Essay writing is the process of composing short pieces of non-fiction writing called essays. An essay generally expressed a view of a single topic or subject based on the writer's perspective, and essays can be formal or informal in style and tone. You often must conduct research in one form or another to develop your understanding of the subject before you can effectively write an essay. Formal essays often revolve around a thesis statement that serves as the central idea you're writing about, while informal essays are less rigid in structure.
A thorough grasp of essay writing techniques is beneficial to anybody whose career involves writing of any sort because the skills that essay writing requires can also help you write a good email, business proposal, or academic report. The research involved in writing essays gives you a stronger base of knowledge while using good grammar and writing skills helps you to communicate more effectively in every area of your life. Essay writing can also help you process the things that you learn and explain them to others.
If you have proficiency in essay writing, you'll be able to use your skill in various communications careers, as well as in the general business world. You can work as a journalist, editor, freelance writer, advertising copywriter, or communications director and apply essay writing skills directly on a daily basis. Essay writing gives you a set of skills that can also benefit you in many other careers. If you need to write a speech, grant proposal, company blog post, or any other piece of writing, you'll be able to call on the skills that essay writing has allowed you to develop.
When you study essay writing with online courses on Coursera, you can learn the nuts and bolts of how to write an effective essay as well as how to apply that knowledge in your career. The online essay writing courses on Coursera bring you content that will help you grow as a writer. Start with a basic survey of essay writing, and branch out to more specific topics like how to write a personal essay, how to turn your essay into a persuasive speech, and advanced grammar.