Try going to job listing websites for engineers and read the job descriptions you find there. Chances are good that many of the job descriptions you read include a requirement that's valuable to all engineers. Good writing skills. Welcome to the third course in the specialization on communication for engineers. Course 1 introduced you to communication strategy. And showed you how to apply it to all of the oral communication activities you perform in an engineering organization. Course 2 taught you about interpersonal skills that engineers need to move ahead in their careers. You learned how to build a personal brand, how to develop leadership presence. How to manage productive meetings, conduct difficult conversations, and communicate in a crisis. In this course, the third and last course in our specialization, I'll discuss writing, something that engineers do every day a lot. You write emails, reports, summaries, proposals. All of these are communications that are needed, especially as you move into leadership roles. To share your ideas and your vision, convey your opinions and analyses of projects, products, and services, and help your organization focus on and achieve its goals. In this course, we'll cover a wide range of writing topics, from basics such as how to write clear sentences, to how to structure cohesive paragraphs, to how to write some of the genres that are typically needed in an engineer's daily work. Communication skills are important to engineers and especially important if you want to advance in your career and move into leadership roles. As we said in the introduction to this specialization once you become a leader every one, your management chain, your peers, and your team will scrutinize the way that you communicate. Writing has its own unique importance. When you talk to others, whether it's one on one or to a bigger audience, you have the advantage of seeing their reactions. Of reading their facial expressions and body language. And you can make adjustments as you go along to make sure you're getting your message across in a positive and effective way. When you write you don't get to see your audience. All you need to know who they are and what they expect from you but you have to anticipate their reactions ahead of time. You have to figure out what questions they might ask. You have to work hard to choose the right words, use the right tone, and make your thoughts flow logically and clearly. All of this, with nothing more than words on a page or a screen. There are other challenges as well in the workplace. You'll be judged by your communication skills that include your writing. Any errors in spelling, or grammar, or facts, and figures that get through are there for everyone to see. What that means is that your writing is part of your reputation. It can influence what others think of your capabilities. For this reason, you need to be particularly diligent about creating strong, written communications and ensuring that they are high quality. But while that may sound a little intimidating, here's something very encouraging to keep in mind. As an engineer, you're building on the work of those who came before you. And in the same way, others will build on the work that you do. The proposals, reports and yes even the emails that you produce become part of your legacy as an engineer. With good writing skills you can be proud of that legacy.
