Make an Impact in Writing
Practice and refine your writing skills. Earn a degree in professional writing at GCU.
Practice and refine your writing skills. Earn a degree in professional writing at GCU.
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Approved and verified accurate by the Assistant Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences on Dec. 8, 2025.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
You can improve the quality of your professional writing by prioritizing conciseness and clarity, and by adjusting the tone to suit the audience. Proper grammar and punctuation are also key.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Before you can work toward improving your professional writing skills, it’s helpful to know exactly what is meant by the term professional writing.
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:
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:
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.
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.
There are a number of reasons why professional writing abilities are crucial for success, including the following:(See disclaimer 1)
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.
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.
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.
Learning how to write in a professional manner takes practice. Start by identifying one or two problem areas and working on them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
