When asked, employers will tell you that effective written communication skills are one of the most sought after skills in today's workplace. And yet many employees find writing a daunting task. The following suggestions can greatly improve your writing skills:
1. Create a writing plan by preparing an outline of what to include in a writing project.
2. Take your first step by writing a draft. Don't worry about word choice or content as that will improve during the process.
3. Edit your writing for word choice and redundancies using a thesaurus or synonym dictionary. Check for correct punctuation and grammatical usage using a grammar book as a guide.
4. Your writing can always be improved so edit, revise, and re-edit your work.
5. Set a plan to improve your vocabulary by using a dictionary to look for the meaning of unfamiliar words, completing crossword puzzles, and playing word games.
6. Read every chance you get; the more you read, the more you will expand your vocabulary and increase your awareness of effective writing.
7. Expand your reading selection; read the newspaper, magazines, journals, fiction books, non- fiction books, and biographies.
8. Practice your writing as often as possible. Write notes and letters to family members, friends, and colleagues.
9. Volunteer to taking on writing projects at work. Ask colleagues and supervisors to give you input on how to improve your writing.
10. View writing as a skill, one that you acquire through practice and effort.
Send questions or comments to: rkaplan@job-resources.com
Copyright © Robbie Miller Kaplan. All rights reserved.
Revised: January 15, 2004
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