise and meaningful
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Suitable to your audience
However, it is not easy to comply with all the above qualities of good writing. You need to learn techniques, practice, evaluate and practice.
Tips for developing good writing skills
How can you work on your writing skills? We have some tested and trusted tips to develop good writing skills suitable for workplace readiness.
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Read newspapers, magazines, self-help books, or other sources of good writing. The more you read, the better you will be able to express your ideas in writing.
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Start writing every day; it can be as small as a paragraph or diary entry before going to bed. Do not be fixated on quality at the beginning. Be regular.
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Reread your writing after regular intervals. It will help you to detect mistakes, improve on them, and control your texts.
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Take a quick primer on grammar, punctuations and word usages.
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Practice writing simple sentences and concise paragraphs. Do not address multiple ideas in a single section.
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Do not overthink.
Conclusion
It’s time to wrap up now. Developing good writing skills is a beautiful adventure and a life-changing experience. So, say yes to the journey today. Comment here to discuss your observations, queries and learn more in-depth about the importance of writing skills in jobs and personal life.