Writing Skills

Writing Skills
Definition
Writing skills are the skills you use to write effectively and succinctly. A good writer is
someone who can communicate their point to their audience without using too much
fluff and in a way that the other person can understand.
Writing skills don’t just include the physical act of writing. Skills like research,
planning and outlining, editing, revising, spelling and grammar, and organization are
critical components of the writing process.
In the workplace, writing skills examples include:
 Documenting a process for someone else to learn it

 Summarizing a meeting in an email for all attendees
 Sharing a team update in Slack
 Crafting a mass email to send to prospective customers
 Communicating with a client via email to get action on next steps
Why Are Writing Skills Important in the Workplace?

You don’t need the title “writer” to use writing skills at work. You might be a
marketer drafting copy that will entice an audience to join your virtual event or a UX
designer trying to nail the best home page text to get people to click the “learn more”
button. Maybe you’re a lawyer communicating with a client over email or
an investment banker sharing a status update with your manager.
Writing skills are needed in all workplaces, especially hybrid and remote ones.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employees, written

communication skills are a top skill employers look for on student resumes right now,
with 73.3% of employers searching for these skills — compared to 58.8% of
employers looking for verbal communication skills.
“We’re seeing that written communication is even more critical than it once was,”
Bryana Holcomb, business and success coach, says. “Some of the most important
writing skills that every employee should have include grammar, clarity, appropriate
tone, and the ability to be concise when needed. One of my favorite memes on social
media is the one that says, ‘This meeting could have been an email.’ The caveat to that
is in order to skip out on those ‘pointless meetings,’ we have to be able to express our
needs, deliverables, roles, etc. clearly and effectively through email.”
How to Include Writing Skills in a Job Application

There are two ways to show your writing skills in a job application: first, in your
written materials (resume and cover letter) and second, in how you describe your
writing skills in the interview.
“The best way to showcase your writing skills on a job application or resume is to first
have both be well written,” Holcomb says. “This means double-checking for spelling
and syntax errors and making sure your thoughts are clear.”
Every written correspondence with the hiring manager is a chance to show off your
writing skills. Be concise with no grammatical errors.
In the interview, describe how your writing — an email, copy, report, or essay — led
to a specific accomplishment.
“Highlighting the ways you have leveraged writing effectively in your previous
experiences is also important,” Holcomb says. “Whether you talk about the sales copy
that helped your company land a multi-figure client or the emails you crafted that
shifted the company culture for the better, all of your experiences count and should be
highlighted.”
How to Improve Your Writing Skills

Start With Your Audience
Before you start writing, think about who you’re writing for. Your audience affects
how much context you give, what tone you use, and even the message you want the
audience to take away. Ask yourself:
 Why am I communicating with them, specifically?

 What information do they already know? What context should I give
them, if any?
 What do I want this person to do after I’ve sent my message?
Know the Right Tone
Every industry expects a different level of professionalism. So how do you know how
formal to be and what corporate jargon to use?
Start by looking at the job description, company website, and other company
communications, including employee LinkedIn posts. Of course, it’s always better to
err on the side of formality.
If you want to try your hand at professional writing before you apply, try one
of Forage’s virtual experience programs. You’ll get a chance to do the kind of work
you would in an entry-level role and learn how to communicate that work through
client emails, email updates to your manager, and more.
Get to the Point
“Writing an email is essentially like writing a media pitch and trying to capture the
attention of a reporter,” Jamie Levin, communications consultant, says. “Think about
it, you have about 11 seconds to capture the attention of your reader, so what’s most
important? I can tell you what’s not…unnecessary words, adjectives that don’t add
value and taking the time to explain something that would be much better off
communicated in a face-to-face conversation.”
Before sending an email, update, or other written communication, challenge yourself

to decrease your word count. For example, see if you can make the 200-word email
only 150. This exercise will help you know if you have any “fluff” words that might
be overcomplicating your writing.
Edit and Proofread
Sometimes, your best editor is your future self. Take a step back after you’ve finished
writing something — even if it’s an email — and look back at it five minutes or even
an hour later (if you have the time) to edit and proofread.
Don’t be afraid to rely on outside sources to help you catch spelling and grammar
errors. Sites like Grammarly can help make your writing error-free and suggest
different wording depending on your audience’s knowledge level and the tone you’re
aiming for.
Seek Outside Support
Holcomb recommends taking advantage of online and in-person classes that can help
improve your writing skills.
“While you’re strengthening your skills in courses you can also seek support from
people —this can be colleagues, managers, or mentors — by asking them to proof
your work and provide feedback before you make your final submissions.”
Feedback is especially important in the job application process. For example, having
another set of eyes on your cover letter can help ensure you submit something clear,
compelling, and error-free.
Don’t Overthink It
While there’s a lot you can do to improve your writing skills, you don’t need to labor
over every written communication. In an increasingly virtual world, there are so many
emails and messages that you’ll waste valuable time trying to plan, edit, and revise
every one.
“Don’t overthink – it’s an email. It shouldn’t take 20 minutes to draft, and then
additional 20 minutes spent thinking about how it might be interpreted. Get to the
point,” Levin says. “Remember, it’s only an email (or a Teams chat) and it often
requires additional elaboration in the form of verbal communication and an open
discussion, whether that be in-person or via a video chat.”
Instead, focus on improving your writing and communication skills as a whole. With
practice, those short messages will become second-hand nature.
Looking to improve your professional writing skills? Try ANZ’s Preparing You for the
Workforce Virtual Experience Program, where you can practice research, email
writing, and presentation skills.

Writing Skills

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Writing Skills

In the workplace, writing skills examples include:

 Documenting a process for someone else to learn it

Why Are Writing Skills Important in the Workplace?

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employees, written

How to Include Writing Skills in a Job Application

How to Improve Your Writing Skills

 Why am I communicating with them, specifically?

Get to the Point

Before sending an email, update, or other written communication, challenge yourself

Edit and Proofread

Seek Outside Support

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