Writing: A Universal Skill for your Military & Post-Military Career

SSgt GG-15 RET Jim Lint — Mon, 01 May 2017 13:43:20 -0400

Writing for diverse audiences is a universal skill that takes practice, practice, practice. As you transition from military service to the civilian workforce, you need to adapt your writing style to the needs of your employer and the intended audience.

Intelligence and Law Enforcement Writing

Have you ever seen a James Bond movie in which he writes a report or summarizes any mission he’s completed? Of course not. Bond is not in the espionage business to convey information, but to take action.

Unlike Bond, intelligence agents and analysts must write reports with clarity and conciseness. In the intelligence field, national decision makers must quickly understand this type of writing and act on the information provided in intelligence documents.

Similarly, law enforcement officials and counterintelligence agents must be able to write their reports clearly because these documents can be used in court or to provide insight to intelligence analysts. Clarity is especially important when incidents that take place in one country must be reported and translated into the language of another country.

Management Writing

If you become a manager for a civilian organization, you will have to write business performance and personnel action assessments. As most managers learn, when it comes to employee discipline or termination, a strong written history of the employee’s problems provides a human resources department with written proof of wrongdoing. Without this proof, personnel actions are somewhat limited.

If a manager does not take the time to document each employee incident in writing, incidents of wrongdoing can be dismissed as unimportant or non-existent. For dutiful managers, it is critical that documenting all employee incidents becomes second nature at all times.

On the flip side of personnel management, managers and supervisors must also think about writing award justifications. They need to acknowledge when and how employees perform beyond their job descriptions.

Managers must make time to distribute awards because they inspire all employees to pursue excellence. Managers who fail to acknowledge the positive performances of their employees might discover their high-performing employees looking elsewhere for employment.

Business Writing

In management and business, staffing actions from one level to another must be through the written word. Actions must be conveyed in a manner that gets across a specific point.

Managers should develop good writing skills because communication is a key skillset for all supervisors.

There is a school of thought that says the more information that is written down, the better the document. In other words, the weight of the document reflects how hard you worked on it.

This philosophy of many words on many pages might be fine for middle-level analysts writing assessments that need to include all aspects of the topic. However, a gigantic document with many pages is not useful for an executive-level manager who has 20 other projects to read and respond to in the same day.

Senior leaders in the civilian world need concise, well-written executive summaries. These summaries must be to the point, incorporating a well-designed synopsis that quickly transmits the main points contained in the body of the document. Well-written executive summaries save time, especially in situations with minimal turnaround time for action.

Writing for Internal Job Openings

Suppose there is an opening in the department of your civilian organization and there are two equally qualified candidates. But one applicant has a history of writing for various publications within the industry or as a representative of his employer.

The applicant with the greater writing experience will often win the job because that applicant already has displayed a capability to write clearly and concisely. That applicant’s published work serves as proof of his or her competence.

Employers seek capable candidates who are excellent communicators by asking them about their education. A university degree suggests that a candidate already has some proficiency as a writer. In addition, college is a great place to improve your writing without prospective employers seeing your mistakes.

Potential Employees Should Have a Writing Track Record

In addition to a degree, civilian job candidates are often asked for writing samples or to talk about writing projects they have successfully completed. In this era of the Internet, employers often do a search to find any writing you have posted on the Web. Finding some of your work online can be a decisive factor when the employer chooses which candidate to hire.

Whether or not we can write well and clearly express our intentions, we can often get bogged down trying to write office memos, emails and daily reports. The biggest asset an employee can possess is the ability to accurately an efficiently proofread his or her work, considering the needs of the intended audience.

Employers tend to subconsciously evaluate an employee’s worth by how that employee writes emails, report analyses, or executive summaries. Sadly, many employees are not given the tools to improve their writing for a variety of reasons:

1. An employer might expect employees to be proficient writers without actually assisting in their on-the-job writing development.
2. Some employees might never have received effective or appropriate critiques regarding their writing abilities. Without feedback, they are left to presume that their written documents are fine as submitted. Employers don’t provide that feedback because they are too busy with other issues.
3. Employees often are involved in job-related tasks, leaving little time to focus on improving their writing, proofreading and editing skills. Many employers and employees are pressured by job-related deadlines, which further minimize their time to perfect their writing abilities.

Why Is Writing So Important?

There are people who debunk the notion that writing well is important. They think writing comes naturally and that readers will automatically understand what’s on the printed page.

That is not true. If you cannot express yourself clearly, your reader will not understand you. Writing well is a fundamentally important aspect of almost every career.

In the civilian workplace, good writing might even get you a pay increase. Your employer will want to know the “whys” and “what-fors” in your request. Your case will be stronger if you provide clearly written documentation why you deserve a raise. Writing accurately and concisely – and including specific, logical examples of why you merit a salary increase – will support your request.

To improve your writing skills after you are hired by a civilian company, consider contributing to your company’s magazine or newsletter. It’s an opportunity to practice your writing and also to demonstrate your commitment to the organization.

Finally, writing to communicate to outside stakeholders further highlights to your colleagues that you can clearly express your organization’s position in the marketplace. This practice also will gain external exposure for you and your career.

Places to Hone Your Writing

There are many opportunities for practicing and publishing your writing. American Military University (http://rly.pt/2py6rNd) offers more than 200 programs, including traditional English and communications degrees and certificates. However, writing skills are honed as a central component to AMU’s general studies, entrepreneurship, management, and especially the intelligence studies programs. The online learning environment facilitates continual improvement of your writing skills.

If you regularly read specific publications in your industry, consider sending query emails or letters to the editors of those publications. Suggest a topic (or several) that you would like to write for them. If all goes well, you might even raise the possibility of becoming a regular contributor.

University alumni organizations often turn to their graduates to write for their publications. This might be an easy place to start your writing career even if you do not receive a writer’s fee.

There are also venues for self-publishing, but you are responsible for writing and correcting your own work to maintain your credibility to readers. Many self-publishing services seek controversial content, which is often designed to gain attention for the author. Some services seek content that encourages search engine optimization (SEO) and clicks from readers to show how many readers visit the site. The biggest and most respectable sites are WordPress, Blogger and Medium.

Being Ready To Write

It’s challenging to face the hurdles of returning to the civilian workforce. But, as in the military, it’s a task that can be done successfully with proper planning and the right support.

Writing well can make you a leader within your civilian organization, a critical thinker, an employee worth further development, and an overall asset to the company’s bottom line. Isn’t this the type of employee you’re striving to be?

***
Co-authored by Dr. Doris Blanton, a faculty director and full-time professor in the School of Business at American Public University.

AMU Military Degrees: Educating Those Who Serve | American Military University

AMU is a top online educator of the U.S. military and leading provider of affordable degrees to working adults. Earn an online degree or certificate from our top online university that supports servicemembers, military-spouses, veterans and civilians.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 1 at 2017 1:59 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 May 2017 13:59:37 -0400

Great advice.

Response by LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. made May 1 at 2017 2:28 PM

LTC Ivan Raiklin, Esq. — Mon, 01 May 2017 14:28:16 -0400

Thanks!

Response by PFC Roger Goff made May 1 at 2017 2:32 PM

PFC Roger Goff — Mon, 01 May 2017 14:32:18 -0400

Along with the ability to read and comprehend, your writing will either make you or break you.

Response by SFC Jim Ruether made May 1 at 2017 6:42 PM

SFC Jim Ruether — Mon, 01 May 2017 18:42:48 -0400

Interview anyone these days for a job and they will show up with a brand spanking new resume typed on 20 # paper and double spaced for your reading pleasure. Now give them a blank sheet of paper and tell them to write in cursive or print a small note explaining their absence from a pretend board meeting held today that they missed? What will happen will shock most of you. Upper and lower case letters in the same word throughout the paragraph, if you get a paragraph from them at all with some imaginative excuse for missing the meeting. Some people left my business without even trying. They graduated from high school and no one taught them penmanship. They went onto college and word processors waited for them there. The need to write with a pen or pencil was unnecessary. How can these young adults communicate with another person without their lap top or smart phone? How will they read a birthday card or a personal note from a friend? How will they read changes on a blueprint or a manufacturers direction on reducing the width of a fitting? Can you tell this bothers me?

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made May 3 at 2017 10:25 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 May 2017 10:25:23 -0400

My handwriting is shit, it looks like a elementary school person wrote it , that's why when I need a resume or something written I use Monster.com and pay them to write it.

Response by SGT Matthew S. made May 3 at 2017 11:02 PM

SGT Matthew S. — Wed, 03 May 2017 23:02:37 -0400

After I got out of the military and started college, I considered myself a good writer. In fact, I was angry when I had to take a borderline-remedial writing class early on. Looking back, though, I shake my head when I re-read papers I wrote back then.

Taking a class, learning, and practicing are a necessity. You never know how much you don't know.

For me, though, by "writing" I also mean typing. My handwriting is atrocious, and always has been despite my best efforts. Unless I slowly and painstakingly write the letters, it turns out in varying degrees of awful.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made May 4 at 2017 11:44 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 May 2017 11:44:23 -0400

Great article! I believe people should prepare themselves for writing in the workplace. A great place to start to understand the current trends is PL 111-274 Plain Writing Act of 2010. Beyond that, look into the Federal Plain Language Guidelines, US Government Printing Office Style Manual, The Elements of Style, and English Simplified (13th Edition). Some of these are government-focused, but in my opinion, they translate to the civilian workforce just as well. And there are always my "go-to" Army guides, AR 25-50 Preparing and Managing Correspondence, and the obsolete DA PAM 600-67 Effective Writing for Army Leaders. Cheers!

Response by Erman Alkan made May 8 at 2017 2:16 PM

Erman Alkan — Mon, 08 May 2017 14:16:16 -0400

Thanks..

Response by CPT Robert Hoffman made Jul 10 at 2017 9:46 PM

CPT Robert Hoffman — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 21:46:24 -0400

As a former Army Aviation Officer and retired Det. Sgt. (Homicide) I could not agree more. Keep it short, keep it concise, keep it accurate. It's not a Novel. Also, don't use a pen that will run in the rain!

Response by LTC Bill Koski made Jul 18 at 2017 10:26 PM

LTC Bill Koski — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 22:26:47 -0400

Brevity.

Response by CH (LTC) Robert Leroe made Jul 19 at 2017 9:35 AM

CH (LTC) Robert Leroe — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 09:35:10 -0400

I learned to write the way I speak, which was helpful, as I served as Pastor of a civilian church for 17 years after retiring from the Army. I was a manuscript preacher, and would carry my text around with me and wordsmith it regularly. To be a better writer, be an avid reader.

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Jul 24 at 2017 1:11 PM

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 13:11:51 -0400

Once upon a time, many years ago We were actually taught how to hold a pen properly, how to form the letters and the handwriting could be easily read. We were taught how to write sentences, paragraphs, the rules of grammar, spelling and other skills to communicate with the written word. Typewriters were a method of producing neat clear reports and communications where the majority of the skills need in handwritten presentations was still very much in play. There was also a publication called a dictionary to insure that Your spelling was correct. All these elements of learning seemed to work very well. I have no particular objection to advances such as word processing, I use them however it seems We allow the new machines to correct our errors and without them many seem unable to function and actually do anything the unless they are available. Despite these new tools it doesn't seem that many needed basic skills had remained or even learned in the process. If this new technology became unavailable how may could still communicate on paper using just a pen ?

Response by SPC John Chambers made Jul 24 at 2017 7:10 PM

SPC John Chambers — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 19:10:27 -0400

I know writing has helped me in my struggle with PTSD, also it has helped me in my professional and collegiate career. Something I never thought when I was in the military was that writing itself could become a career. I think knowing how to write is essential from creating an amazing resume to creating a perfect paper at college, it is a useful and yet often overlooked tool to have in your skill set

Response by Dennis Aubuchon made Aug 14 at 2017 9:29 PM

Dennis Aubuchon — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 21:29:04 -0400

There are all kinds of writing. If you have something to say writing is a way to say it. I have been writing for years and if I have learned one thing it is about getting your voice out there to inform others about your views and perhaps getting others to know the kind of individual you are. There are many writers today now more than ever and taking courses can be helpful it is about creating your own style to inform others of your opinion on various issues or it is just an avenue to entertain others with your story. The main point in some cases is writing from a different perspective making it different than what has been said by others before you. Making it unique and different is a way to get your writing notice wherever it is published.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Aug 29 at 2017 3:48 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 15:48:54 -0400

I was a Police Officer for fifteen years and a Police Supervisor for ten more. Being able to describe in detail any incident I had witnessed or that I had investigated. It wasn't easy and I hated the supervisors who kept sending my reports back. Eventually I became good at it. Even at that I still decided to leave the Investigations Unit and go back to Patrol.

Response by SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL made Aug 5 at 2021 10:36 PM

SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 22:36:08 -0400

Thanks for sharing