Ever since the third grade, I’ve been told repeatedly that writing is a very important skill to have. When I was a college student, I was constantly having to write essays for various assignments in my classes. Some might think it’s incredibly tedious and monotonous; however, over time I’ve come to realize the importance of academic writing in one’s life. The ability to put your thoughts into words is an essential trait that will help you get ahead professionally—and personally.
Let me show you why!
Writing can help land you that dream job
Once you move out of school and enter the workforce, who do you think would be more appealing: someone with great grades throughout school but no real-world experience? Or someone with less-than-stellar grades and lots of relevant experience?
I know which person I would hire.
I’ve always found it interesting that throughout high school, students are encouraged to explore extracurriculars related to their future careers—and then the second they enter the real world, no one cares about what you did before college or why you didn’t have time for anything other than your studies. Employers want to see previous experience in your field of study, not complaints about how busy you were.
Writing can help you make new friends
Are you having trouble making friends because you’re too afraid to talk to people? You don’t need all eyes on you when approaching a stranger at a party—just look them dead in the eye, introduce yourself, and say something along the lines of “It’s great meeting you; my name is ____.”
There’s no reason to be nervous about talking to someone new. It all starts with how you present yourself—and that includes your writing. By taking a few minutes to compose a message that doesn’t sound like it was written by a third-grader (yes, I’ve actually had these conversations), you can make even more of an impression on your fellow man/woman/other.
Writing can help earn you money
Doing things like babysitting or dog-sitting (or whatever pet sitting is called) is a great way to make extra cash while still in high school and college. However, if you want to really rake in the dough, you should consider searching for a newspaper to become either a sportswriter or proofreader.
I have proofread for my school’s newspaper before—and let me tell you, it is an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only do you get paid, but your work could be published to thousands of other people throughout your community/state/country. Plus, it looks great on your college resume!
Writing can help you avoid embarrassing moments
If you’re not convinced that writing is important yet, let me show you how it has helped save me from making dumb mistakes in life:
- Time and time again I’ve seen people post something online and then regret it and delete it within seconds. Sometimes this means they accidentally post something they were trying to send in a private message—and others it means the entire post pops up on their timeline for everyone to see. Writing things down before you hit “post” can help avoid these situations, and having your work published elsewhere could cause you to lose out on an amazing job opportunity because your grammar/spelling is just that awful.
- Not understanding that when someone says they’re in town for one night only, they aren’t talking about the capital of Australia. Sometimes people don’t realize how much time has passed when texting or instant messaging, so be sure to double-check when replying to someone’s comment.
- Speaking without thinking will get you into trouble more times than not. You can say something completely innocent and still offend someone—or say something without realizing it’s incorrect and make a fool of yourself. Proofreading before you publish can help to avoid this, and having your work published elsewhere could cause you to lose out on an amazing job opportunity because your writing is just that bad.
Writing can help save lives
Holding a contest for the best essay on why people should adopt from shelters instead of breeders is so much better than asking them to submit their phone numbers so they are more likely to “like” your status/photo/page/group!
I’m so thankful I was introduced to setting writing goals when I first started out as a blogger, because now not only am I able to stay organized with my time management skills, but I can also share my thoughts on a topic of my choice with others. If you don’t believe me yet, talk to some math teachers—they can tell you how important it is for students to understand what they are learning instead of just memorizing the information.
Asking people to set writing goals will not only help them get more organized, but it will also allow them to speak without hesitation about the topic that’s most important to them. Some students might be afraid of being judged or saying something wrong when speaking in front of their class, so writing could be a way for them to express themselves while remaining anonymous. Even though your work may never go viral, doing well at setting goals can help save lives—including yours!
