Are Writing Skills More Important Than Ever?

January 30, 2010 by sparktalk

‘JT & Dale Talk Jobs’ is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve been applying for jobs recently, and several companies have requested that I send writing samples along with my resume. What are they looking for? Is there a certain format or length that is appropriate? — Anastasia

J.T.: The key is to assess the kinds of writing you would be doing in the job you’re applying for. A person applying for a sales position would consider sending in examples of proposals to potential clients, while a training manager would send in samples of employee handbooks or training support materials. As for length, send two or three samples of varying lengths — a one-page summary and then a multi-page document, each displaying a very different style of writing as a way to also showcase your versatility.

Dale: I’m sure there are some cynics reading this who are thinking: “Writing samples? How will the company ever know who really wrote them? Just ‘borrow’ something impressive.” However, if the company is asking for writing samples, it wants to know that you have the education, grammar and skills to be a suitable representative of the company. When I was a manager in a market-research company, one of my employees resigned to take a promotion at another company. She mentioned that one of the reasons they’d offered her the job was how impressed they were with the sample research report she’d shown them. I had to bite my tongue — had she somehow forgotten that she’d turned in so dreadful a draft of that report that I’d completely rewritten it? Apparently so, because a couple of months later, she called and asked if she could have her old job back, having just been fired. However, I’d already replaced her with someone who could write. It’s ironic that in an age of technology and electronics, good old writing is more important than ever, as e-mails, texting and blogging so often put those skills on display.

Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm, jtodonnell.com, and of the blog, CAREEREALISM.com. Dale Dauten resolves employment and other business disputes as a mediator with AgreementHouse.com.

Please visit them at jtanddale.com, where you can send questions via e-mail, or write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10019.

Technorati Tags: career advice, career expert, career question, CAREEREALISM, job, position, resume, sample, writing skills

Filed Under: Job Search Tactics, Resume & Cover Letter Design
Tagged: career advice, career expert, career question, CAREEREALISM, job, position, resume, sample, writing skills

Comments

bsaunders

As a professional writer, I may be biased, but ... I have a hard time trusting people who cannot express themselves competently in writing. Writing is refined thinking. I once worked with an executive who had a reputation for being dishonest. I was one of many people who had to edit her prose. It was unclear enough that it was really difficult to figure out what she actually thought about anything, what her reasoning process was.

I still don't know for sure if she was really a liar, just a "bad thinker," who didn't really reason through her decisions, or playing dumb. What I do know is that she was ousted from the job after laying off many people who'd been working there for years and running the organization into the red.
Chris Klinton

I am totally appreciate with dale as these are points which most of peoples neglects.....
Jobs In Dubai

because in psychology they can evaluate persons personalities in just analyzing your writing skills. maybe that why they are requesting you to send sample of writing resume of yours.