Article: Formal Writing Takes a Hit

According to this article from today's edition of The News & Observer, "despite best efforts to keep school writing assignments formal, two-thirds of teens admit in a survey that emoticons and other informal styles have crept in." The study can be found here.

The article also says that "teens who keep blogs or use social-networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace have a greater tendency to slip nonstandard elements into assignments."

In a nutshell, the article says that an increasing number of students fail to distinguish between formal and informal writing. I am certain that this drives their teachers nuts. I am equally certain that a failure to properly distinguish between formal and informal writing could have consequences down the road.

If you are a student, take notice: your writing skills may impact your ability to obtain a job -- especially if you are seeking employment in a professional, white collar setting. If your cover letter or resume are poorly written, they will make a less than favorable first impression on your potential employer. If you correspond with a potential employer via e-mail, treat that e-mail as a formal letter.

If a potential employer is looking for someone who conveys professionalism and makes a good first impression, the kind of slip-ups described in this article could be enough to remove you from consideration for the job.

Details matter. A detail that you view as insignificant may be important enough to a potential employer for them to disqualify you from consideration for a position. In my view, it is always best to err on the side of formality.