While some jobs rely on communication skills more than others, competencies, such as professional writing skills, are important in every industry and type of workplace. The goal of professional writing is often to deliver information, but some pieces of writing may be used to persuade, such as in negotiating a contract. No matter the goal or purpose, professional writing must always be clearly understood and respectful in tone.

Learning how to write professionally is a skill that can serve you well no matter where your career takes you. If you have a passion for writing, then you might want to consider improving your professional writing abilities in anticipation of pursuing a writing-related career.

Before you can work toward improving your professional writing skills, it’s helpful to know exactly what is meant by the term professional writing. 

Simple Definition

Professional writing refers to any type of writing that is produced for the workplace or for any business purpose. This can range from formal reports presented to a board to less formal emails between co-workers to contracts and legal documents.

Professional writing can also encompass the following:

• Business plans
• Memos
• Press releases
• Cover letters
• Advertisements
• Social media

Why Professional Writing Matters in School and Work

Even before you land your first professional role, you will need to practice how to write professionally in college. In college, demonstrating professional writing skills highlights your ability to:

• Apply critical thinking and analytical reasoning
• Organize information in a logical manner
• Persuade or educate about a topic

In work, professional writing is one of the cornerstones of communication. It’s how co-workers collaborate, managers delegate and the company achieves its goals.

There are a number of reasons why professional writing abilities are crucial for success, including the following:^{(See disclaimer 1)}

Building Credibility and Trust

Demonstrating professional writing skills in the workplace is a way to establish your professional credibility and build trust with others. The way you communicate with others is a reflection of your degree of professionalism. Writing well can encourage others to view you as a competent professional.

Improving Academic and Career Opportunities

You’ll need strong communication skills when looking for any sort of job. You’ll need to convince a hiring manager to grant you an interview based on the strength of your resume and cover letter, for example. Similarly, you’ll need strong written language skills when applying to academic programs, such as grad school.

Enhancing Clarity and Impact

It’s difficult to complete projects and tasks in a timely manner if colleagues have difficultly interpreting your written communication. Using professional writing skills is key to communicating information clearly so that you and others can achieve a shared goal.

Whether or not you plan to pursue a writing-related career, you can benefit from brushing up on your writing skills with the following grammar rules and professional writing examples. Learning how to become a better writer starts with the basics.

Grammar and Punctuation Basics

It’s perfectly fine to avoid punctuation and use improper grammar when texting with friends, but in a work setting, clear and formal communication demands proper grammar and punctuation.

While there are too many grammar rules to list here, consider incorporating the following tips as a starting point for improving your professional writing:

• Limit the use of exclamation points.
• Use subject-verb agreement. (For example: “The deadline is here,” not “The deadline are here.”
• Maintain consistent verb tense. (For example: “The report demonstrated that attendance increased. The report also showed that revenue increased.”
• Use apostrophes correctly to indicate contractions and possessions.
• Use correct spellings for homophones (words that sound the same but aren't). For example, "they're" is a contraction for "they are," whereas "their" is a possessive, such as "Their game was canceled."

It’s also important to maintain consistency in order to improve clarity. Consider these sentences:

Avoid Writing:
As the most popular model of car of the year, Erin was proud of her new vehicle.

Write:
As the most popular model of car of the year, the SUV delighted Erin.

The first sentence is incorrect because the structure implies that Erin is a car.

Tone and Word Choice

Always consider your audience before writing, as the audience dictates the tone, which in turn dictates the word choice. If you’re writing a technical report, you’ll need to keep the tone highly formal and avoid using unnecessary words, for example. If you’re writing to a client, you’d likely want to keep the tone formal, but friendly.

Structure and Organization

Organizing your information into a logical structure is the key to communicating clearly. Think about the main message you’d like to communicate and develop a cohesive structure that leads the reader through the topic in a logical order.

Concise and Clear

Professional writing can benefit from conciseness, which can improve clarity by eliminating unnecessary messages. Consider the following professional writing examples:

Avoid Writing:
The seminar on injection plastic molding was really long, but the audience actually loved all of the information they got out of it.

Write:
The lengthy seminar on injection plastic molding offered comprehensive material on sustainability best practices.

You'll notice that in the second example, the writing is not only more concise but also offers greater specificity, which can also improve clarity.

Learning how to write in a professional manner takes practice. Start by identifying one or two problem areas and working on them.

Avoid Slang and Overly Casual Language

Professional writing almost always avoids slang and other overly casual language. (An exception is marketing copy that is intentionally written in an informal, casual way.) If you’re writing an email to a co-worker, for example, consider the following:

Avoid Writing:
Yo, Jason. That new client proposal is totally extra, right?!?

Write:
Hi, Jason. I’ve reviewed the new client proposal and determined that it may exceed the previously established parameters. Let’s meet to discuss.

Use Active Voice and Strong Verbs

In most situations, active voice provides greater clarity and makes a better impression on the audience. Similarly, using strong verbs helps communicate your point more effectively.

Avoid Writing:
The project was completed ahead of schedule.

Write:
My team achieved completion of the project ahead of schedule and within budget. We’re currently exploring ways of optimizing other workflows.

Format for Readability 

It’s always a good idea to adjust the format as needed for better readability. For example, break up large paragraphs into smaller ones and use bullet points for lists where appropriate to introduce more white space to the document.

Proofread and Edit Like a Pro

Proofreading is essential, no matter what you’re writing. If it’s a quick email to a co-worker or client, take the time to reread it before sending. Ask yourself if it makes sense or if anything should be reworded for a stronger impact.

If you’re writing a longer document, such as a business proposal or press release, it’s best to set it aside after writing instead of proofreading right away. Turn your attention to other matters for at least a few hours, and then proofread with fresh eyes. This may help you catch more mistakes and identify more areas that need improvement.

At Grand Canyon University, you can take a closer look at the principles and best practices of writing professionally when you earn the Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing for New Media degree online or on campus. Explore a range of types of professional writing, from journalism to scientific writing to copywriting and beyond. Pursue your passion for the power of the written word with purpose for your future.