{"id":376,"date":"2025-04-17T16:37:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/thinking-about-writing-prompts\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T18:13:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T18:13:36","slug":"thinking-about-writing-prompts","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/thinking-about-writing-prompts\/","title":{"raw":"Success Skills: Background You'll Need","rendered":"Success Skills: Background You&#8217;ll Need"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Understand why writing skills are important<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Importance of Writing<\/span><\/h2>\r\nRecent surveys highlight that employers highly value strong communication skills in potential hires. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2024 survey<a id=\"return-footnote-98-1\" class=\"footnote\" title=\"Job Outlook 2024. NACE.\u00a0https:\/\/www.naceweb.org\/docs\/default-source\/default-document-library\/2023\/publication\/research-report\/2024-nace-job-outlook.pdf\" href=\"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a>, more than 70% of employers seek candidates with strong written communication skills, and about 68% value verbal communication abilities.\r\n\r\nSimilarly, a 2023 survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&amp;U)<a id=\"return-footnote-98-2\" class=\"footnote\" title=\"The Career-Ready Graduate: What Employers Say about the Difference College Makes. AAC&amp;U. https:\/\/www.aacu.org\/research\/the-career-ready-graduate-what-employers-say-about-the-difference-college-makes\" href=\"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-2\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0found that 64% of employers consider oral communication skills very important for new hires, yet only 34% believe recent graduates are well-prepared in this area.\r\n\r\n<span class=\"s1\">In addition, several of the other valued skills are grounded in written communication:<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Critical Thinking and Analytical Reasoning: 60% of employers rate these skills as very important.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Problem-Solving Abilities: Approximately 54% of employers prioritize complex problem-solving skills.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Teamwork: 62% of employers value the ability to work effectively in teams.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<span class=\"s1\">This emphasis on communication probably reflects the changing reality of work. Employers also reported that employees will have to \u201ctake on more responsibilities,\u201d \u201cuse a broader set of skills,\u201d \u201cwork harder to coordinate with other departments,\u201d face \u201cmore complex\u201d challenges, and mobilize \u201chigher levels of learning and knowledge.\u201d<a id=\"return-footnote-98-3\" class=\"footnote\" title=\"Hart Research Associates. Raising the Bar: Employers\u2019 Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn. 20 Jan 2010, p. 5.\" href=\"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-3\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Emphasizing these skills in educational curricula can better prepare graduates for the expectations of today\u2019s employers.\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The pay-off from improving your writing comes much sooner than graduation and entering the workforce. Suppose you complete about 40 classes for a 120-credit bachelors\u2019 degree, and\u2014averaging across writing-intensive and non-writing-intensive courses\u2014you produce about 2,500 words of formal writing per class. Even with that low estimate, you\u2019ll write 100,000 words during your college career. That\u2019s roughly equivalent to a 330-page book.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">Spending a few hours sharpening your writing skills will make those 100,000 words much easier and more rewarding to write. Even your non-English professors care about and appreciate good writing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<section aria-label=\"Watch It\"><section class=\"textbox watchIt\" aria-label=\"Watch It\">In this TED talk, an editor and writing teacher makes the case that strong writing is one of the most essential \u2014 and most neglected \u2014 skills in modern life, and shares practical tips to help anyone improve.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/KUKgJsvoDUk\r\n\r\n<\/section>&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\" aria-label=\"Learning Goals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Understand why writing skills are important<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The Importance of Writing<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Recent surveys highlight that employers highly value strong communication skills in potential hires. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2024 survey<a id=\"return-footnote-98-1\" class=\"footnote\" title=\"Job Outlook 2024. NACE.\u00a0https:\/\/www.naceweb.org\/docs\/default-source\/default-document-library\/2023\/publication\/research-report\/2024-nace-job-outlook.pdf\" href=\"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-1\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a>, more than 70% of employers seek candidates with strong written communication skills, and about 68% value verbal communication abilities.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, a 2023 survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&amp;U)<a id=\"return-footnote-98-2\" class=\"footnote\" title=\"The Career-Ready Graduate: What Employers Say about the Difference College Makes. AAC&amp;U. https:\/\/www.aacu.org\/research\/the-career-ready-graduate-what-employers-say-about-the-difference-college-makes\" href=\"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-2\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0found that 64% of employers consider oral communication skills very important for new hires, yet only 34% believe recent graduates are well-prepared in this area.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"s1\">In addition, several of the other valued skills are grounded in written communication:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Critical Thinking and Analytical Reasoning: 60% of employers rate these skills as very important.<\/li>\n<li>Problem-Solving Abilities: Approximately 54% of employers prioritize complex problem-solving skills.<\/li>\n<li>Teamwork: 62% of employers value the ability to work effectively in teams.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"s1\">This emphasis on communication probably reflects the changing reality of work. Employers also reported that employees will have to \u201ctake on more responsibilities,\u201d \u201cuse a broader set of skills,\u201d \u201cwork harder to coordinate with other departments,\u201d face \u201cmore complex\u201d challenges, and mobilize \u201chigher levels of learning and knowledge.\u201d<a id=\"return-footnote-98-3\" class=\"footnote\" title=\"Hart Research Associates. Raising the Bar: Employers\u2019 Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn. 20 Jan 2010, p. 5.\" href=\"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-3\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>Emphasizing these skills in educational curricula can better prepare graduates for the expectations of today\u2019s employers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">The pay-off from improving your writing comes much sooner than graduation and entering the workforce. Suppose you complete about 40 classes for a 120-credit bachelors\u2019 degree, and\u2014averaging across writing-intensive and non-writing-intensive courses\u2014you produce about 2,500 words of formal writing per class. Even with that low estimate, you\u2019ll write 100,000 words during your college career. That\u2019s roughly equivalent to a 330-page book.\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">Spending a few hours sharpening your writing skills will make those 100,000 words much easier and more rewarding to write. Even your non-English professors care about and appreciate good writing.<\/span><\/p>\n<section aria-label=\"Watch It\">\n<section class=\"textbox watchIt\" aria-label=\"Watch It\">In this TED talk, an editor and writing teacher makes the case that strong writing is one of the most essential \u2014 and most neglected \u2014 skills in modern life, and shares practical tips to help anyone improve.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"oembed-1\" title=\"Write well. Start writing now. | Adam Benn | TEDxVitoriaGasteiz\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KUKgJsvoDUk?feature=oembed&#38;rel=0\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"menu_order":2,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Thinking About Writing Prompts\",\"author\":\"Audrey Fisch for Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Icon of head and thought bubbles\",\"author\":\"OpenClipart-Vectors\",\"organization\":\"Pixabay\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/bright-contemplation-idea-1296538\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/license\/\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Why Are Writing Skills Important in the Workplace? - The Language Library\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"The Language Library\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/AY_FYpIb3h0\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"arr\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":88,"module-header":"background_you_need","content_attributions":[{"type":"original","description":"Thinking About Writing Prompts","author":"Audrey Fisch for Lumen Learning","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Icon of head and thought bubbles","author":"OpenClipart-Vectors","organization":"Pixabay","url":"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/vectors\/bright-contemplation-idea-1296538\/","project":"","license":"other","license_terms":"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/service\/license\/"},{"type":"copyrighted_video","description":"Why Are Writing Skills Important in the Workplace? - The Language Library","author":"","organization":"The Language Library","url":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/AY_FYpIb3h0","project":"","license":"arr","license_terms":"Standard YouTube License"}],"internal_book_links":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-1","book":"englishcomp1","post_id":98},{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-2","book":"englishcomp1","post_id":98},{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/writing-in-college\/#footnote-98-3","book":"englishcomp1","post_id":98}],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/376"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3629,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/376\/revisions\/3629"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/88"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/376\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=376"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=376"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}