IELTS Writing Task 2 essay with model answer

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic

Completing university education is thought by some to be the best way to get a good job. On the other hand, other people think that getting experience and developing soft skills is more important. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

There is much debate about the best way to land a desirable job. Some argue that getting a tertiary qualification is the surest path to get hired while others contend that acquiring experience and non-academic skills is better. Overall, I believe that both academic qualifications and job experience are needed to secure a great job because both aspects are equally valuable.

Firstly, a tertiary education provides you with the opportunity to acquire specific skills and knowledge that are pre-requisite to performing well in your future job. For example, to become a doctor one needs to have technical knowledge about treating illness and disease. Without learning about anatomy, causes of sickness and understanding the human body in-depth at university;,  a doctor would not be able to perform his or her duties at all. Clearly, a university qualification equips students with technical skills and theory necessary for their prospective career.

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On the other hand, some occupations value experience and other skills that a tertiary education does not explicitly provide. Jobs such as sales, marketing and advertising may favour an individual’s soft skills such as his persuasive ability, communication skills and prior experience over theoretical knowledge. In this instance, a university degree might not help a job-seeker as much as an impressive resumé filled with various job experiences and extra-curricular achievements.

In my opinion, I view both tertiary education and job experience with development of soft skills as equally important factors to get hired for a coveted job. Combining both university qualifications and soft skills acquired through real-world experience seems to be the best way to improve prospects of a great career.

Total Words: 264

Task Achievement: 9

Coherence & Cohesion: 9

Lexical resources: 8

Grammar: 8

Overall Score: Band 8.5

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