Ever since Marcus Tullius Tiro combined the letters "e" and "t" into "&" when noting down the words of Cicero in the fourth century BC, those who have wanted to get ahead have learned shorthand. Although people are changing careers more frequently these days, there are a few core skills that are bound to come in handy wherever you go - and there's never been a better time to re-learn how to write.

When you take notes at work, you'll be able to turn a whole stream of spoken words into a concise set of ideas on the page. This is the art of note-taking - something that you learned over years of formal education, and for which your current writing speed works adequately. But what if you need to take down a sentence or two word-for-word? The chances are that you can't.

It's impossible to write longhand at speeds of more than about 50 words per minute. But you can learn enough shorthand to reach this speed in a matter of weeks. Around 70wpm is a proficient speed, and takes a few months to achieve if you do a little work on it every day; 100wpm will take a few months more. But once you've acquired the skill, you'll be able to quote people back word-for-word, something that is invaluable in any number of professions.

What's more, when you're familiar with shorthand, you'll be able to use it for regular note-taking. Together with the skills of concision you've already been taught in school and university, it makes a very powerful combination.

Bryan Coombs, who has written books on the Pitman method of shorthand, says that it is increasingly seen as a skill used by an elite. "Shorthand says many things. It says not only can this person write shorthand at a given speed, but that they've proved they can learn something quite difficult - they have 'stickability', discipline and an organised mind." In other words, if you show that you're able to do a basic workplace task more efficiently than anyone else in the room, it speaks volumes about your attitude.

The three types of shorthand most often used in the English-speaking world today are Pitman, Gregg and Teeline, and the one you choose will depend on both where you live and how far you want to go with it. Isaac Pitman invented the first of the three in 1837, at the age of 24, and soon had a distance-learning scheme set up in which students would send him their shorthand transcriptions of the Bible for marking and comment.

Adaptations of his system are still widely used. Although some aficionados have reached speeds of over 200wpm with Pitman, it is not the easiest system to learn. Fifty years later, the Irishman John Gregg created another system that remains the favourite in the US today. Again, very high speeds are achieved by the most diligent.

But for those in a normal work context, it is Teeline - invented nearly 100 years later in the UK - that is the most suitable system. Very few people go above 110wpm with Teeline, but those who need to - court reporters, for example - probably use another system anyway.

There are many books you can use to teach yourself the skill in your spare time. Shorthand night classes are also offered across the world, and if you want to learn properly it's well worth paying a few bucks more for the feedback that a tutor can offer you.

One great thing about shorthand is that even those who don't complete a course will pick up some of the symbols. After all, almost everyone invokes the memory of that fourth-century Roman, Tiro, by using a shorthand substitute for "and" in their notes now and then. With even as few as 20 additional symbols at your disposal, your writing will speed up noticeably.

Shorthand is also something that stays with you. Coming back to it after several years, most people find that they pick it up again quite quickly - and that's no bad thing if you don't know what job you'll be doing 20 years from now.

Further information:
www.pitman-training.com for Teeline and Pitman training in the UK

Further reading:
Pitman 2000 Shorthand
Teeline Ivy Constance Hill