Why Writing is Important
Communication is a very valuable skill to have in the workplace, in school and simply in life in general. Being able to communicate well with others not only makes you a viable candidate for a job, it shows that you have good people skills and that you work well with others. In addition to having good communication skills, it is essential in so many different industries to be able to have good writing skills. This is a skill that is often overlooked, especially if the industry isn’t directly related to English, writing or editing. By following the writing tips I have listed below, you’ll be able to improve your writing skills.
The reality is, writing is a skill that can be used in almost any field. I am currently working on receiving my MBA, and after starting this program, I quickly learned that writing is an extremely important skill to have even in the business field. People in the business field tend to focus primarily on analytical skills, and while those are essential to the industry, writing skills are just as essential. Being able to format a grammatically correct sentence, communicate well with others and even show your creative side, is something that will get you far in this field. Unfortunately, there are individuals that are lacking this skill or don’t see the importance of it.
This is also applicable to so many other fields. Caroline Schnabel is in her senior year at the University at Buffalo (UB) and is about to graduate with a degree in chemical engineering and a minor in biotechnology. This field is heavily tied to science and mathematics, yet even she has informed me how much of an impact writing has had on her studies thus far, and how much it will have on her future career. “As an engineer, you need to be able to communicate clearly with people who may or may not have the same technical understanding of the project as you do. If you can’t communicate clearly, it will cause a lot of problems that could end up costing the business a lot of time, money and potentially cause safety issues as well,” Schnabel said. In this case, writing is beneficial in this field because it has the potential to save a company time, money and resources.
“As an engineer, you need to be able to communicate clearly with people who may or may not have the same technical understanding of the project as you do.”
Gurleen Kaur is working towards her master’s degree in biology at UB while also applying to medical school. She is also a student who is studying a field that is primarily science based; however, she finds writing to be extremely important in her field. “Writing is an important skill to have because you have to write medically accurate notes for your patients,” she said. “Research is also such an important factor in medicine, and to make new discoveries, you have to pose new ideas and hypotheses which have to be proven using scientific writing. For example, writing an abstract. An abstract, or any part of a research paper, has to be peer reviewed before getting published, and they help further science by advancing medications, surgeries and other new discoveries that could help peoples’ health.” In this case, writing accurately can quite literally save lives.
“Writing is an important skill to have because you have to write medically accurate notes for your patients.”
Abbey Naples graduated with her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Canisius College and an associate’s degree in fashion merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She has found writing to be beneficial to her even when working in the fashion industry. “Writing is the most efficient way to convey your ideas, especially in a professional setting. When it comes to business reports, marketing/signage and pitching your ideas in any aspect, writing it the best way to do this. The fashion world, which does revolve around visuals, textures and more, relies on how you can present yourself in a professional, written manner to formally convey your inspiration and ideas,” she said.
“Writing is the most efficient way to convey your ideas, especially in a professional setting.”
All of these girls are going into very different professions, and none of these industries are directly related to writing. However, each of them have proven just how important and beneficial writing is even in the fields that you’d least expect. This just further proves why it is important for everyone to improve their writing skills. I have listed a few writing tips down below.
How you can improve your writing in 3 ways:
Read the work of others:
It is beyond important to read the work of others not only for inspiration, but to pick up on skills that they may have. This could be reading of any kind. As someone with a degree in journalism, I find it very important to read the work of those who have a similar writing style to mine.
I enjoy reading pieces from The New York Times specifically. These writers are incredibly talented, and I am able to explore the different sections of the paper while reading. While I try to stay up to date on breaking news, my favorite sections and the ones that are most closely related to my preferred style of writing, include the arts, books, style, food and travel sections. By staying up to date on the articles in these sections, I am able to improve my own writing at the same time.
If you are also an aspiring journalist, I highly recommend going to The New York Times website, setting up a subscription and reading the articles posted on their daily. You could simply read any breaking news articles to stay up to date, or you could focus on the articles that are most closely related to the style of writing you prefer.
I also intend on improving my writing by reading fiction novels. While I primarily write nonfiction pieces, I feel the best way to improve on your skills is by reading a variety of writing. It allows you to add new words to your vocabulary, improve your grammar skills and gain inspiration from other successful writers.
Write often:
Like any skill, writing needs to be practiced often in order for you to get better at it. It’s the same as practicing a sport or instrument. If you don’t take the time to practice it weekly or even daily, it is not a skill that you will improve on. You don’t have to write lengthy pieces every chance that you get, it could be as simple as writing in a journal about your day or writing a short blog post about an activity that you enjoy. Regardless of what it is, it is important to get into the habit of writing regularly.
Branch out:
Even if you’re like me and you prefer writing nonfiction, I think the best way to improve writing is to try different styles, even ones you may feel unfamiliar with. Occasionally, I will try writing fiction pieces to challenge myself. Familiarize yourself with all different writing styles. You don’t have to become an expert in each of them, but having experience in a variety of writing styles will get you far.
These are just a few writing tips that you can use to help improve your writing. I feel that improving your writing should be a priority. It doesn’t matter what field you are in, being able to write well is an important skill for anyone to have, and following these writing tips are a great way to start becoming a better writer.
