Writing

Writing skills refer to the ability to convey one’s thoughts, feelings, information, ideas, or any message through a well-constructed text. However, it is not merely the graphic representation of speech. Rather, it goes far beyond that to encompass the development as well as the presentation of one’s thoughts in a structured way and in words that are understandable by the intended audience.

Writing skills are considered a significant part of communication and mastering these skills have become a necessity since they allow for clear and effective communication to an audience far larger than any other mode of communication could make possible.

Why are writing skills important

Whether it’s a promotion you are looking forward to or landing your dream job, a well-written job application is your first step in the right direction. That is when you first realize the need and importance of good writing skills to make an impression.

However, it is just the beginning. The significance of good writing skills continues to grow once you land a job and struggle for the growth and development of your career. The exchange of emails and memos for the purpose of conveying messages become a part of daily work routine. Good writing skills enable you to make such messages concise as well as self-explanatory, reducing time wastage (on the receiver’s end) to minimum.

Your professionalism, intelligence, and competencies are all communicated through your writing skills. So, it would be safe to say that your career success depends on it to quite some extent.

How to improve writing skills

Following are some easy steps to help you improve your writing skills:

• Know your audience before you begin. Consider your audience to be your compass – one that gives you a sense of direction when you begin to write. Effective communication, whether verbal or written, requires you to connect with your audience, for which you need the perfect vocabulary, style, and tone.
• Format your document wisely. Use formatting to make every piece of writing clear and reader-friendly. The utilization of different formatting features such as bullets, headlines, numbering, and bold etc. can ensure that the reader skims and scans through your text without much difficulty, thus, maximizing efficiency. A balance, however, must be maintained because if formatting is overdone, the visual elements can be distracting for the reader.
• Focus on the content. Keeping your audience in mind, you should use simple language to create a content that is reader friendly and free of unnecessary jargons. Respecting the time of your recipients, you should make the document as succinct as possible and ensure that it serves a clear purpose. Also, try to avoid any ambiguity by drawing a clear distinction between facts and your personal opinions.

Job profiles that require this skill