Newswise — Surveys continually indicate that strong writing is the most important skill employers seek in college graduates, regardless of concentration or major.
Carol Zoref, writing coordinator at Sarah Lawrence College, renowned for its intensive writing requirements across the disciplines, says good writing takes time. "There are no magic bullets, simple solutions, standard formulas or ready answers." But, she adds, there are ways college students can improve their writing skills:
"¢ All Writing Is Re-Writing — No one becomes a strong writer without writing and rewriting on an ongoing basis. When you receive an assignment for a paper, exchange first drafts with a classmate and give one another feedback. Keep your classmate's questions and comments in mind as you re-write. If your professor is open to reviewing a draft before you submit the final paper, grab the chance.
"¢ A Paper Is Not A Text Message " There are differences between formal and informal writing, just as there are differences between formal and informal attire. Do not confuse the two. Text message shortcuts might be acceptable to your friends, but they are not appropriate in a college level paper. Equally important: before you hand in a paper, be it a first draft or a final draft, remember to proof read, proof read, proof read.
"¢ Program Planning —You won't become a better writer if you spend four years taking multiple-choice exams. Register for one or more courses every semester in which the professors assign papers.
"¢ Thinking on the Page " Good writing is not merely a means of demonstrating your knowledge. It is a method for making discoveries, identifying complex relationships, and developing a more nuanced understanding of the topic at hand. Writing is a process through which you explore or present an idea in a manner that simultaneously guides your reader through the same process of exploration.
A sampling of recent Sarah Lawrence College graduates working in a variety of fields bears testimony to the advantages learning to write well in college carry in the job market.
"¢ I had absolutely zero fundraising experience when I began. However, because of the writing skills I developed at Sarah Lawrence I was able to obtain this job and an internship with a fundraising training program.
Chauniqua Young
"¢ When I interviewed for this position, it became clear just how central writing would be to developing and writing curricula, as well as to program design and implementation. Still, nowhere in the job description was it written that excellent writing and communication skills would continually serve our larger mission. This has been one of the greatest lessons for me at CityParks Foundation: good writing is integral to major work areas and helps ensure the success of our programs. Superb writing skills not only enabled me to write a winning cover letter and resume, they also allow me to further develop our programs, as I manage all daily operations. Daily, I write. I am certain that SLC graduates have an edge, of the sharpest sort, when competing for jobs and entering the workforce.
Geimy Colon
"¢ I'm currently in marketing and advertising at the Metropolitan Opera. I use writing skills on a daily basis on media plans, copywriting, assorted blurbs for editorial purposes like posters, ads, and many brochures. I also frequently have to type minutes for meetings and do mini research projects for my boss. On every interview I've been asked to submit a business email sample.
Lauren Savitz '06
"¢ I have found the writing skills I learned at SLC to be absolutely essential in my work. After graduating (in 2004), I worked for a local human rights NGO in Uganda, monitoring/researching/reporting on human rights issues related to refugees/displaced people. From there I moved to Geneva for two years and worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council, and from there traveled extensively in east Africa, also interviewing, researching, writing on humanitarian conditions, and then briefing the UN/donor community in Geneva. Last September I finished a graduate degree in human rights at the London School of Economics, and now work in Bosnia, for the UN, and I can't tell you how much time I spend editing. Often seems like no one in the UN can write, and if they can, they don't have time! So one wouldn't necessarily think that working in international relations/refugee protection (which is mainly legal) that writing is so important, but it is, and a huge asset. Especially writing in a concise manner, in a way that gets the message across. I spend lots of time assisting people in articulating/developing key messages, turning them into recommendations, etc.
Jesse Bernstein '04
"¢ I am a huge fan of Sarah Lawrence mainly due to the writing skills that I acquired there. I was a theatre 'major' but was able to utilize a passion for writing in the 30 page essays that all students had to write on a topic of our choice. This kept my writing skills sharp and gave me a greater passion for writing than I had, as I explored subjects that I hadn't learned before. I now own a successful Real Estate Brokerage with offices in Washington, DC, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. I started in 2006 at 24 years old, and without much money, but creating my own marketing materials, website content, and presentations propelled my career and allowed me to compete in a highly competitive market. Sarah Lawrence made me confident, creative and innovative in my writing. I still create my own marketing materials and presentations simply because I love to! We just added a loan modification branch onto my company to help with excessive amount of loans that are in default or scheduled to default this year. I've been able to create a concise yet helpful presentation and package around this "Equity Rescue" concept that is captivating, yet simple enough to appeal to and help the masses. I believe that this is the true purpose of writing.
Lindsey Holmes Class '04.
"¢ As far as careers my writing helped me get into my doctoral graduate program in psychology and in my career as a psychologist. My husband Jeremy Reuling, also class of 2000, is a social worker and is often complimented on his writing which he developed while at SLC.
Marni Schwartz Reuling '00
"¢ Writing is a major component of my work as a scientist. I am currently a post doctoral research fellow in cognitive neuroscience (psychology) at Harvard University.
Nathan Spreng '00
"¢ I can say without a doubt that my writing experience at Sarah Lawrence was incredibly helpful and surprisingly useful in my current career. Much more so in practice than in law school. Probably most surprising is the fact that my creative writing experience has helped more than anything else.
Kerry E. Higgins
"¢ I work in a contemporary art gallery. My job includes writing about the artists, their work, and our exhibitions (either in press release form or on our website, catalogue essays, etc).
Alix Frey
"¢ I definitely think my writing ability helped me get hired. I've just left a job as Senior Editor at Missbehave Magazine to become their West Coast Editor and just last week received a blogging job under Turner Media. These jobs, of course, obviously require writing skills and my employment was mostly based on writing samples and clips.
Olivia Allin
"¢ After graduating from SLC in 2005, I got a job at the UCLA School of Law working in academic personnel (human resources for faculty). When my supervisor saw that I could write really well, I ended up drafting long and complex personnel letters. In addition, I also worked at UC Irvine for their finance department at the BioSci school and my supervisor (Director of Finance for the School) was not as fluent in English as her peers. I wrote and edited nearly every single one of her emails and letters. I was indispensable to her by the time I left. I've noticed that all of the technical/specialized skills are learned on the job. Even if I had studied accounting, I wouldn't have been prepared for my job as a financial analyst at UCI. In fact, it still boggles my mind that I was able to land a financial analyst job as a liberal arts major, even though I hadn't taken any math courses at SLC. What mattered most was that I had great communication skills, a willingness to learn and the ability to solve problems with critical thinking; all of which are the hallmarks of an SLC education.
Eunice Son
"¢ I had a job interview 2 years ago, where I was given a writing test. I expect to see this more often. While I have a BLA, not a business degree in Marketing, I lost the job to an MBA, but was subsequently told my speed & effective writing was by far the best they had seen, and was referred to a better, higher paying opportunity in the same industry.
Daniel C. Benchimol
"¢ I've had recruiters and interviewers go out of their way to comment on how outstanding my resumes/cover letters were. I work in arts administration which is actually an extremely competitive field, and I usually get called in for an interview on the simple strength of my resume/cover letter (no connections needed). Now that I'm on the interviewing side of the table, I am frankly shocked to discover the unbelievably poor writing skills in 95% of the application pool. Spelling alone knocks out 75% of my interview candidates. Once on the job, my ability to generate and analyze copy has completely blown away my employers. Also, in this new-media landscape, a well-written blog or online presence can really make a difference in a career trajectory.
Sarah McLellan '03
"¢ As an undergrad I studied literature, writing, theatre and philosophy at Sarah Lawrence. I also held several work study positions helping faculty members design websites while I was a student at SLC. After I graduated, I worked briefly in advertising and the non-profit sector, but I ultimately ended up in technology. Though I have since returned to school and am currently in the process of getting a PhD in the liberal arts (at Emory University-- I also have an MFA in English from Penn State), I continue to work in technology, designing custom databases and providing tech support through my own consulting business. My clients frequently comment on my ability to communicate well, the way I listen to their concerns and "translate" technical concepts in "regular English" in a way that helps them understand how and why their technology works. The emphasis on critical reading and writing throughout my SLC education provided me with the skills I need to train my clients and troubleshoot their technology problems.
Megan Friddle
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