5 Websites All New Grads Should Bookmark for Writing Help at Work

There is a lot of talk about what to do and what not to do to get your proverbial foot in the door now once you have graduated. Now that you have executed a successful job search, accepted and signed an offer, you are ready to begin a career.

One area of special attention and sometimes worry for new grads is their writing skills. The importance of good writing skills in one's professional life, regardless of industry, cannot be underestimated. College grads, unfortunately, sometimes have to scramble to catch up to meet the writing requirements of their jobs. Help is definitely available from some companies through in house, outsourced and off site training. In fact College Boards' National Commission on Writing says that American corporations spend approximately $3.1 billions annually to remedy their employees' deficiencies in writing.

A word of encouragement to all new college grads - You too will eventually develop your own little bag of tricks and professional writing resources over time. This list of websites to bookmark is just a starting point to help you keep on top of your professional written communications at the office.

1. The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University is an award winning resource which fortunately makes their writing resources available for everyone. If you need help with the fundamentals or finding writing samples of business letters or employment documents such as resumes, cover letters or thank-you letters , this lab is an awesome resource.

2. Merriam Webster Dictionary offers an online English dictionary; Spanish/English translations and a Thesaurus. Features such as audio pronunciations, Word-of-the-Day, Crosswords and Podcasts are all designed to help users improve verbal acumen. In addition to the free services available, the Merriam-Webster Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged version is available for $29.95 per year subscription. Great verbal games help you test your agility with words also.