When you think of important personal finance skills, you probably think of balancing a checking account, constructing a budget, calculating percentages, doing mental math, and a number of other math-related tasks. But have you ever thought about how much your grammar skills might affect your finances? As an English major and grammar nerd, it’s difficult for me to grasp the concept that many people find writing with proper grammar a challenge, but each person has their own strengths and weaknesses. Although learning math and personal finance skills is one of the most important steps you’ll take to gaining control of your money, poor communication skills may cost you some of it. Here are a few scenarios in which it’s important to have a basic grasp of good grammar, and if you don’t, to acquire one.
Resume and Job Applications
How carefully do you check your applications and resumes before submitting them? Even a simple typo can make the difference between your applications getting a second look or getting tossed into the paper shredder. Resumes and applications are your first impression to a prospective employer, so it’s extremely important to put the required time and effort into making them as professional and impressive as possible. Even if you have decent grammar skills, it’s never a bad idea to have someone else glance over your resume or application to catch anything you may have missed. If you want to land a job or further your career, good grammar is essential.
Professional Communication
Whether they be legal documents, appeal letters, emails, or reports, the communications you send in a professional setting need to be clear, concise, and free of potentially-confusing errors. No matter what field you work in, you’ll be expected to write clearly and accurately in order to do your job well. Communication that lacks basic grammar and is difficult to read projects a bad impression of your abilities in all other areas. Not being able to write effectively may mean the difference between better-paying or more highly-desired positions where you work, or even your ideas being successfully presented and implemented.
Advertisements, Problem-Solving and More
Suppose you’re posting a help-wanted ad, trying to sell something, need help with your computer problem, or are trying to request a refund for a large purchase. All of theses situations involve money, directly affect your personal finances, and require the ability to clearly and effectively communicate your need or problem. Simply double-checking your grammar or running your email or letter by someone else can help you get what you need and want, financially.
Tools that Help
If you’re not naturally good at remembering all the grammar and punctuation rules, don’t fret. There are numerous resources (spell-check is #1) out there to help the grammatically-challenged. Even spell-check doesn’t catch everything, so if you are questioning something, Google it. Utilize cheats and ways of remembering certain rules (i before e except after c) that will stick with you, even if they seem silly. It’s much better to use silly sayings to remember grammar rules than to communicate poorly.
In our fast-paced and tech-saavy world, it’s easy to get by with minimal grammar and punctuation skills. But ‘getting by’ isn’t the same as reaching your greatest potential in your career, personal finances, and everyday communication. Work on your grammar a little (I promise it won’t hurt), and your finances will thank you.
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