Professionals need to have strong writing skills to succeed. Writing isn’t just about formal letters anymore; we communicate via email and text every day. The place you showcase your writing skills to a potential employer is with your resume and cover letter. After that, every piece of correspondence you send will be evaluated, even after you’re hired. Even good writers can improve their skills. Here are some common mistakes you probably don’t know you’re making.
You’re Too Casual
We have a culture of very informal written communication. When texts are often a series of abbreviations and emojis, it can be challenging to transition back to a more formal writing mode. Be careful that your business writing doesn’t rely too much on smiley faces, puns, jokes, or other communication methods that are acceptable among friends but might be too familiar for your audience.
Your Voice is Passive
Understanding passive and active voice doesn’t require an English degree, but your normal tone may not always allow you to see the difference. When you write passively, your audience may not take you seriously in the end. They may think you don’t have enough conviction to make your point. Many of today’s grammar checking programs will alert you to passive voice, so it may be worth using one.
You Don’t Edit Before Hitting Send
They say the best way to find a typo is to hit send. But that can also be the exact worse time to find that typo. It can be easy to breeze through your thoughts and hit that send button without a second thought, but always take a minute to review it first. You never know when a mistake can go from simply embarrassing to problematic.
You’re Message isn’t Clear
Another major problem with written communication is that the message isn’t clear. Getting to the point as quickly as possible will be critical. Your email should be as long as you need to convey your message but as short as possible to avoid unnecessary information becoming the take-away.
Do you want to showcase your skills for your next role? Contact the team at CornerStone Staffing today.