What’s the most underrated skill in your professional skill stack? 🤔
What’s the one skill that you never realized would play such a big role in your career?
Before you read on, let me know your answer in the comments. I’m curious to see how many people have the same answer as me.
Here’s my answer: writing.
As a college student, I never imagined writing would play such a big role in having a successful career.
In 2018 I started working at Amazon and learned firsthand that they weren’t joking about the powerpoint ban…
In operations I found myself writing SOPs for our procedures, reports on the metrics we were tracking, white papers explaining the projects we were working on, and plans to improve my team’s safety, quality, and productivity.
Then I transitioned to supply chain planning roles, and the writing went up a notch. Weekly reports, monthly reports, annual plans, requests for money, and don’t forget all the emails.
It was non stop.
Earlier this year I left Amazon to work on my own projects, and once again again I find myself spending a good chunk of my time writing.
Blog posts, cold emails/DMs, scripts for YouTube videos, copy for landing pages, and social media posts (like this one) - good writing is the cornerstone of every effective marketing strategy.
Good writing = more impressions = more clicks = more $$$.
If you asked me before I started my career how I felt about my writing I would probably say: I have the ability to write, so I should be fine, right?
Not at all. Just because you can write doesn’t mean your writing is effective.
So how do you make your writing more effective? This is what helped me:
1. Find some inspiration - look for writers/content creators whose writing resonates with you
2. Try to replicate - follow the formula/structure of the writing but with your own stories, experiences, and lessons
3. Post publicly or share with people you trust - this will help you see track your progress
4. Repeat until you’re good