Enhancing the Writing Competencies of Undergraduate Researchers

The ability to effectively communicate, particularly in writing, ranks among the most highly valued competencies employers seek in new hires. Despite this, recent graduates commonly experience challenges when adapting to workplace writing practices. This article explores how undergraduate research experiences prepare students to write beyond the university. The author argues that undergraduate research experiences provide a significant opportunity to enable career-ready writing, but that this opportunity could be enhanced by preparing mentors to more intentionally guide writing development. A qualitative study of 11 undergraduate researchers suggests that students develop a number of genre-specific writing competencies and the genre awareness that is important to preparation for career-ready writing. Based on this analysis, the author offers recommendations for enhancing undergraduate research students’ preparation for career-ready writing.