Task type: An Article

Writing Paper: Part 2
Task type: An Article

QuestionYou have been asked to write an article for Job Prospects magazine, a publication for 18-30 year olds, on the following topic:

How taking a gap year*can enhance your career prospects. *A gap year is a break usually taken between leaving school/college and starting university, and is seen as a valuable way to gain work experience and life skills.

 

You should focus on the types of job and leisure opportunities for young people taking a gap year in your country (or a country that you know well), the types of skills that can be gained and the likely value of these to potential employers.

Write the article for the readers of the magazine. (around 280 - 320 words)

What you need to include to passClick here for our checklist first to understand what the examiner is looking for in a good answer.

Ideas for writingAsk yourself the following questions to help you get started:

• Make a list of reasons for taking a gap year. You can mention them briefly in your introduction:
  - good to have a break from studying
  - chance to save some money
  - gain valuable work experience to impress future employers
  
• What job opportunities are available for young people on a short term basis? Choose around three and note down the useful skills that can be learned. Also point out any negative factors:
  Example
  Working in a fast food restaurant - easy to get work, but working conditions can be poor - learn to deal with customers, important in service industries
  
• How else could the time be spent? Again, consider the pros and cons of your suggestions and evaluate the skills that can be acquired.
  Example:
  Travelling around - can be done cheaply but still need a budget - going abroad more expensive but improves language skills
• Think of a final piece of advice to conclude your article.

Drafting and proofreading your work
You should look at your first draft of the task and decide:

• Have you answered the question fully?
• Is the layout and organisation appropriate?
• Is the language accurate with a good range of structures?
• Is the style appropriate and consistent for your article?
• Will it be genuinely useful to the reader as well as being interesting to read?

If the answer is 'no' to any of these questions then you will need to do some more drafting!

Writing Paper: Part 2
Task type: An Article

Content Should include a description and evaluation of at least three ways to spend a gap year. The evaluation must include some discussion of the skills or benefits that are likely to be gained and the ways that they can enhance a young person's job prospects.

Communicative achievementCould range from formal to reasonably informal, as long as the register is consistent throughout the article. The magazine editor would be informed and would consider that the article has met its brief and is suitable for publication.

OrganisationThere is no need to give the article a title of your own as this is already given in the question. The article must be divided into clear paragraphs and could possibly have paragraph headings to mirror a magazine format. As this is a magazine article the aim is to catch the attention of the reader in the opening sentences.

Language Language of description, evaluation, recommendation and advice. Topic vocabulary relating to employment and leisure. (e.g. 'enhance your CV', 'expand your horizons'). Does not have to be completely accurate but any errors should be minimal.

Model Answer

How taking a gap year can enhance your career prospects{1}

Are you considering a gap year?{2} If so, you will join the thousands of young people every year who decide to take a welcome break from studying and to earn some money. But how about doing something that will impress future employers into the bargain{3}? The following options may help you decide from the vast number of opportunites.

Job opportunities{4}

Working in a fast food restaurant is hardly a glamorous job, but companies like McDonalds, KFC and Burger King are huge employers of students. Despite the low pay and poor working conditions, it's still possible to save up some of your wages . You will also learn how to work under pressure, and their emphasis on customer service is good training for future careers in service industries, such as catering management or tourism.

Short term contract work, or 'temping', in an office is another option. Recruitment agencies will help you find work, but you must have an up-to-date CV and look presentable. Office temping will help you learn the skills of tact and diplomacy that you need to handle office politics. Look for a job that also provides IT training to give you that competitive edge over your peers.

Although volunteer work has a worthy image that young people often find off-putting it can be another great way to learn new skills. (For example, conservation projects.) Food, accommodation and a small weekly allowance are usually provided. You won't get rich{5} but you may enjoy giving something back to your community, and you will have an awareness of social and ethical responsibilty that employers are increasingly interested in.

Leisure Opportunities

A gap year needn't be all work and no play, however. Travelling around one's own country can be an inexpensive way to expand your horizons, although going abroad gives opportunites to learn about other people and their cultures as well as seeing how business is done internationally. You can also enhance your language skills, which is a prerequisite for many top jobs these days.

To conclude it is essential to make the most of a gap year. Plan it well and it will reap rewards for your career many years down the line.{6}