HOW IS THE USE OF
PROPER WRITTEN AND SPOKEN ENGLISH IMPORTANT IN ANY CAREER?
It is commonly said that a person’s
first impression lasts the longest. In most situations, whether it is for
educational or business purposes, that first impression is usually accomplished
in writing. A cover letter for a resume, an application essay to a major
university, or a simple inter-office business memorandum can serve as that
opportunity for a first impression. It is during these first opportunities that
a person must not only be seen as who they are, but who they want to be.
As a returning student presently at
Texas A&M University, I never before realized that my ability to write
would be evaluated so often. Through applications, essays, research papers, and
other continuous writing assignments, I am constantly required to compose my
thoughts on paper in each of my classes. English is much like math…If you can
not add and subtract, then there is no use in attempting to learn algebra or
calculus. Learning basic sentence structure and word usage is a necessity
before moving forward in other subjects as well.
Michael D. Douglas, former Georgia Highlands College
student, current Texas A&M University / College of Architecture student
A few years ago a
speaker at a technology conference asked a question I've never forgotten. She
said that she had worked in education all her life and that the material she
taught now was totally different from the material taught 25 or 10 or even 3
years ago. So, if the material changes, if the subject matter itself fades or
becomes obsolete over time, what's the point?
What lasting information can instructors pass along to students? What do students need to know to succeed?
I asked myself that
question after the speaker completed her presentation, and here's my answer.
Students need to learn to:
•Read •Write
•Communicate, and •Solve Problems
If a person can do these things, then the person has a
great chance of creating a successful professional life. Of course, mathematics
helps students learn to solve problems. However, life's problems aren't solved
in a vacuum, like a classroom. Life's problems are solved in the real world--a
world in which understanding the problem in written form and communicating the
problem or its solution to other people are of vital importance.
"You are only as good as your last memo." Truer words were never spoken (or written).
In any work situation you are judged on how well you communicate. When you
cease to communicate, you cease to
exist.
Dr. Harvey H. Jackson,
Chair of History and Foreign Language, Jacksonville State University
As a fourth grade teacher, my credibility and
professionalism are constantly evaluated by the students and parents I work
with. If I can't
speak and write using the proper
English I am trying to model and impart to my students, I am an utter fraud.
Terran McCloud Newman,
Fourth Grade Teacher, Lorraine Elementary School
As an accountant, I
never expected my writing skills to be an important part of my job
responsibilities. However, reports to management, as well as our publics,
require an extensive amount of writing. In addition, I am called upon to do
technical writing of internal accounting procedures and policies for staff and
human resources.
Denise W. McCullars, Chief Financial Officer, Dawson Building
Contractors, Inc.
For an historian, writing is the lifeblood of what we do.
Being able to communicate ideas in clear, concise English, so that people can
understand why some historical concept is important to their lives, creates a
better understanding of how history connects to the modern world.
In my profession as a United States Federal Probation
Officer, I have to communicate with Federal Judges, prosecutors, attorneys and many
other agencies. I am responsible for providing the Court an accurate
independent investigation where i detail the
offender’s offense and background information in a pre-sentence report. The
Court demands that my reports be clear, concise and accurate. If I did not
convey my investigation clearly, I would lose credibility.
David K. Patterson, Probation Officer/Court Investigator,
United States District Court
It is a necessity in a
professional role to use good grammar when speaking and writing. It has been my
experience that respect and promotion are directly correlated with a person’s
ability to present himself and his ideas. In nursing, patient teaching and
education is a daily expectation. Communication with other health care
providers and facilities requires a nurse to logically and succinctly present
findings and plans for patient care. Clarity in documentation is a necessity in
today’s world of managed health care. Legally if you have not documented
observations and treatments they have not been done. A significant portion of a
nurse’s day is spent in communicating orally and in writing. English is an
extremely important component of the core curriculum.
Barbara B. Rees, DSN,
RN, Chair of Health Science and Nursing Program Director, Georgia Highlands
College
Written communication
is your image. That image is many times the first impression someone has of you
and the business you represent. I write correspondence, copy, editorial and
emails everyday. In every correspondence I am being persuasive and creating an
image in words.
Portraying that image
correctly, precisely and eloquently is more important than all of the verbal
conversation you could have in your professional career.
Lisa Smith, Tourism
Director, Greater Rome Convention & Visitor Bureau
In the business world,
clear communication is critical to your company and your career. At my company,
we draft product requirements that must be clear to both the engineer designer
and those who evaluate the acceptability of the end product. We analyze and evaluate complex systems and
write reports that must be clear and concise for effective use in decision
making by our customers. We often write proposals for new business and
recommendations for ways to improve existing designs. We give oral briefings on
system designs and evaluation results to our customers. Despite the
mathematics, physics, computer science, and engineering that we apply to real
world problems, we ultimately have to communicate effectively in oral and
written forms to be successful.
T. M. Webb, Ph.D.,
Senior Systems Analyst, Aeronautical Engineer
When people ask me
what skills I use most frequently in my work as a collegiate arts
administrator, the answer is always a surprise!
My
ability to write and
speak well, seemingly unrelated to my art form, are skills which have
contributed greatly to my thirty years of success as a teacher and
administrator. I use these skills daily; in fact, I use them much more than my
knowledge of the arts.