Prepare

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read the articles Hone Your Writing Skills for Professional Success the “Write” Way  and Write Well, Go Far: It’s the Skill Every Employer Demands. Here’s How to Build It.

Then, browse through the series of interviews with professionals across multiple industries at the Vault: Day in the Life (Links to an external site.) series to gain insight on the main duties of each profession, the work environment, training requirements, advancement prospects, and more. Feel free to explore other such videos or primary source articles.

Select two sources, preferably by someone in a career field that interests you, and review these resources thoroughly.

Reflect

Every major, and every professional field, relies on written communication skills to some degree. Though not every source you locate, or every specific job title researched, will specifically indicate this, you should be able to use your critical-thinking skills to partially picture how written communication is an important professional and lifelong skill.

Write

In 250 to 300 words, address the following points:

• Summarize your two chosen sources. Include any specific information presented.
• Discuss how written communication skills are used professionally.
• Identify any gaps in the information presented. What question or questions do you have about the field that were not answered in these sources?
• Explain how this information affects your view of that career.

For guidance in your professional writing, see the What Is Professional Writing? (Links to an external site.) resource from the Writing Center.