How you Write DOES affect what THEY think!

April 27, 2011, 2:00 PM

Yes, I know we are in the age of texting. Yes, I know shortcuts in language are fairly easily understood, even by folks over the age of 30. But “somebody” forgot to tell the millions of unemployed currently looking for jobs in business that writing clearly and concisely is STILL critical to success in the workplace.

Literally trillions of emails and reports are sent each year. We all call upon our writing skills every day, yet poor grammar, typos and improper etiquette continue to plague business writing. Okay, maybe I’m hypersensitive, but addressing a cover letter to me that begins with “Hey Judy” is NOT going to get you an interview!

News flash: How you write affects what the reader thinks of you!

Here are a few tips to help you get it right!

  1. Don’t “Hey” anybody.  As my mom always said, "Hay is for horses."
  2. Correctly spell the name of the person you are contacting and get their correct title.  You can find this on any company’s website or by making one phone call.
  3. Pedantic, plodding verse will not hold a reader’s attention. Sample: “I have the skills you are looking for. I am eager and a hard worker. I am loyal and efficient. I am a boring writer. I only write one type of sentence. I am. I am. I am.”
  4. Proofread! Do not tell me “attention to detail” is one of your greatest strengths in a cover letter riddled with typos any spell check tool would easily detect. Better yet, ask someone else to review your materials for spelling, grammar and content. If they don’t understand what you’re trying to say, chances are I won’t either.

The actual content of your cover letter and résumé moves into a distant second place if you can’t spell, can’t write and can’t demonstrate your analytical prowess in the written word. In other words, I don’t want you to tell me you are bright and eager and a quick study; I want to feel your energy in your writing!

Is good writing THAT important to overall corporate success? According to an article by Creative Commons:

  • A survey of 200 Fortune 1000 companies found that managers felt 34% of their subordinates’ writing was below standard and of poor quality.
  • An incredible $225 billion is lost by business each year because of poor reading, writing, and math skills.
  • 71% of surveyed executives reported that good writing is critical to business success; yet just 26 percent offer any kind of writing training.

Good writing directly affects the bottom line. When a business is represented poorly in its written communications – poor grammar, inappropriate tone, misspelling, ineffective format, and so on – then everything else about that business is questioned.

In a very competitive job market, hiring managers are not willing to take that risk by selecting someone who, on the surface, cannot write well enough to put their potential new employer in a good light.

Do yourself a favor--take the time to polish your writing skills today. It could be the best investment you make in your career.

Leave the first comment













Categories

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Post Archive

2012 (5) 2011 (16) 2010 (20) 2009 (33)