1. Spelling errors or bad grammar in the application letter and resume
2. Lack of ability to express their opinion clearly or discuss achievements
3. Appearing pompous, over-aggressive or completely aloof
4. Showing interest only in a higher grade/ higher salary rather than the one being offered
5. Providing vague answers and being evasive
6. Not asking questions about the company or the job, or asking questions which lack depth
7. Failing to look the interviewer in the eye
8. Lack of self-confidence
9. Appearing immature by not taking the interview seriously ( i.e. giggling, chewing gum, cracking jokes)
10. Poor personal appearance

How to improve written skills?

1. Write:

Evaluate the current condition of your written skill. Compare something written by you, even if it is a paragraph from your cover letter, with a professionally written one. If it lacks in spelling and grammar, then for you, practice is the key to success. If you do not practice you will not gain anything.

You can write about an incident that happened to you or about anything interesting that caught your eye when you were walking on the street. Or you can write your comment for a blog article. Or rewrite your cover letter. It doesn't matter what you write as long as you attempt to write something.

2. Find & correct any spelling/grammar/punctuation errors:

Shoddy writing discredits you in the eyes of your employer, and if you are writing for publication, it makes more work for your editors. We all let errors escape sometimes, but you should not make it a habit. When you have written something, even if it is a comment for something you have read on web or in a newspaper, take time to proof read it a few times.

This will greatly reduce the errors that do get through. Technology has made life easier, so as a precaution run spelling and grammar check for your written piece which will indicate any spelling or grammar mistakes it contains immediately.

3. Take courses or Read:

Courses can give you a good guidance to writing. Reading, however, is another important aspect to be considered to help you. Reading books is a better option but reading an English newspaper will also help you profoundly in this regard. You can read the fiction or non-fiction books of a wide range of categories. This would allow you to observe the styles of various authors.

Writing is a fundamental professional skill. Most of the new jobs today emphasize on writing. If students want professional work in service firms, banking, law, finance, insurance, advertising, TV channels or real estate etc., they must know how to communicate on paper clearly and concisely. When you have mastered the skill of writing, you will have renewed confidence in yourself.

We all know how the ability to succeed in one area spills over into other aspects of our lives. A good musician is also a good student; a good sportsperson is also a good leader, and so it goes. You'll be amazed at the opportunities that are available to you when you know how to write well. With the rapid growth of on-line courses you can even opt for an on-line creative writing course. But this will be more beneficial for the professionals related to the writing filed.

4. Subscribe to newsletters:

For most of us, internet has become a part of our lives. So while you are online, browse for a website which offers useful writing tips and information for improving your writing skills. Best is to subscribe for their newsletter.

Subscribing to newsletters is free and you will get loads of information through the useful articles. Also you can go to dictionary sites and learn new words, their meanings, pronunciation and correct usage in a sentence. This is called fun- and-learn technique and you learn things without even realizing that you have gained knowledge, by only looking at a word or hearing the correct pronunciation.

5. Criticism:

Write something and allow it to be read by a critic. If you write but never show it to someone to read and edit, you might not be able to spot the mistakes in that piece of writing. Once you have written something, proofread it and check it for errors. Then get a critic, he could be a friend or a teacher or your big brother/sister. It would be great if the person is experienced i.e. with good written skills, to comment on your work.

This critic will give you feedback on your work and you can learn how good your standard of writing is. Even if your first writing gets a lot of criticism do not lose heart. Take the experience as a learning one and remember not to make the same mistakes again.