Goldman Sachs’ CEO David Solomon said in a recent
interview that he's finding
'less and less' good writers – he noted that this is the one skill set that's
becoming harder to find – and this is the ability to write well.
David Krause, Marquette’s Applied Investment Management (AIM)director couldn’t agree more, “Writing is among the least appreciated, but one
of the most valuable job skills to possess today.”
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| David Solomon of Goldman Sachs believes writing ability is a key to success |
"I'll tell you one that we're finding less and less
inside the firm that I think is an important skill set, is an ability to
write," David Solomon said during a panel in response to a question from Yahoo
Finance about the hardest skill to hire for today.
Is this deficiency
because of texting? Some may argue that in today’s fast-paced world of instant
messages, text messages and social media, our youth are not honing their
writing skills. Does tech speak hurting our ability to write well?
Research also shows this may be
true. While a bit dated, in 2012 the Department of Education published “The
Nation’s Report Card: Writing 2011.” According to the study, only 24% of 8th
and 12th graders were proficient in writing. In another survey of students, 64%
of teens admitted getting lower grades on school work from using tech speak,
and 58% agreed that their daily use of texting shorthand makes it extremely
difficult for them to write properly in school.
As Solomon noted, the problem isn’t limited to teens’ tech speak.
This decline in writing proficiency may begin to take hold in middle school,
when many young people get their first smartphone, but scholars and others
believe it persists throughout academia and even into the business world.
| David Krause, Marquette University, encourages his students to hone their writing skills |
A survey published
by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 80% of employers
polled said colleges should focus more on written and oral communication,
indicating that those hiring for jobs today are seeing a weakness among
candidates in this area. Supporting this thinking, a poll of corporate
recruiters conducted by the Graduate Management Admission Council showed that
86% felt strong communication skills were a priority.
David Krause, director of the Applied Investment Management(AIM) program at Marquette University, stated that “I have also noted that
fewer of my students are turning in papers that are properly written and
formatted. Beyond basic grammar, spelling and punctuation skills, students need
to be able to write clearly and persuasively. I have also noted that fewer
students over time understand style guidelines for writing professional,technical papers and reports.”
| Krause notes that fewer students understand writing style guidelines |
He continued, “We want students to think critically and be
able to solve problems; however, they also need to be able to effectively
communicate. The AIM program curriculum
emphasizes communication, both public speaking and writing. We know that these
skills are highly sought by businesses today.”
David Solomon said in his
interview that "How you communicate with other people, how you interact
with other people, how you express yourself will have a huge impact on your
success. And, when I try to point to things that have helped me, my ability to
communicate, which was rooted in a lot of experience that I got here on the hill
(at Hamilton College, a liberal arts school).”
