Bad Writing: What it Means for Your Career (INFOGRAPHIC)
Is poor writing an indicator that you will be less successful in your career?
Kyle Wiens, CEO at iFixit, suggested as much in a July 20, 2012 article (“I Won’t Hire People Who Use Poor Grammar. Here’s Why.”) which appeared in Harvard Business Review’s blog network.
Yesterday, in honor of National Grammar Day, Harvard Business Review posted another article (“Grammar Should Be Everyone’s Business”) written by Grammarly CEO Brad Hoover. Brad’s article provides real data to back up Mr. Wiens’ supposition that poor grammar predicts poor career outcomes.
Here’s a breakdown of the data:
- Professionals with fewer grammar errors in their Linkedin profiles achieved higher positions. Those who failed to progress to a director-level position within the first 10 years of their careers made 2.5 times as many grammar mistakes as their director-level colleagues.
- Fewer grammar errors correlate with more promotions. Professionals with one to four promotions over their 10-year careers made 45 percent more grammar errors than those with six to nine promotions in the same time frame.
- Fewer grammar errors associate with frequent job changes. Those who remained at the same company for more than 10 years made 20 percent more grammar mistakes than those who held six jobs in the same period. This could be explained in a couple of ways: People with better grammar may be more ambitious in their search for promising career opportunities, or job-hoppers may simply recheck their résumés between jobs.
Are you interested in sharing the data? Tweet about it now!
Or, let us know what you think in the comments below. Have your writing skills ever influenced your career in a positive or a negative manner?
Job Seekers: What’s Wrong with Your Resume? Probably More than You Think.
#WhatIWrite: Cover Letters and Resumes
More than two thirds of salaried jobs require a significant amount of writing, making written communication a key consideration in hiring. Yet, top organizations still spend more than $3 Billion (with a “B”!) per year on remedial training to improve employees’ writing to baseline standards.
Cover letters and resumes are, not surprisingly, a great way for potential employers to assess candidate’s writing skills. According to a recent analysis of online resumes by Grammarly:
- There are 5 potential errors on a typical job seeker’s resume, and most of these issues (nearly 60 percent) are grammatical.
- Female job seekers make an average of 4 grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes in their resume, while male job seekers average more than 6 mistakes.
- The average job seeker makes more than 1.5 punctuation errors, but very few spelling mistakes (less than one per resume).
Careful proofreading is the best way to find potential spelling and grammar issues in a resume or cover letter. Using Grammarly’s application as an extra set of eyes to find spelling and grammar mistakes enables job seekers to differentiate themselves by focusing on content and style.
_____________________________________________________________
Have you written a particularly compelling resume or cover letter recently that you’d like to share?
Grammarly is joining The New York Times Learning Network, National Council of Teachers for English, National Writing Project and other literary-minded organizations in spreading the word about the #WhatIWrite Tweet-up to take place today (Friday, October 19) and tomorrow (Saturday, October 20).
#WhatIWrite encourages writers to share excerpts from their writing via Twitter. Participants who include the hashtag #GrammarlyEdits with any of their tweets will be entered into a drawing to win a free one-year subscription to Grammarly’s online application valued at $139.95. You may also tell your friends about the contest on Twitter for a second chance in the drawing.
Click here to learn more about the #GrammarlyEdits #WhatIWrite contest.
Terms and conditions: Official Rules #GrammarlyEdits #WhatIWrite Contest
Good grammar is credibility, especially on the internet. In blog posts, on Facebook statuses, in e-mails, and on company websites, your words are all you have. They are a projection of you in your physical absence. And, for better or worse, people judge you if you can’t tell the difference between their, there, and they’re.
(via mr-herzberg)
Grammar!
4 Tips for Improving the Quality of Your Grammar and Writing for Job Applications
In a recent post for the Harvard Business Review Blog Network, Kyle Weins — CEO of iFixit — clearly explained why he “won’t hire people who use poor grammar.” While you may be inclined to think that he is all talk, you would be wrong. According to the post, all employees in both his companies take a grammar test when entering the company. Weins’ reasoning is that an employee’s ability to use grammar correctly is a reflection of his thinking and personal learning curve. If an employee’s grammar is poor, he or she is out — period.
While not all employers have such a black and white approach to grammar in the workplace and few will test you on it, almost all employers do make an effort to review critically all job application materials for blatant mix-ups. Here are four things you can do to ensure that, grammatically speaking, you make the cut.
1) Take your time.
Most mistakes are made by blowing through a text or project, often neglecting to proofread. When you work on any part of your application, walk away after you finish drafting. Leave it, preferably overnight. When you come back to it, you will have fresh eyes. You will be able to see many more errors and awkward phrasings than you would have been able to see if you had proofread immediately after drafting. You will also need time in order to take advantage of the other tips!
2) Study a bit.
Are you having doubts about that comma? What about the semicolon? Look it up. If you are unsure, it will not hurt to educate yourself a little or review some grammar rules. The great part about this is that you will probably only have to do it when you first start working on applications, because you will learn as you go.
There are several excellent resources for getting grammar and writing explanations online. We recommend the Grammarly Handbook, Purdue University Online Writing Lab, and Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips. If you have a grammar or writing question, you can ask our online community at Grammarly Answers.
3) Use tools.
Nowadays there are many tools that can help you improve your writing. They range from free, native tools like spelling and grammar check in your word processor to more sophisticated subscription-based writing checkers, like Grammarly.com. Any of these tools can help draw attention to potential errors in your writing, but some are better than others when it comes to error identification and error explanation.
4) Make it social.
Ask others to read your application! This is a powerful, last step when revising your writing, but it is often overlooked due to lack of time. If something is out of place or awkward, the careful eye of a friend or a family member will catch it much more readily than you would. A bonus of this step is that friends and family can check for content, not only grammar and writing, so you can tremendously enhance your application. Just be sure to give your friend enough time to look over it thoroughly, usually one to two days.
Grammar still matters in a digital age. In fact, as Weins points out in his post, it may be more relevant now because of the increased use of written media by the masses of our tech-based world. Because of this, it is critical that you can write well in a professional setting. Your application is the proof you give any potential employer — make it good.
_____________________________________________
What other tips would you add for improving grammar and writing in a job application?
