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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
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I was interested in finding out whether you all have any thoughts on recent college graduates' writing skills. Do you find them inadequate? If so, does your company have any type of training program t
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Forums » Topic Forums » Recruiting & Staffing » Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/1/2006 9:51 AM EDT
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Posts: 17
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 6/9/2011 |
I was interested in finding out whether you all have any thoughts on recent college graduates' writing skills. Do you find them inadequate? If so, does your company have any type of training program that new hires are required to complete? What happens if these new hires do not improve their writing skills? Do they lose their jobs? I am a college professor teaching Business Communication to juniors and seniors at a university. I just wanted to know opinions of employers. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/2/2006 2:14 AM EDT
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Posts: 147
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 2/11/2007 |
What writing skills?
While I admit that statement is not all inclusive the majority that I see do not possess an appropriate level of skill in this area. We do not train them, that is a personal development matter that they are responsible for. I mentor and coach my own direct reports but it is usually project specific. Do they lose jobs? No, but they lose promotional opportunities. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/2/2006 3:21 AM EDT
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Posts: 17
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Dear OldHR, thank you, thank you, thank you. I try so diligently each semester to make my students understand the importance of writing. They seem to think that no one really cares whether they can write or not, and they believe that companies will just hire them a secretary. I have tried working with colleagues at the elementary, middle, and high school level to encourage them to "put grammar skills" back into the curriculum. So far, the movement is very slow at best. Thank you again for your kind response. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/2/2006 3:47 AM EDT
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Posts: 147
First: 9/29/2006 Last: 2/11/2007 |
I used to live in your "neck of the woods" (Smyrna) so when I saw the post and then saw where you were from the personal connection made me jump in here.
I cannot begin to emphasize the importance of writing. I remember a couple hundred years ago when I first started my writing was terrible. So terrible my boss ridiculed me about it. I am now published on multiple counts and all because I took the initiative. Writing AND speaking is the key to success as a professional today and even in many other occupations. Without those skills you are going no where. Hopefully others will jump in here and share their perspective. Best wishes. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/2/2006 11:08 AM EDT
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Posts: 17
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Thank you again, OldHR. I'm glad to hear that you know Smyrna! I, too, am hoping that other folks will post responses to my questions. I value any information I can obtain from folks who are hiring these college graduates. The more facts I am armed with, the better I can convince my students that they need to focus on developing their writing skills. They look at me when I'm teaching and think I don't know anything that's happening in the "real world." If I have real world folks tell me the facts, then I can hopefully open their eyes. Thanks again! |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/3/2006 9:18 AM EDT
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Posts: 3870
First: 2/12/2002 Last: 11/2/2009 |
Let me be a bit brutal here.
Poor writing skills indicate poor education or a lack of attention to detail and perhaps both. OK, maybe it also indicates an engineering degree. Engineers aren't the most adept at writing skills, but that's not their primary job requirement (but it will most definitely catch up with them later in their careers). Poor education or poor attention to detail does not play well in today's business world. Much of business today focuses greatly on detail and precise execution. Witness the widespread adoption of high performance programs such as Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, Lean, Toyota Production System, ISO and others. There is little margin for error in these programs and people who cannot communicate well will not survive in those environments. This assumes, of course, that people with below average or even average communication skills even get into those environments. So your students say that everyone mispells words or mangles grammar? Perhaps the average person does. Average people do not become managers. Above average people become managers and exceptional people run companies. Average people earn the average income of about $38,0000 per year. Above average people earn more and exceptional people earn a lot more. In larger companies, manager pay is typically double the average, and director pay is 4 or 5 times average. I have even more experience that OldHR, so perhaps my online persona should be AncientHR. A very large part of my experience has involved recruitment of managers, directors, VP's and GM's. I will guarantee you that a person who can't effectively write a resume and cover letter doesn't get an interview. What they do get is a "thank you but no thank you" letter. A very well written one, of course. Maybe they write well but can't speak well. Great. They get an interview. But if they can't speak well, they don't do well in an interview and they don't get the job. I trust this helps. Perhaps I've been a bit blunt, but this issue is so important that sugar coating an answer would be a disservice. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/3/2006 10:34 AM EDT
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Posts: 228
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 1/20/2010 |
I am in total agreement with everyone on this subject. As for students assuming that secretaries will be taking care of their clerical duties -- that is just not the case in today's business world. Most of our managers and executives (including our CEO) compose and type their own letters. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/5/2006 12:26 PM EST
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Posts: 3870
First: 2/12/2002 Last: 11/2/2009 |
Most managers and executives indeed do their own correspondence and reports. I would also add that any new graduate, either baccalaureate or MBA, who thinks they'll have their own secretary is operating under some very severe delusions. |
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Writing Skills of Newly "Minted" College Graduates
posted at 11/6/2006 9:10 AM EST
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Posts: 17
First: 11/1/2006 Last: 6/9/2011 |
Thank you all so much for you responding. I conveyed this information to my Business Communication students today during class. To say they were shocked is an understatement! I advised them that as college juniors and seniors that their writing skills should not be at the level I have seen. We are talking about students who spelled deaf "D-e-f" and said someone could not hear as "h-e-r-e." Mind you, this writing project was in longhand and not on a computer with spell check--but still, if you do not know how to spell the word "deaf" or know that the word "hear" is different from "here," I am not sure I can offer them any help at this point in their college careers. To say that I am frustrated is an understatement. Thanks again! And keep posting! I need all the assistance I can gather. |
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