Writing Skills a Plus in MBA Hiring

CNN reports that a growing number of hiring managers are looking for something special when they interview MBAs for corporate positions. The extra 'something' they are looking for is writing skills.

Technology is one of the forces driving this trend. A recent report by Robert Half International found that 71 per cent of executives now use email as their primary means of communication. The increasing amount and importance of email requires business professionals to be able to write messages quickly, clearly, and accurately. The enormous amount of email that most professionals deal with each day requires professionals to be able to write concisely as well.

Earlier this year, a joint Wall Street Journal - Harris Interactive poll found that inadequate communication skills were corporate recruiters' most common complaint about MBA graduates. In another Robert Half International survey, over one in three recruiters said that grammatical mistakes and typing errors were the most common flaw they saw in resumes and cover letters.

Source: "Employers Want 'The Write Stuff,'" CNN, July 21, 2006