Writing skills can lead to professional success: study

A recent study found that people with fewer language errors on their LinkedIn profiles tend to reach higher positions.

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A recent analysis of LinkedIn profiles found that people with fewer language errors on profiles reached higher positions.

“This data set clearly supports the hypothesis that good grammar is a predictor of professional success,” according to Brad Hoover, CEO of Grammarly, which conducted the study.

Hoover’s analysis of his findings appeared in a Harvard Business Review blog.

Although the study relies on a small sample size, the findings suggest that good grammar and strong writing skills are more than just a luxury and are not simply attributes relevant to working in a communications department.

How the study worked

Grammarly, which makes software to check and teach grammar and writing skills, reviewed 100 LinkedIn profiles of native English speakers who work in the consumer packaged goods industry. The company looked for language errors in the profiles.

According to Hoover’s HBR post:

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