We engineers like to think with numbers, but communicating in words, both spoken and written, is just as important! Here at Penn, we write research papers and lab reports for many of our classes. We give oral presentations as well. If we do research and want the world to know what we’ve discovered, we have to write journal articles and speak at meetings. Future employers also want to know that we’re capable of writing and presenting our ideas clearly and concisely.

Don’t believe us? Here are a few examples of alumni who found technical writing to be crucial in their chosen careers, as well as some sample job listings that require technical communication skills.