I became an English professor because: EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE. I did not become a history professor because not everyone can benefit from knowledge about what has happened in the past. Some people just don’t get it.
But everyone needs to know how to write. Writing is communication and communication is essential.
Don’t believe me? Okay. Believe social marketing guru Seth Godin.
In his post How to get A Job with a Small Company he says:
Learn to write. Writing is a form of selling, one step removed. There’s more writing in business today than ever before, and if you can become a persuasive copywriter, you’re practically a salesperson, and even better, your work scales.
3. Learn to produce extraordinary video and multimedia. This is just like writing, but for people who don’t like to read. Even better, be sure to mix this skill with significant tech skills. Yes, you can learn to code. The fact that you don’t feel like it is one reason it’s a scarce skill.
Learn to write.
Learn to produce extraordinary video and multimedia.
THAT is what I am teaching in my fyc. THAT is what my students need to be learning to get a job, have a career, and support a family. It may be what they need to be able to eat.
Is learning to write about more than a job? Absolutely. But it does help to be able to put food on the table if you can get a job. I remember when I didn’t always have food on the table. I don’t want my students to have those kind of memories, for themselves or for their children.
I need to make sure I also include this in my business writing class.