Writing is one of the most essential skills carried through from school and into professional life. While it's true that not every single job requires writing, a staggering 73 percent of employers interviewed in 2016 said that writing was the most crucial skill a candidate should possess. This doesn't mean you have to be the most prolific or respected writer in history, but you do need to write well enough that your emails don't get the wrong type of attention from others. How you compose your written work is almost as critical as how you compose yourself. It is an extension of you, and people will judge you based as much on the mechanics of your writing as on the content.
The term "business writing" refers to the type of writing generally required from a professional standpoint. This includes resumes, letters, emails, memos and any other communication that should be drafted in a professional manner. While it doesn’t need to be formal as in academic writing for all situations, it does need to be concise, clear and above all else, effective. Most business writing is done these days via email, and surely you've cringed at some of the mistakes you've seen, even in your own work.
If you want to improve your writing skills, even if for your benefit alone, an online class might be the best option. Online courses have become increasingly popular in the last few years, mostly due to the convenience they afford. A college course can be time consuming and costly; on the flip side, an online course can be as short as an hour, or as long as 10 weeks. The benefit of taking a class online is the convenience of being able to work on it whenever you can. With so many choices to consider, which writing course is going to be the best for your needs?
How We Chose Our Rankings
We pride ourselves on providing people with the latest information available. When compiling our best-of lists, we consider several factors. First and foremost, here we looked at the reputation of the program. Is there enough feedback regarding the organization to warrant inclusion on the list? Next, we dug into the nuts and bolts of the classes offered, the material expected to be covered and the fundamentals suggested for qualifying to enter the class. Further, we considered price points and what you could expect to gain from completing a course. Finally, we sifted through user reviews to give you an idea of what other people have said about the class. We wrapped it all up and gave each course an overall rating that takes all of those factors into account. We hope that our list helps you find the program that best suits your personal and professional needs. A business writing class isn't just for professionals; it benefits everyone who wants to communicate clearly and effectively.
The Best 5 Online Courses for Business Writing
GoSkills.com is an online educator focusing on classes that business people may need. It currently has offerings in essential business software programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It also offers a business writing class that gives you the chance to create more fluid and succinct work that conveys your point cleanly and in fewer words. GoSkills provides an all-inclusive pricing structure. Some classes offered are free. For others, you may pay one price monthly; however, this gives you access to their entire course library.
Course description and overview
This course is designed to assist in creating clear and engaging written communication through every medium. The 23 lessons are interesting, forthright and focused on honing useful writing skills in the office and beyond.
Level of knowledge required
This is a beginner-level class.
User reviews and feedback
The reviews we found were overwhelmingly positive. With an average score of 4.5 stars, most customers indicated the material was well organized and presented in a thoughtful manner. While the class comprises 23 lessons, its self-pacing means you can watch it whenever you get the opportunity. The information gleaned was informative and relevant to the needs of those who took the class.
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Coursera.org has become quite popular recently by providing an opportunity for people everywhere to learn from some of the top universities and colleges in the world. By combining higher education with the convenience of self-paced classes, along with affordable pricing structures, Coursera had all but cornered the market on internet-based training. While the company does not provide college credit for any of the classes completed, it does provide certificates of completion. Their business writing offering is part of a 10-course series in career success specialization. You do not need to have completed any other course in the series to be able to enroll.
Course description and overview
In this day and age, it's essential to be able to convey your point professionally and expressively. This course offers a refresher on basic rules of grammar and punctuation that are vital to completing a successful piece of writing. The class takes about five hours to complete.
Level of knowledge required
This is a beginner-level class.
User reviews and feedback
Users enjoyed this class. The biggest compliments indicated the material was easy to understand and the exercises easy to execute. The instructor also provided extra information and helped when called upon. Some of the negative reviews we found indicated that it was a little too basic and that more technical exercises would be welcomed.
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The Gotham Writers Workshop is based in New York and offers both online and in-person classes for the same price. It is the world's largest adult writing school. It only teaches writing, from scripts to novels to resumes: if it's written, the school covers it. They offer a six-week online course that includes all the essential elements of effective business writing, from crafting a resume and cover letter to more complicated documents. Grammar is lightly touched upon, and they recommend taking one of their grammar classes for more in-depth coverage. We found one of the most unique elements of this class is that even though it's online, class size is limited to 16 students. This makes the online chats and feedback sessions more productive for you as the student so your work can receive the attention it deserves.
Course description and overview
This class presents the basics of quality writing in a business setting, from drafting emails to complex business documents. The focus is on clean and succinct writing with a little bit of personality mixed in to make your writing stand out. The class is held online once a week, and while you can take all the time you need to complete it, Gotham Writers recommends you finish each lesson before beginning the next one.
Level of knowledge required
This is a beginner-level class.
User reviews and feedback
We didn't find reviews specific to this course; however, Gotham Writers Workshop has received excellent ratings for both in-person and online classes. The majority of people loved their classes and felt very confident that the school gave them the tools and skills to become successful writers. Quite a few people have taken multiple courses. The few negative reviews had to do mostly with customer service issues.
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Instructional Solutions offers both online and in-person business writing training for individuals and businesses. In fact, the company also offers unique classes based on your needs. While the price is very high, we felt it deserved a top spot for a few reasons. One is that the course offers individualized and real feedback from the instructor. Some of the other companies on our list offer input by peers or students in other classes. Instructional Solutions charges more partly because they are more focused on individuals and less cookie-cutter instruction. If you aren't sure the course will meet your needs and expectations, take a look online at the comprehensive outline and objectives expected to be attained. We felt as though the information presented is some of the most specific, well thought out and organized of all the programs we researched.
Course description and overview
This course consists of 10 modules taught by highly trained instructors well versed in both writing and business. We thought this was something that made this course well worth the rating. The class promises to get you writing on a higher level, building confidence and skills along the way. The interaction with the instructor is exciting, as is the personalized feedback for all exercises. If you have questions, the instructors are there to answer them.
Level of knowledge required
This class is suitable for all levels. We feel as though even more intermediate writers would benefit from the exercises and direction of the course.
User reviews and feedback
People who took this class claim that it changed their writing immediately. They were able to communicate better via all forms of writing, and some went so far as to say that co-workers noticed the improvement. People highly recommend this class and claim the results gleaned were well worth the steep price. We agree that the price is a bit on the high side; however, if you could see that much difference in your writing, it could pay off for you in terms of job growth potential.
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EdX is an online community founded as a cooperative effort between Harvard and MIT. Its mission is to provide free or low-cost educational opportunities to people across the globe. It is the only online MOOC (massive open online course) that is still run by colleges and universities. We did not find any indication that the classes offered earned college credit for students. It is open source and nonprofit. Certificates can be printed out upon course completion. This business writing course is provided as part of a professional certification program. At the time this article was written, EdX offered over 1,900 courses. Their classes aren't available year round. You have to register in advance and complete them in a certain amount of time.
Course description and overview
This is a four-week course that offers a verified certificate upon completion. The skills to be gained include creating smooth transitions in business correspondence, drafting effective cover letters, streamlining responses and accomplishing all of this in less time with fewer edits required.
Level of knowledge required
This is a beginner-level class.
User reviews and feedback
We were unable to find any reviews that were specific to this particular class. Instead, we went in search of user ratings for Edx in general. We were able to find an array of feedback, ranging from one star to five. It appears to us that those who gave ratings were split down the middle. The users who enjoyed the courses offered gave feedback concerning the expertise and knowledge gained. By contrast, the negative feedback all centered on the ineffectiveness of the material, the instructors not being readily available for questions and a lack of customer service. We included this course on our list because we still feel as though the positive outweighs the negative.
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Buyer's Guide
In our quest to find the best online classes for business writing techniques, we found several viable candidates. Developing our ratings and reviews came down mostly to considering the scope of information presented in the classes, the user reviews and the reputation of the various companies offering the courses. Being able to write in a clear, concise and compelling manner is a skill that will carry you through any situation. Whether you are composing an email to a teacher, a business proposal to another company or setting up a presentation for the PTA volunteer luncheon, being able to quickly and effectively get your point across is vital to your success. By taking an online class to help hone your current skills, you can be confident in your ability to communicate clearly in any written form or situation.
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