Quality writing can help you get ahead in your career, but the opposite is also true. If you want to get ahead in the workplace, change careers, or find a job, then it's time to dust off that dictionary, thumb through your thesaurus, and get a grip on grammar.
Grammarly reviewed 100 LinkedIn profiles of native English-speakers in the consumer packaged goods industry. Each of the professionals we looked at worked for no more than three employers over the first 10 years of their career. Half were promoted to director-level or above within those 10 years, and the other half were not.
We discovered a direct link between the number of grammar and spelling errors in a profile and the trajectory of that person's career. Here are the highlights:
- Professionals whose profiles contained fewer mistakes also achieved higher positions. In fact, those who failed to progress to a director-level position within the first ten years of their careers made more than twice as many grammar mistakes as their peers.
Why does writing have such a huge impact on your career? According to Sue Shellenbarger, writing for The Wall Street Journal, "looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors." Few areas of the workplace are untouched by grammar in some way; even if your job doesn't directly involve writing, chances are you'll still need to communicate in writing with your coworkers, management and clients or customers at some point.
It all comes down to the impression you make. Regardless of whether you're writing a grant proposal to secure thousands of dollars or dashing off an email to another department, your writing reflects the care and skill you take with every task.
It turns out that the way you do anything -- even writing an email -- is the way you do everything. "How you handle and manage any situation, challenge or experience in your life is how you probably handle all of them," says Life Coach Laura Campbell. She has discovered this truth in the lives of countless clients, and our study of LinkedIn professionals seems to confirm it: sloppy writers tend to have more stagnant, less successful careers. Whether they're actually less skilled and talented than their peers or whether they are merely perceived as being so because of their carelessness, they suffer fewer promotions, flatter career trajectories, and lower positions in their companies.
How to Improve Your Grammar
Sounds pretty grim, right? So what can you do to be a better writer? We've put together six suggestions to help you improve.
1. Make a list of commonly misspelled words.
Spell check has made many of us lazy spellers, but you shouldn't rely solely on the wavy red line to highlight your errors. Keep a list of words that give you trouble and double-check them whenever you use them in your writing.
Embrace the serial comma... or don't. Create your own basic grammar guidelines and be consistent in using them. For example, if you choose to adopt the serial comma (and you really should), use it every time.
2. Study up on the basics.
For most of us, English class is but a distant memory. Mignon Fogarty's Grammar Girl blog is full of valuable insights and frequently asked questions. Be sure to check out her podcast, too!
3. Read more.
Leo Babauta, author of the popular Zen Habits blog, believes that reading is essential for all of us but it is especially beneficial for writers. You can learn a lot about writing by reading a wide variety of material including fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, and even blogs.
4. Practice, Practice, Practice.
Learning any skill takes practice and repetition. Even if you've never thought of yourself as a writer, a daily journaling habit has a wide range of benefits. Try freewriting for ten minutes every morning with your cup of coffee!
5. Proofread everything.
It's no surprise that we're passionate about proofreading at Grammarly. We're consistently amazed by the number of mistakes that sneak into even the most careful writer's work.
While poor writing skills can certainly hold you back in the workplace, the good news is that with practice, you can improve!
This post originally appeared on the HubSpot blog.