how to get a good job essay

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• Job Application Documents

How to Write a Job Application Essay

Last Updated: April 9, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Shannon O'Brien is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Whole U. (a career and life strategy consultancy based in Boston, MA). Through advising, workshops and e-learning Whole U. empowers people to pursue their life's work and live a balanced, purposeful life. Shannon has been ranked as the #1 Career Coach and #1 Life Coach in Boston, MA by Yelp reviewers. She has been featured on Boston.com, Boldfacers, and the UR Business Network. She received a Master's of Technology, Innovation, & Education from Harvard University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 203,100 times.

Many employers now require a writing sample, or job application essay , to accompany all applications or résumés — even if writing is not a significant part of the position. The goal of the job application essay is to ensure that applicants have the right communication skills for the position offered. Sometimes, potential employers will provide a specific topic or series of questions for your essay to respond to. However, you may also be asked to provide an essay with no guidance whatsoever. Either way, approach the essay seriously so that it highlights the skills and assets you could bring to the company. [1] X Research source

Outlining Your Essay

• If you don't know much about the company, do a little research on it before you start writing. You might look at their website or do a general internet search with the name of the company to see if any news articles or other reports come up. Go beyond the four corners of the job listing so that you understand who will likely be reading your essay.
• If there's anything in the job listing or essay requirements that you don't understand, contact the employer and ask about them. Employers are often impressed by applicants who clarify the employer's intent rather than making assumptions.

• For example, if you're applying for a position in sales, you might want to write an essay about your ability to tailor your pitch to specific clients and close the deal. If you have the ability to be more creative, you might tailor your essay to "sell" yourself directly to the employer.

• For each of your points, think of a specific example you can relate briefly that illustrates the point. For example, if you've described yourself as a "team player," you might include an example of how you came in on your day off to complete some of the more monotonous tasks that no one else wanted to do so a project could be completed ahead of schedule.
• It's a good idea to have more than one example in your outline for each point, even if you only end up using one. That way, if you start writing something and it ends up not working as well as you thought it would, you'll have a back-up handy.
• Brainstorming can be difficult. If you find yourself churning over the same thoughts, stand up and take a break for a few minutes. Step outside or go for a walk to clear your head, then come back to it.

• For example, if you want to describe how you increased sales in a specific quarter, you would want to state specifically how much you increased sales. Your former employer may have sales figures that you could ask them for. You might also have that information in your records.
• Wherever possible, use specific numbers and dates rather than making general statements. It's okay to estimate, but make sure your estimate is conservative. Saying you led your sales team to the highest sales in a quarter is impressive — but only if it's true.

Completing Your Rough Draft

• Think of this paragraph as telling the hiring manager what you're going to tell them in the essay. Outline the points you're going to elaborate on in the essay that back up your theme or thesis statement.
• Sometimes it's best to go back and write your introduction after you've written the body of your essay. That way, you can make sure the introduction provides an outline that matches the body.

• If the employer listed specifically what should be included in your essay, follow their order, since that's what they'll be looking for when they read the essay.
• Write in the first person and make yourself the star of any anecdote you include as an example. Use action verbs to focus on what you did rather than focusing on what happened and how you reacted to it. [7] X Trustworthy Source University of North Carolina Writing Center UNC's on-campus and online instructional service that provides assistance to students, faculty, and others during the writing process Go to source

• For example, if you're writing about your skills as a team player, you might note that you discuss doing routine work that others found monotonous so they had time to work on other parts of a project. You could use that detail to move on to a section describing how you're detail-oriented.

• For example, you might write "My business school education, skills as a team player, and focus on detail make me the best candidate to lead your sales team."

Finalizing Your Essay

• For example, you might start by looking solely at punctuation, then read through again focusing on spelling.
• If you find that you tend to repeat a particular error, go through your essay looking for that error specifically.
• If your grammar isn't particularly strong or you're writing in a language other than your native language, have someone else read over your essay as well.

• If you find that you stumble over a sentence while reading aloud, that's a sign that your writing could be clearer. Work with your text until you have something that you can read aloud with ease.

• If the prospective employer did not specify a length, try to keep your essay under 2 double-spaced pages. Remember that hiring managers are busy and don't have a lot of time to read a long, rambling essay.
• Eliminate all unnecessary words or sentences that aren't relevant to the subject of your essay. The majority of your sentences should be short, declarative sentences with action verbs.
• Apps such as Hemingway ( http://www.hemingwayapp.com/ ) or Grammarly ( https://app.grammarly.com/ ) can help you identify portions of your essay that are more difficult to read. Both of these apps have a free version that you can use to edit your text.

• Working backward is particularly helpful for noticing spelling mistakes, especially hard-to-catch homophone errors, because you're seeing the word out of context.

• It may also help to print your essay in a different font or font size than what you used to type it. This breaks your brain's familiarity with the text, which can make typos and other errors more noticeable. Just remember to change the font back after you print it.

Job Application Essay

Expert Q&A

• Give yourself plenty of time to work on your essay. Ideally, you should plan to work on it over the course of at least two days, so you have the time to set it aside after writing before you move to the editing and proofreading stage. [15] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• Unless you're applying for a position in a political or religious organization, avoid including anything in your essay that identifies your political or religious preferences or beliefs. [16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Avoid using humor, especially sarcasm or ironic humor, as it can be misconstrued in text. Additionally, humor may lead the hiring manager to believe that you aren't serious about the position. [17] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/writing-sample-job-application
• ↑ https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2012/04/30/essay-how-write-good-applications-jobs-or-grants
• ↑ Shannon O'Brien, MA, EdM. Life & Career Coach. Expert Interview. 25 May 2021.
• ↑ https://www.govloop.com/community/blog/government-job-application-essays-made-easy/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/application-essays/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/proofreading-tips
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/200906/the-dreaded-writing-sample

About This Article

Job application essays can seem scary, but they’re really just an opportunity for you to highlight your skills and explain why you’re suitable for the role. Read the job listing to find out what traits and skills the company is looking for, like time management, working under pressure, and leadership. If you don’t know much about the company, read through its website and do an online search to find articles about its work. In your introduction, you’ll want to to describe yourself and introduce the main points you’ll be making. Then, write a paragraph for each trait or skill. Use real life examples from previous jobs, your recent studies, or extracurricular activities to support your points. For example, you could highlight your leadership skills by talking about a time you led a group project that exceeded your targets. For more tips, including how to write a compelling conclusion for your job application essay, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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The Process of Getting a Job

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

Searching for a job, writing a targeted resume, writing an effective cover letter, acing the interview, works cited.

The process of getting a job remains one of the most challenging tasks for many job seekers in the United States. There are cases where qualified candidates fail to secure a job because they make mistakes in one or more of the stages involved in searching for a job. It is important for these job seekers to understand how to approach each of the steps involved in job hunting. In this essay, the focus is to give clear instruction on how a qualified candidate can get a job that deserves one’s qualifications. The target audiences are job seekers aged over 18 years. There are four major steps that one must take great care of when trying to get a job (Kay 82). The four stages include searching for a job, writing a targeted resume, writing an effective cover letter, and finally acing the interview.

The process of searching for the right job can be very challenging, especially for those who are doing it for the first time. Different jobs can be found using different strategies based on a number of factors. However, there are some common steps to be followed by any job seeker who is interested in getting a good job. Following the steps below is a good starting point.

• Visit the website of the desired company and look for any career opportunities they have on offer. In most of the cases, large companies would post vacancies they have at their company through their website. This offers a perfect opportunity for a job seeker to know of the job availability.
• Visit other websites that specialize in advertising vacancies at various companies. According to Myers (56), some websites have specialized in collecting a pool of job vacancies in various companies and posting them to the general public. Some of them are very reliable.

Avoid websites that demand payments before they can direct one to the employing company. Most of them are run by fraudsters.

• Talk to friends and determine if they are aware of any possible vacancies at their workplaces. Sometimes a network of friends and family members may offer one a perfect opportunity to get a job.
• Go through the dailies to determine vacancies at various companies that have been advertised through them. Sometimes companies would make the advertisements through the dailies, especially if they need urgent candidates to fill vacant posts.

One of the common mistakes that job seekers make is that they use a common resume when applying for different jobs. Observe the following issues.

• Determine what one employer is looking for may not be exactly the same thing that another employer will be interested in.
• Although there may be a soft copy of the resume with all the major achievements and experience, it may be necessary to adjust resume to suit a specific job that one is looking for at a particular time (Taylor 45).
• Identify specific job requirements, and adjust the resume as per the requirements of the position of interest. Make sure that the resume responds to the requirements of the job.

Writing an effective cover letter is another important step for a job seeker. When writing the letter, the following should be observed.

• Ensure that the message directly responds to the information posted by the employer.
• Use simple, straightforward sentences, clearly stating why one merits the position, and how one’s presence in the company will be beneficial to the firm.

Avoid flowery words, especially poetic sentences, because the employer may make a wrong conclusion that the applicant is an activist who may champion for unionization of employees.

This is one of the most important stages in securing a job. Observe the following steps.

• Conduct a simple research about the company and the industry, and find answers to some of the possible questions that the interviewers may pose during the interview.
• When going to the interview, wear a suit because most of the interviewers may use the physical appearance to make their judgment (Caan 29).
• In the interview room, do not panic because this may give a wrong impression to one’s self-image. Also, try avoiding the temptation to be overconfident. Be specific when answering the questions posed by the interviewers, and always try to maintain eye contact with the person who asked the question. Be polite and courageous because these are desirable attributes.
• Remember to thank the interviewing panel for offering you the opportunity before leaving the interview room.

The processes described above are very important for one to secure a good job that meets one’s qualifications. Every stage has specific steps that the job seeker must follow in order to succeed in going into the next level. As stated above, one must try to remain official in the mode of dressing and communication, especially during the interview in order to make the process a success.

Caan, James. Get the Job You Really Want . London: The Portfolio Publishers Limited, 2012. Print.

Kay, Andrea. This Is How to Get Your Next Job: An Inside Look at What Employers Really Want . , 2013. Print.

Myers, Ford. Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring: Take Charge of Your Career, Find a Job You Love, and Earn What You Deserve. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. Print.

Taylor, Denise. How to Get a Job in a Recession . London: Brook House, 2009. Print.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 11). The Process of Getting a Job. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-process-of-getting-a-job/

"The Process of Getting a Job." IvyPanda , 11 May 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/the-process-of-getting-a-job/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'The Process of Getting a Job'. 11 May.

IvyPanda . 2020. "The Process of Getting a Job." May 11, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-process-of-getting-a-job/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Process of Getting a Job." May 11, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-process-of-getting-a-job/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Process of Getting a Job." May 11, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-process-of-getting-a-job/.

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113 Career Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Choosing a career path is a significant decision that can shape our lives. Whether you are a high school student exploring your options or a working professional considering a career change, writing a career essay can be a valuable exercise in self-reflection and goal-setting. To help you get started, here are 113 career essay topic ideas and examples that can inspire your writing:

Why I chose my current career path.

The influence of my family on my career choices.

Exploring unconventional career options.

The impact of technology on the job market.

The role of internships in career development.

How to navigate a successful career in a competitive industry.

Strategies for finding work-life balance in a demanding career.

The importance of professional networking for career growth.

Challenges faced by women in male-dominated industries.

The role of education in career success.

The pros and cons of freelance work.

How to turn a hobby into a career.

The future of remote work and its implications for careers.

The impact of automation on job opportunities.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector.

The role of mentors in career development.

The importance of continuous learning in a rapidly changing world.

Exploring careers in the healthcare industry.

The challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

The impact of globalization on career opportunities.

The role of personal branding in career advancement.

The benefits of cross-cultural work experience.

The role of emotional intelligence in career success.

Exploring careers in the creative arts.

The challenges and rewards of a career in the military.

The impact of social media on career opportunities.

The importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The benefits of pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM).

The challenges and rewards of a career in education.

The role of leadership skills in career advancement.

The impact of climate change on future career opportunities.

Exploring careers in the hospitality industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the environmental sector.

The challenges and rewards of a career in law enforcement.

The role of communication skills in career success.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job displacement.

The importance of financial literacy in career planning.

Exploring careers in the fashion industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in public service.

The challenges and rewards of a career in the entertainment industry.

The role of resilience in overcoming career setbacks.

The impact of social entrepreneurship on career options.

The importance of work culture in career satisfaction.

Exploring careers in the sports industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the technology sector.

The challenges and rewards of a career in the aviation industry.

The role of adaptability in navigating a changing career landscape.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job creation.

The importance of work-life integration in career fulfillment.

Exploring careers in the tourism industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in the financial sector.

The challenges and rewards of a career in healthcare administration.

The role of organizational skills in career success.

The impact of online learning on career development.

The importance of workplace diversity for innovation.

Exploring careers in the film industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in engineering.

The challenges and rewards of a career in social work.

The role of negotiation skills in career advancement.

The impact of remote work on employee well-being.

The importance of emotional well-being in career satisfaction.

Exploring careers in the gaming industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in marketing.

The challenges and rewards of a career in nonprofit management.

The role of time management in career success.

The impact of social media on personal branding.

The importance of cultural intelligence in global careers.

Exploring careers in the culinary industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in journalism.

The challenges and rewards of a career in architecture.

The role of problem-solving skills in career advancement.

The impact of remote work on team collaboration.

The importance of work-life harmony in career fulfillment.

Exploring careers in the music industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in psychology.

The challenges and rewards of a career in event planning.

The role of decision-making skills in career success.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job satisfaction.

The importance of mentorship in career development.

Exploring careers in the automotive industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in entrepreneurship.

The challenges and rewards of a career in graphic design.

The role of creativity in career advancement.

The impact of remote work on organizational culture.

The importance of work-life boundaries in career satisfaction.

Exploring careers in the publishing industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in human resources.

The challenges and rewards of a career in interior design.

The role of teamwork in career success.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job security.

The importance of self-reflection in career planning.

Exploring careers in the education technology industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in healthcare research.

The challenges and rewards of a career in social media management.

The role of adaptability in overcoming career obstacles.

The impact of remote work on employee engagement.

The importance of work-life integration in career success.

Exploring careers in the renewable energy sector.

The benefits of pursuing a career in data analytics.

The challenges and rewards of a career in public relations.

The role of critical thinking skills in career advancement.

The impact of artificial intelligence on job recruitment.

The importance of lifelong learning in career growth.

Exploring careers in the e-commerce industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in healthcare policy.

The challenges and rewards of a career in software development.

The role of adaptability in navigating a changing job market.

The impact of remote work on work-life balance.

The importance of personal development in career success.

Exploring careers in the renewable energy industry.

The benefits of pursuing a career in user experience design.

The challenges and rewards of a career in cybersecurity.

The role of emotional intelligence in career advancement.

These 113 career essay topic ideas and examples cover a wide range of industries, skills, and challenges. Whether you are passionate about a particular field or looking for inspiration, these topics can help you explore various aspects of careers and find your own unique path. Remember, writing a career essay is not only about showcasing your knowledge and skills but also about understanding yourself and the world of work. Good luck on your writing journey!

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You Don’t Need a College Degree to Land a Great Job

Four social media strategies you can use to stand out.

Not having a college degree shouldn’t diminish your chances of securing a good job. One of the best ways to move forward is to create a strong social media presence. It will help you stand out, get noticed by potential employers, and find a job you want.

• Start by auditing your social media profiles. Make sure your profile picture looks professional and real. When you share your work experiences, ensure that they match your résumé. Don’t hesitate to include any additional details about your jobs (such as additional responsibilities, awards, etc.) that you couldn’t fit on your résumé.
• Pay attention to the people you follow. Connect with industry leaders and potential employers, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. Like, share, and respond to their updates.
• Prove your passion. Follow hashtags and discussions and stay abreast with the latest industry news. Focus on the content you share, write, and post. When you see an interesting topic, repost the articles and share your commentary or thoughts.
• Finally, learn new skills and show them off on social platforms. Did you just learn Adobe Illustrator? Share a certification or a new project you completed as part of the course. Know that you don’t have to be an expert to share your skills. If you’re a self-taught baker, you can create interesting video content using Instagram Reels and TikTok to share your knowledge.

In the 19th century, Horace Mann, a pioneer of American public schools, famously called education the “ great equalizer of the conditions of men .” But for decades now, the education system has revealed — and amplified — existing social inequalities.

• JM Jeff Mazur is the executive director for  LaunchCode , a nonprofit aiming to fill the gap in tech talent by matching companies with trained individuals. As one of the winners of the  2017 MIT Inclusive Innovation Challenge , LaunchCode has been recognized for expanding “the tech workforce by providing free coding education to disadvantaged job seekers.” Jeff lives in St. Louis with his wife and twin girls.

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Essay on Career for Students and Children

500+ words essay on career.

Career is a very important thing in one’s life. Whatever career path you choose to follow, it will impact your life greatly. Your career will define your status in a society in addition to your lifestyle. In other words, your career will determine your social circle and relationships.

Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the correct career path . From a very young age, we aspire to be something or the other. While someone aims to be a doctor, some wish to become a painter. Our career choices depend on a lot of things. Thus, it is important to consider all factors before choosing a career path.

How to Choose your Career?

You must consider a number of factors before deciding on your career. Each factor plays a significant role in your choice. Firstly, always assess yourself thoroughly. You must understand your area of interest to choose a career. For instance, someone who dances well can surely become a doctor, but his interest will always be in dance. Thus, ensure that you have the caliber to perform well in the field you choose. This will come from your area of interest itself.

After that, you look for the opportunities available as per your area of interest. Now that you are aware of what you like and dislike, you can easily look for occupations matching your passion. Make a list of the occupations you can get into following your interests. Furthermore, shorten the list you have prepared. You must do so as per what suits you best. Consult with your seniors and parents to make informed decisions.

Most importantly, acquire the skills for the career option you are interested in. Ensure you earn the qualifications and degrees for it. Try taking training programs to enhance your skills. This will give you an upper hand in knowing whether you are correct in choosing the specific career plan. Furthermore, create an impressive resume which can help you get the right opportunities.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Achieve your Career Goal?

There are steps you need to take before achieving your career goal. As they say, success doesn’t come overnight. You must work along the way to accomplish your goals. There is always hope if you have the will. Firstly, create profiles on different job portals to attract the employer’s attention. When you maintain your profile well, you will be able to get good career opportunities.

Moreover, always maintain your network. Build a solid network and create sources in the field. This way you can update yourself with the latest happenings in the industry. In addition, try to attend the related seminars and workshops that happen related to your career choice. You will meet influential people of the same field who can broaden your thinking.

In short, always remember to stay determined. You can easily achieve your career goal if you set your mind to it. In other words, people usually distract themselves easily. You must not do so and focus on your career path to achieve your goals efficiently.

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How to Write a Job Essay

In an age of instant communications, job applicants are often surprised -- perhaps even overwhelmed -- by requests for a writing sample during the search process. Whether you are writing a cover letter for your resume or an actual essay, the skills you learned in your high school or college composition class will get you through the process painlessly, with a few "tweaks" to pitch to your intended audience.

Typically, a job essay is actually a letter sent to introduce yourself when submitting a resume or an application. Business letters should include your return address, the date, and the address to which the letter is being sent at the beginning, with a 2-inch top margin. Traditionally, if you do not know the name of the person receiving the letter, the salutation should be "Dear Sir or Madam," followed by a semi-colon, although taking the time to get the name is better. A simple "sincerely," followed by a comma, works best as the closing.

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How to address a cover letter when the name is unknown, how to send a letter of intent for a possible job, good salutations for cover letters, alternative approaches to cover letters, how to upload a cv for jobs, appropriate language.

Again, this is a business document, so it should not read like a letter to your best friend. Write more formally, rather than being overly familiar or casual. Avoid all slang terms or idioms, as well as most industry jargon. You may use a few "insider" terms to indicate an understanding of the job, but don't lard the letter to impress. Phrase sentences to avoid the use of second-person pronouns.

Conciseness and Efficiency

Human resources personnel are often inundated with applications, along with many other responsibilities. Respect their time restraints by getting to the point quickly and concisely. Cut vague phrases, replacing them with tight, specific words. Combine sentences whenever possible. Instead of saying, "I worked in the research department. I provided information about the XYZ event. I wrote about the facts of the event," try "While employed in the research department, I wrote a briefing about XYZ." Also, if it isn't relevant to the job, leave it out.

Attention Command

With the flood of applicants for many positions, your letter needs to set you above the crowd. Start with a common issue or concern for someone in the position, and continue to explain how your skills or experience make you uniquely qualified to address that issue. For example, hook the reader with "When resolving customer service complaints, the ability to remain calm is critical, and my experience as an air-traffic controller has provided me the opportunity to practice that skill," instead of "I am applying for the customer complaint position in your call center."

Specificity and Relevance

Always address the responsibilities of the position specifically, matching yourself to the needs of the job. Rather than writing "I can use a computer," describe how your skills at creating multimedia slide shows will allow you to provide stellar sales presentations. Describe examples of your creativity, reliability or team spirit, rather than regurgitating your resume. Keep the points directly related to the position, though. This isn't the time to mention your medals for cycling, unless the job description includes riding your bicycle.

Grammar and Syntax

Errors in spelling, word choice or other grammar or syntax rules tells a potential employer about more than just your education and writing skills. With that apparent lack of attention to details, the reader could assume that you won't bother to check work done for the company carefully either. Don't rely only on the spell checker in your word processing program, either. Read your letter aloud, preferably to someone else, to be sure that it flows smoothly and makes good sense. Proofread from the last word to the first, from bottom right to top left, to force your eyes to see what is -- or isn't -- there, rather than what you expect to see. Finally, make sure that the essay is visually appealing, with an easy-to-read font and size, in clear, black ink on clean, white paper.

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Appropriate Language
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Conciseness
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Quick Content Tips for Cover Letters
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Quick Formatting Tips for Cover Letter
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Writing the Personal Statement
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Model for Follow-Up to an Interview Letter

Pamela Martin has been writing since 1979. She has written newsletter articles and curricula-related materials. She also writes about teaching and crafts. Martin was an American Society of Newspaper Editors High School Journalism Fellow. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching in elementary education from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Arts in curriculum/instruction from the University of Missouri.

How to Write the Perfect Essay

06 Feb, 2024 | Blog Articles , English Language Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Writing Articles

You can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful to draft a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay.

If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

Discover More

Thanks for signing up, step 2: have a clear structure.

Think about this while you’re planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question.

Start with the basics! It’s best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you’ll be under time pressure. 

If you agree with the question overall, it can be helpful to organise your points in the following pattern:

• YES (agreement with the question)
• AND (another YES point)
• BUT (disagreement or complication)

If you disagree with the question overall, try:

• AND (another BUT point)

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question, “To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ?”, as follows:

• YES (descriptions of her appearance)
• AND (other people’s attitudes towards her)
• BUT (her position as the only woman on the ranch gives her power as she uses her femininity to her advantage)

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the YES/AND categories, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities, and shares her dreams with the other characters. Alternatively, you could also lengthen your essay by including another BUT paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question – as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay? Even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying.

A close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners. When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could highlight Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, a”n’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” This might look like:

The rhetorical question “an’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, she does not expect anyone to respond to her question, highlighting her loneliness and isolation on the ranch.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

• Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
• Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing: e.g. “frightening” and “terrifying”
• Parallelism – ABAB structure, often signifying movement from one concept to another
• Chiasmus – ABBA structure, drawing attention to a phrase
• Polysyndeton – many conjunctions in a sentence
• Asyndeton – lack of conjunctions, which can speed up the pace of a sentence
• Polyptoton – using the same word in different forms for emphasis: e.g. “done” and “doing”
• Alliteration – repetition of the same sound, including assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (“b”, “d” and “p” sounds) and sibilance (“s” sounds)
• Anaphora – repetition of words, often used to emphasise a particular point

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing. You can also discuss more obvious techniques, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names; it’s far more important to be able to confidently explain the effects of each technique and highlight its relevance to the question.

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it “perfect” is your own unique take on the topic. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out – if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too!

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine. Keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the body of the essay is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here’s an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points. However, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

Hannah is an undergraduate English student at Somerville College, University of Oxford, and has a particular interest in postcolonial literature and the Gothic. She thinks literature is a crucial way of developing empathy and learning about the wider world. When she isn’t writing about 17th-century court masques, she enjoys acting, travelling and creative writing. 

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What’s the point of education? It’s no longer just about getting a job

Researcher for the University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project; and Online Teacher at Education Queensland's IMPACT Centre, The University of Queensland

Disclosure statement

Luke Zaphir does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Queensland provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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This essay is part of a series of articles on the future of education.

For much of human history, education has served an important purpose, ensuring we have the tools to survive. People need jobs to eat and to have jobs, they need to learn how to work.

Education has been an essential part of every society. But our world is changing and we’re being forced to change with it. So what is the point of education today?

The ancient Greek model

Some of our oldest accounts of education come from Ancient Greece. In many ways the Greeks modelled a form of education that would endure for thousands of years. It was an incredibly focused system designed for developing statesmen, soldiers and well-informed citizens.

Most boys would have gone to a learning environment similar to a school, although this would have been a place to learn basic literacy until adolescence. At this point, a child would embark on one of two career paths: apprentice or “citizen”.

On the apprentice path, the child would be put under the informal wing of an adult who would teach them a craft. This might be farming, potting or smithing – any career that required training or physical labour.

The path of the full citizen was one of intellectual development. Boys on the path to more academic careers would have private tutors who would foster their knowledge of arts and sciences, as well as develop their thinking skills.

The private tutor-student model of learning would endure for many hundreds of years after this. All male children were expected to go to state-sponsored places called gymnasiums (“school for naked exercise”) with those on a military-citizen career path training in martial arts.

Those on vocational pathways would be strongly encouraged to exercise too, but their training would be simply for good health.

Read more: Guide to the classics: Homer's Iliad

Until this point, there had been little in the way of education for women, the poor and slaves. Women made up half of the population, the poor made up 90% of citizens, and slaves outnumbered citizens 10 or 20 times over .

These marginalised groups would have undergone some education but likely only physical – strong bodies were important for childbearing and manual labour. So, we can safely say education in civilisations like Ancient Greece or Rome was only for rich men.

While we’ve taken a lot from this model, and evolved along the way, we live in a peaceful time compared to the Greeks. So what is it that we want from education today?

We learn to work – the ‘pragmatic purpose’

Today we largely view education as being there to give us knowledge of our place in the world, and the skills to work in it. This view is underpinned by a specific philosophical framework known as pragmatism. Philosopher Charles Peirce – sometimes known as the “father of pragmatism” – developed this theory in the late 1800s.

There has been a long history of philosophies of knowledge and understanding (also known as epistemology). Many early philosophies were based on the idea of an objective, universal truth. For example, the ancient Greeks believed the world was made of only five elements: earth, water, fire, air and aether .

Read more: Where to start reading philosophy?

Peirce, on the other hand, was concerned with understanding the world as a dynamic place. He viewed all knowledge as fallible. He argued we should reject any ideas about an inherent humanity or metaphysical reality.

Pragmatism sees any concept – belief, science, language, people – as mere components in a set of real-world problems.

In other words, we should believe only what helps us learn about the world and require reasonable justification for our actions. A person might think a ceremony is sacred or has spiritual significance, but the pragmatist would ask: “What effects does this have on the world?”

Education has always served a pragmatic purpose. It is a tool to be used to bring about a specific outcome (or set of outcomes). For the most part, this purpose is economic .

Why go to school? So you can get a job.

Education benefits you personally because you get to have a job, and it benefits society because you contribute to the overall productivity of the country, as well as paying taxes.

But for the economics-based pragmatist, not everyone needs to have the same access to educational opportunities. Societies generally need more farmers than lawyers, or more labourers than politicians, so it’s not important everyone goes to university.

You can, of course, have a pragmatic purpose in solving injustice or creating equality or protecting the environment – but most of these are of secondary importance to making sure we have a strong workforce.

Pragmatism, as a concept, isn’t too difficult to understand, but thinking pragmatically can be tricky. It’s challenging to imagine external perspectives, particularly on problems we deal with ourselves.

How to problem-solve (especially when we are part of the problem) is the purpose of a variant of pragmatism called instrumentalism.

Contemporary society and education

In the early part of the 20th century, John Dewey (a pragmatist philosopher) created a new educational framework. Dewey didn’t believe education was to serve an economic goal. Instead, Dewey argued education should serve an intrinsic purpose : education was a good in itself and children became fully developed as people because of it.

Much of the philosophy of the preceding century – as in the works of Kant, Hegel and Mill – was focused on the duties a person had to themselves and their society. The onus of learning, and fulfilling a citizen’s moral and legal obligations, was on the citizens themselves.

Read more: Explainer: what is inquiry-based learning and how does it help prepare children for the real world?

But in his most famous work, Democracy and Education , Dewey argued our development and citizenship depended on our social environment. This meant a society was responsible for fostering the mental attitudes it wished to see in its citizens.

Dewey’s view was that learning doesn’t just occur with textbooks and timetables. He believed learning happens through interactions with parents, teachers and peers. Learning happens when we talk about movies and discuss our ideas, or when we feel bad for succumbing to peer pressure and reflect on our moral failure.

Learning would still help people get jobs, but this was an incidental outcome in the development of a child’s personhood. So the pragmatic outcome of schools would be to fully develop citizens.

Today’s educational environment is somewhat mixed. One of the two goals of the 2008 Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians is that:

All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

But the Australian Department of Education believes:

By lifting outcomes, the government helps to secure Australia’s economic and social prosperity.

A charitable reading of this is that we still have the economic goal as the pragmatic outcome, but we also want our children to have engaging and meaningful careers. We don’t just want them to work for money but to enjoy what they do. We want them to be fulfilled.

Read more: The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians: what it is and why it needs updating

And this means the educational philosophy of Dewey is becoming more important for contemporary society.

Part of being pragmatic is recognising facts and changes in circumstance. Generally, these facts indicate we should change the way we do things.

On a personal scale, that might be recognising we have poor nutrition and may have to change our diet. On a wider scale, it might require us to recognise our conception of the world is incorrect, that the Earth is round instead of flat.

When this change occurs on a huge scale, it’s called a paradigm shift.

The paradigm shift

Our world may not be as clean-cut as we previously thought. We may choose to be vegetarian to lessen our impact on the environment. But this means we buy quinoa sourced from countries where people can no longer afford to buy a staple, because it’s become a “superfood” in Western kitchens.

If you’re a fan of the show The Good Place, you may remember how this is the exact reason the points system in the afterlife is broken – because life is too complicated for any person to have the perfect score of being good.

All of this is not only confronting to us in a moral sense but also seems to demand we fundamentally alter the way we consume goods.

And climate change is forcing us to reassess how we have lived on this planet for the last hundred years, because it’s clear that way of life isn’t sustainable.

Contemporary ethicist Peter Singer has argued that, given the current political climate, we would only be capable of radically altering our collective behaviour when there has been a massive disruption to our way of life.

If a supply chain is broken by a climate-change-induced disaster, there is no choice but to deal with the new reality. But we shouldn’t be waiting for a disaster to kick us into gear.

Making changes includes seeing ourselves as citizens not only of a community or a country, but also of the world.

Read more: Students striking for climate action are showing the exact skills employers look for

As US philosopher Martha Nussbaum argues, many issues need international cooperation to address . Trade, environment, law and conflict require creative thinking and pragmatism, and we need a different focus in our education systems to bring these about.

Education needs to focus on developing the personhood of children, as well as their capability to engage as citizens (even if current political leaders disagree) .

If you’re taking a certain subject at school or university, have you ever been asked: “But how will that get you a job?” If so, the questioner sees economic goals as the most important outcomes for education.

They’re not necessarily wrong, but it’s also clear that jobs are no longer the only (or most important) reason we learn.

Read the essay on what universities must do to survive disruption and remain relevant.

• Ancient Greece
• The future of education

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IELTS Mentor "IELTS Preparation & Sample Answer"

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Ielts essay # 1463 - university education is the best way to get a good job, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, completing a 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 views and give your own opinion..

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Part 11: All the best advice we could find on how to get a job

On this page:.

• Introduction
• 1.1 You need a lot of leads
• 1.2 How to get leads: don't just cold email your CV, use connections
• 1.3 How to get referrals
• 1.4 Recruiters and listings
• 2.1 When the process is highly standardised
• 2.2 Just do the work
• 2.3 How to prepare for interviews
• 2.4 Improve and adapt your process
• 3.1 How to negotiate
• 3.2 Negotiate after you've started
• 3.3 Learn more about how to negotiate
• 4 Have a plan to stay motivated
• 5 Check out our advice on different jobs
• 6 Never job hunt again
• 7 Conclusion
• 8 Apply this to your own career

When it comes to advice on how to get a job, most of it is pretty bad.

• CollegeFeed suggests that you “be confident” as their first interview tip, which is a bit like suggesting that you should “be employable.”
• Many advisors cover the “clean your nails and have a firm handshake” kind of thing.
• One of the most popular interview videos on YouTube , with over 8 million views, makes the wise point that you definitely mustn’t sit down until you’re explicitly invited to do so by the interviewer.

Who could ever recover from taking a seat a few seconds too early?

Over the years, we’ve sifted through a lot of bad advice to find the nuggets that are actually good. We’ve also provided one-on-one coaching to thousands of people who are applying for jobs, and hired about 30 people ourselves, so we’ve seen what works from both sides. Here, we’ll sum up what we’ve learned.

The key idea is that getting a job is about convincing someone that you have something valuable to offer. So you should focus on doing whatever employers will find most convincing. That means instead of sending out lots of CVs, focus on getting recommendations and proving you can do the work. Read on to get a step-by-step guide.

Reading time: 25 minutes

The bottom line

• Getting a job is a sales process. Think of it from the employer’s point of view, and do what the employer will find most convincing.
• Get lots of leads, especially by asking for introductions.
• Prove you can do the work by actually doing it. Do a project before the interview, explain exactly how you can solve their problems, or seek a related position first.
• Once you get an offer, actually negotiate.
• Do whatever it takes to keep yourself motivated, such as make a public commitment to apply for one position per day, or find a job-search partner.

Table of Contents

• 1.2 How to get leads: don’t just cold email your CV, use connections
• 3.2 Negotiate after you’ve started
• 9 Want to come back later?: Get the guide as a free book

Let’s be blunt. You’re not entitled to a job, and hiring is rarely fair. Rather, getting a job is, at root, a sales process. You need to persuade someone to give you responsibility and a salary, and even put their reputation on the line, in exchange for results.

We’ll list key advice for each stage of the “sales” process:

• Finding opportunities (leads).
• Convincing employers (conversion).
• Negotiating.

The common theme is to think from the employer’s point of view, and do whatever they will find most convincing.

While the rest of this guide is about working out which job is best for you and the world, here we focus on the practicalities of taking action on your plans. Just bear in mind there’s no point using salesmanship to land a job that you wouldn’t be good at — you won’t be satisfied, and if your performance is worse than the next-best applicant, you’ll have a negative impact.

But we wrote this article to prevent the opposite situation: we’ve seen too many great candidates who want to make a difference failing to live up to their potential because they don’t know how to sell themselves.

Stage 1: Leads

A lead is any opportunity that might turn into a job, like a position you could apply for, a friend who might know an opportunity, or a side project you might be able to get paid for.

You need a lot of leads

We interviewed someone who’s now a top NPR journalist. But when he started out, he applied to 70 positions and got only one serious offer.

This illustrates the first thing to know about leads: you probably need a lot of them. Especially early in your career, it can easily take 20 to 100 leads to find one good job, and getting rejected 20 times is normal.

In fact, the average length of a spell of unemployment in the US is six months, so be prepared for your job hunt to take that long. 1

This is especially true if you’re applying to jobs that are especially desirable and competitive, which are normally more selective, and therefore require more leads.

This includes most jobs directly working on the pressing problems we talk about — in part because we focus on neglected problems , so there just aren’t that many jobs available. For instance, if you want to work on preventing catastrophic pandemics, but can only find 10 leads, that’s (normally) not enough to make it likely you’ll find a job. You might need to apply to jobs in other areas or career paths until you’ve got at least 30 leads.

To compound the problem, there’s a huge amount of luck involved. Most employers are not only looking for general competence, they’re also looking for someone who will fit that particular team and organisation, and the specific requirements of the job. They also have to make decisions with very little information, which means they’ll make a lot of mistakes. You can be very talented but simply not find a match through bad luck.

While bad luck can derail even the best candidates, many people struggle in their job search through a lack of confidence. We know a lot of people who thought they’d never get a certain job, but went on to not only land the job, but also to excel within it.

Others are overconfident. We’ve met people whose backup option was to work at an effective altruism organisation — but those roles are also super competitive, so they aren’t really a backup at all.

Unfortunately it’s hard to know whether you’re underconfident or overconfident. So it’s important to pursue both backup and stretch positions:

• Backup positions are those that are less attractive but you think you’re likely to land. Applying to them reduces the risk of not ending up with anything, and having offers can improve your negotiating position.
• Stretch positions are those you think you’re unlikely to get, but would be great if you do, so offer a lot of upside.

Making all these applications is a lot of work. It helps to bear in mind that it’s also one of the best ways to assess your fit with a career path — indeed, job applications are specifically designed to assess fit as quickly as possible. This means you stand to learn a lot from applying –– you might even discover a totally new career path.

Pursuing lots of jobs is also one of the best ways to find even more opportunities. Maybe one employer doesn’t have any openings, but they know someone else who does.

How to get leads: don’t just cold email your CV, use connections

Many large organisations have a standardised application process, such as the UK Civil Service and Teach for America. They want to keep the process fair, so there isn’t much wiggle room. In these cases, just apply.

But what do you do in all the other cases? The most obvious approach is to send your CV to lots of companies and apply to the postings on job boards. This is often the first thing career advisors mention. 2

We would recommend doing this sometimes — and have our own job board — but the problem is that sending out your CV and responding to lots of internet job ads has a low success rate.

Richard Bolles — the author of What Color is Your Parachute? , the bestselling career advice book of all time — estimates that the chance of landing a job from cold emailing your resume to a company is around 1 in 1,000. 3 That means that (unless your application is much stronger than average) you need to send out 100 resumes just to have a 10% chance of landing a job. We’d guess responding to a job listing on a job board has about a 1% chance of success.

Moreover, the positions on job boards need to be standardised and are mainly at large companies, so they don’t include many of the best positions.

The best opportunities are less competitive because they are hidden away, often at small but rapidly growing companies, and personalised to you. You need a different way to find them.

Consider the employer’s point of view. Employers prefer to hire people they already know, or failing that, to hire through referrals — an introduction from someone they know.

Which would you prefer: a recommendation from someone you trust, or 20 CVs from people who saw your job listing on indeed.com? The referral is more likely to work, because the person has already been vouched for. It’s less effort — screening 20 people you know nothing about is hard. Referrals also come from a better pool of applicants — the most employable people already have lots of offers, so they rarely respond to job listings.

For these reasons, many recruiters consider referrals to be the best method of finding candidates. 4

But job seekers usually get things backwards — they start with the methods that recruiters least like.

Applicants find around 50% of jobs through connections , and many are never advertised. So if you don’t pursue referrals, you’ll miss many opportunities.

Moreover, speaking to people in the industry is the best way to get information about how to present yourself and how to approach opportunities. It’s also among the best ways to assess your fit, helping you to focus on the best opportunities.

How to get referrals

You need to master the art of asking for introductions. We’ve put together a list of email scripts you can use .

To get referrals, here’s a step-by-step process. If you’re not applying for a job right now, skip this section until you are.

• First, update your LinkedIn profile (or personal website, etc.). This isn’t because you’ll get great job offers through LinkedIn — that’s pretty rare — it’s because people who are considering meeting you will check out your profile. Focus your profile on your most impressive accomplishments. Be as concrete as possible — e.g. “ranked third in the nation,” “increased annual donations 100%.” Cut the rest. It’s better to have two impressive achievements than two impressive achievements and three weak ones. Add links to any portfolio projects relevant to the job.
• Search yourself on Google and do anything you can to make the results look good (e.g. delete embarrassing old blog posts). Here’s a guide .
• If you already know someone in the industry who can hire people, then ask for a meeting to discuss opportunities in the industry. This is close to going directly to an interview, skipping all the screening steps. Plus, you’ll be able to ask them really useful information about how to best apply, and learn more about which positions might be your best fit. Remember, there doesn’t need to be an open position — employers will often create positions for good people. Before you take the meeting, use the advice on how to prepare for interviews below.
• If you know them less well, ask for a meeting to find out more about jobs in the industry: an “informational interview.” If it goes well, ask them to introduce you to people who may be able to hire you, which is effectively getting a referral from this person. Do not ask them for a job if you promised it was an informational interview.
• When asking for introductions, prepare a one-sentence, specific description of the types of opportunities you’d like to find. A good example is something like: “an entry-level marketing position at a technology startup in education.” Two bad examples are: “a job in software” or “a job that fits my skills.” Being concrete makes it easier for people to come up with ideas, so lean towards too narrow rather than too broad.
• Failing the above steps, turn to the connections of your connections. If you have a good friend who knows someone who’s able to hire you, then you could directly ask that friend for a referral. The ideal is to ask someone you’ve worked for previously, where you performed really well.
• If your connection is not able to refer you, then ask them to introduce you to people in the industry who are able to hire. Then we’re back to informational interviews.
• To find out who your connections know, use LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social networks. Say you want to work at Airbnb. Go to LinkedIn and search “Airbnb.” It’ll show a list of all your contacts who work at Airbnb, followed by connections of connections who work at Airbnb. Pick the person with the most mutual connections and get in touch.
• Remember, if you have 200 LinkedIn connections, and each of them has 200 connections that don’t overlap with the others, then you can reach at least 10,000 people using these methods.
• There are lots of people in the 80,000 Hours LinkedIn group who are happy to give advice on applications, and may be able to make introductions.
• If you still haven’t got anywhere, then it may be worth spending some time building your connections in the industry first. Read our advice on how to network . Start with people with whom you have some connection, such as your university alumni, and friends of friends of friends. Your university can probably give you a list of alumni who are willing to help in each industry. There are probably some good groups you can join and conferences to attend. Otherwise you can resort to cold emailing. Here’s a guide to getting jobs with no connections . Here’s a guide to finding anyone’s email address .

Remember to use the scripts when asking for introductions.

Recruiters and listings

We prefer the above tactics, but recruiters can be worth talking to, and are often more effective than just making cold applications. Look for those who have a good network in the industry you’re interested in.

You can also browse job listings, which does sometimes work, and is also a useful way to get ideas. In particular, check out our job board , which lists the best jobs we can find to put you in a better position to tackle the world’s most pressing problems.

Stage 2: Conversion

When you’re speaking to someone who has the power to hire you, how do you convince them?

Again, think about it from their point of view. Once at 80,000 Hours, we were trying to hire a web engineer. Most applicants just filled out our application form, while one sent us a redesigned version of our old career quiz. Which application is more convincing? The person who sent the quiz was immediately in the top 20% of applicants, despite having very little formal experience.

Employers are looking for several qualities. They want employees who will fit in socially, stick around, and not cause trouble. But most importantly, the employer wants to be sure that you can solve the problems they face. If you can prove that you’ll get the results the employer most values, everything else is much less important.

So how can you go about doing that?

When the process is highly standardised

In these cases, like Teach for America or many government jobs, you have to jump through the hoops. Maximise your chances by finding out exactly what the process involves, and practicing exactly that. For instance, if it’s a competency interview , find out which competencies they look for, then have a friend ask you similar questions. Some public service organisations publish the rubrics they use to assess candidates.

The most useful thing you can do is find someone who recently went through the process, ask them how it works, and, if possible, practice the key steps with them. Sometimes there are books written about exactly how to apply.

Most employers, however, don’t have a fully standardised process. What do you do in those cases?

If you’ve already done the same work before, then you just need to practice telling your story. Skip ahead to the interview tips. But what if you don’t have much relevant experience?

The basic idea is: just do the work.

Just do the work

The most powerful way to prove you can do the work is to actually do some of it. And as we saw , doing the work is also a great way to figure out whether you’re good at it, so it’ll help you avoid wasting your own time too.

Here are four ways to put that into practice.

Do a portfolio project

For example, if you want to become a writer or a journalist, try to keep a blog or Twitter feed about a relevant topic. If you want to become a software engineer, put projects on your GitHub.

Include these projects on your personal web page and/or LinkedIn profile. Mention them in your applications or during interviews.

The pre-interview project

The pre-interview project is what the web engineer did with our career quiz. To do your own project:

• Find out what you’d be doing in the role (this already puts you quite a way ahead).
• In particular, work out which problems you will need to solve for the organisation. To figure this out, you’ll probably need to do some desk research — here’s a simple guide — then speak to people in the industry.
• Spend a weekend putting together a solution to these problems, and send a one-page summary to a couple of people at the company with an invitation to talk more.
• If you don’t hear back after a week, follow up at least once.
• Alternatively, write up your suggestions, and present them at the interview. Ramit Sethi calls this “the briefcase technique.”

See some more examples in this article (an eight-minute read, also where we got the term “pre-interview project”).

Speaking from personal experience, we’ve overseen four years’ worth of competitive application processes at 80,000 Hours, and doing either of these projects would immediately put you in the top 20% of applicants (if your suggestions made sense). It demonstrates a lot of enthusiasm, and most people hardly know anything about the role they are applying for.

Trial period

If the employer is on the fence, you can offer to do a two- to four-week trial period, perhaps at reduced pay or as an intern. Make it clear that if the employer isn’t happy at the end, you’ll leave gracefully.

Only bring this out if the employer is on the fence, or it can seem like you’re underselling yourself.

Go for a nearby position

If you can’t get the job you want right away, consider applying for another position in the organisation — like a freelance position, or a position one step below the one you really want.

Working in a nearby position gives you the opportunity to prove your motivation and cultural fit. When your boss has a position to fill, it’s much easier to promote someone they already worked with than to start a lengthy application process.

Just check that the position can actually lead to the one you want. For example, we often see people apply to operations positions at research organisations with the hope of later becoming a researcher. The paths require very different skillsets, so are treated as separate tracks, but lots of people would prefer to do research. This means that while it does sometimes work out, it’s rare, and can be frustrating for both sides.

How to prepare for interviews

If you can show an employer you can solve their problems, you’re most of the way there, and you probably don’t need to ace the interview. However, there’s more you can do to become even more convincing.

Here’s some of the best advice we’ve found on preparing for interviews. It’s also useful for getting leads while networking. If you’re not actively looking for a job right now, skip this section for now.

• When you meet an employer, ask lots of questions to understand their challenges. Discuss how you might be able to contribute to these challenges. This is exactly what great salespeople do. A survey of research on sales concluded “there is a clear statistical association between the use of questions and the success of the interaction.” Moreover, when salespeople were trained to ask more questions, it made them more effective. 5

Prepare your three key selling points ahead of meetings. These are the messages you’ll try to get in during the discussion. For instance: 1) I have done this work successfully before, 2) I am really excited about this company, and 3) I have suggestions for what I could work on. Writing these out ahead of time makes it more likely you’ll mention what’s most important, and three points is about the limit of what your audience will remember. That’s why this is standard advice when pitching a business idea. If you’re not sure what you have to offer, there’s an inventory exercise at the end of the article on career capital .

Focus on what’s most impressive. What sounds better: “I advised Obama on energy policy” or “I advised Obama on energy policy, and have worked as a high school teacher the last three years”? Many people fill up their CVs with everything they’ve done, but it’s usually better to pick your one or two most impressive achievements and focus on those. It sounds better, it makes it more likely you’ll cover it, and it makes it more likely that your audience will remember it.

Prepare 1–2 concrete facts and stories to back up your three key messages. For instance, if you’re applying to be a web engineer, rather than “I’m a hard worker,” try “I have a friend who runs an organisation that was about to get some press coverage. He needed to build a website in 24 hours, so we pulled an all-nighter to build it. The next day we got 1,000 signups.” Rather than say “I really want to work in this industry,” tell the story of what led you to apply. Stories and concrete details are far more memorable than abstract claims. 6

Work out how to sum up what you have to offer in a sentence. Steve Jobs didn’t sell millions of iPods by saying they’re 30% better than MP3 players, but rather with the slogan “1,000 songs in your pocket.” Having a short, vivid summary makes it easy for other people to promote you on your behalf. For instance, something like “He’s the guy who advised Obama on climate policy and wants a research position” is ideal.

Prepare answers to the most likely questions. Write them out, then practice saying them out loud. The following three questions normally come up: (1) Tell me about yourself — this is an opportunity to tell the story of why you want this position and mention one or two achievements, (2) Why do you want this position? and (3) What are your questions for us? Then usually the interviewer will add some behavioural questions about the traits they care most about. These usually start “Tell me about a time you…” then are finished with things like: “exhibited leadership,” “had to work as a team,” “had to deal with a difficult situation or person,” “failed,” or “succeeded.” You can find a list of common interview questions here .

Practice the meeting, from start to finish. Meet with a friend and have them ask you five interview questions, then practice responding quickly. If you don’t have a friend to help, then say your answers out loud and mentally rehearse how you want it to go. Ask yourself what’s most likely to go wrong, and what you’ll do if that happens.

Learn. After each interview, jot down what went well, what could have gone better, and what you’ll do differently next time.

Improve and adapt your process

Applying to jobs is a difficult skill that takes time to learn.

After every interview or other important interaction with an employer, jot down what went well, what could have gone better, and what you’ll do differently next time.

If you’ve done 5–10 interviews and didn’t make it through to the next stage, then it’s time to do a more thorough reassessment. You might be making a mistake in how you present yourself. Ask someone in the area (ideally someone with hiring experience) to check over your materials, and do a mock interview with them (or explain what happened in the interviews).

Similarly, if you’ve made 20+ applications and haven’t been invited to any interviews, ask someone in the area to review your application materials.

If you can’t find a mistake, then you might be applying to jobs that aren’t a good fit, and should consider a different area or position.

If you’ve done 10 interviews and have made it through to the later stages a couple of times, but haven’t yet had any offers, then keep going. Often 3–10 people make it through to the final stages, so you’ll probably have to do at least five final-stage interviews before you get an offer.

On the other hand, if you’re getting offers relatively easily, then apply to more stretch positions.

Stage 3: Negotiation

Negotiation begins after you have an offer, once the employer has said they’d like to hire you.

Most people are so happy to get a job, or awkward about the idea of negotiating, that they never try. But 10 minutes of negotiation could mean major benefits over the next couple of years. So the key message here is to actually consider doing it.

For instance, you could ask the employer to match your donations to charity. That could mean thousands of dollars of extra donations per year, making those 10 minutes you took to negotiate among the most productive of your life.

You could also negotiate to work on a certain team, have more flexible hours, work remotely, or learn certain skills. All of these could make a big difference to your day-to-day happiness and career capital , and are often easier to ask for than additional salary.

Negotiation is not always appropriate. Don’t do it if you’ve landed a highly standardised offer, like many government positions — they won’t be able to change the contract. Also don’t do it if you’re only narrowly better than the other candidates or have no alternatives. And definitely don’t negotiate until the employer has made an offer — it looks bad to start negotiating during the interview.

However, we think negotiation should be tried in most cases once you have an offer. Hiring someone takes months and consumes lots of management time. Once an employer has made an offer, they’ve invested many thousands of dollars in the process. The top candidate is often significantly better than the next best. This means it’s unlikely that they’ll let the top candidate get away for, say, a 5% increase in costs.

It’s even more unlikely that they’ll retract their initial offer because you tried to negotiate. Stay polite, and the worst case is likely that they’ll stick to their original offer.

Negotiation should be most strongly considered when you have more than one good offer, because then you have a strong fallback position.

How to negotiate

The basic idea is simple: explain the value you’ll give the employer, and why it’s justified to give you the benefits you want. Then look for objective metrics and win-win solutions — can you give up something the employer cares about in exchange for something you care about? For instance:

• Other people with my level of experience in this industry are usually paid $50,000 and can work at home two days per week. But I’d prefer to work with you. Can you match the other companies?
• I’m really motivated to learn sales skills, so I’d like to work alongside person X. This will make me much more effective in the role in six months.

If your position is weaker, you could negotiate about a future promotion or salary increase:

• I’d like to work towards this [insert position name]. What would I need to do in the next six months to make that happen?

Then ask them to commit to it if you hit their conditions.

Negotiate after you’ve started

Once you start the job, try to perform as well as possible, and then negotiate again. Most employers will be very unwilling to lose someone who’s already doing excellent work.

Just bear in mind, most companies have a standard performance review process, so wait until then to make your request.

Learn more about how to negotiate

Lots has been written about salary negotiation, so this hardly scratches the surface. Here’s a good guide (30 minutes). Ramit Sethi (whose style won’t fit every situation!) also has tips (14-minute video and free PDF guide in exchange for newsletter signup). If you want to get more advanced, check out the book Getting Past No by William Ury, who developed the negotiation course at Harvard Law School.

Have a plan to stay motivated

Your first job search may be one of the hardest things you’ve ever done — you’ve probably never been rejected 30 times in a row before. It can involve months of work. And you may have to do most of it alone. It can make online dating look easy.

This means that you’ll need to throw every motivational technique you know at the job hunt. Here are some tips:

• Perhaps the most useful single tip our readers have found is pairing up with someone else who’s also job hunting. Check in on progress, and share tips and leads. Alternatively, find someone who was recently successful at a similar hunt and is willing to meet up and give you tips.

Set a really specific goal — like speaking to five people each week until you have an offer — publicly commit to the goal, and promise to make a forfeit if you miss it.

Make it easier to face rejections. Maybe make yourself a loyalty card that you stamp every time you get a rejection, and reward yourself with an ice cream once the card is filled up!

Treat it like a job. You’re most likely going to be doing the job for years at 40 hours per week, so it makes sense it might take 5%+ of that time to secure the position, and that’s already 1–2 months of full-time work. The more time you can put into it, the better the results are probably going to be. And if you’re not in a job right now, treating your job search as a job itself can help a lot with motivation. Turn up at 9am, and work till 5pm.

Apply other tips on how to motivate yourself. For example, check out the book The Motivation Hacker by Nick Winter, and the advice on productivity in our article on increasing your career capital in any job .

Check out our advice on different jobs

The best way to get a job depends on the type of job you’re pursuing. Go to our career reviews and scroll to the end of the profile to see customised advice for each type of job.

Never job hunt again

Your job hunts will get easier and easier as you build career capital.

The most important thing you can do to put yourself in a better position is to gain more connections, so you can get better referrals. We have tips on that here and in the next article .

Once you’re in a job, focus on developing strong skills and excel in your work. The best marketing is word of mouth — employers seeking you out rather than the other way around. If you’re great at your job, then people will actively want to refer you to employers, because it’s doing them a favour as well as you. Read our article on career capital to find out how to never have to job hunt again.

Getting a job can be an unpleasant process, but if you go through the steps in this article, you’ll give yourself the best chance of success. And that will make sure you fulfil your potential to find a satisfying career and contribute to the world.

Apply this to your own career

What are the most important three steps to take in order to get into your top options?

Try to be as specific as possible. Some good examples:

• Follow up with my boss at my last internship.
• Write 10 applications.
• Meet three people in the industry.
• Find someone to job hunt with.

The key steps probably involve speaking to people.

When are you going to do each of these? Many studies have shown that writing down when you’ll do a task makes it much more likely you’ll actually do it — it’s called an “ implementation intention .”

Take a break.

Read next: Part 12: A powerful way to improve your career: Join a community.

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Notes and references

• The mean duration of unemployment is 20–30 weeks, or about six months. Source: FRED, Archived link , retrieved 6 March 2023 ↩
• For instance, the UK’s national career advice service lists internet job listings and job boards as their first two tips. Archived link , retrieved 14 October 2022. ↩
• The 2015 edition of What Color is Your Parachute? mentions several studies which found success rates per resume of under 1 in 1,000. His best guess at the overall success rate of sending out your resume is under 10%, which would be consistent with a per-resume figure of 1 in 1,000 if the average job seeker sent out 100 resumes, which sounds reasonable. Unfortunately these are the best figures we’re aware of for job hunting success rates. ↩

Focus on the right ways to source candidates. Basically, this boils down to “use your personal networks more”. By at least a 10x margin, the best candidate sources I’ve ever seen are friends and friends of friends. Even if you don’t think you can get these people, go after the best ones relentlessly. If it works out 5% of the time, it’s still well worth it. When you hire someone, as soon as you’re sure she’s a star you should sit her down and wring out of her the names of everyone that you should try to hire. You may have to work pretty hard at this.

Archived link , retrieved 5 June 2016.

We think this advice is reflective of best practice, at least in the technology industry. This article in The New York Times also describes how referrals are becoming more widely adopted as a key method of hiring across the business world:

“In Hiring, a Friend in Need Is a Prospect, Indeed”, Nelson Schwartz, 27-Jan-2013, Link .

His research is based on surveys of 35,000 salespeople, and draws from the existing literature, making it one of the most thorough reviews we know. Moreover, most advice is about low-value sales, which turn out to be quite different.

Rackham not only found the techniques that the best salespeople use, he then trained people in these techniques and showed they made them more effective compared to a control group who received normal sales training. ↩

• For a popular summary of the research on how to do memorable communication, see Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. It puts a major emphasis on using stories, analogies, and concrete facts to make ideas more memorable. Link ↩

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3 Ways to Keep Your Job Search Going

By  Gaia Vasiliver-Shamis

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Let’s face it: your job search isn’t going to be easy. It will require perseverance, confidence and the ability to handle uncertainty and stress. While there are people that can support you in this process and lots of wonderful advice on “Carpe Careers,” it is up to you to take charge of your career. Being able to plan and act on your career and professional development goals is an important life skill that is vital for your career success.

This essay is written assuming you are ready to start applying for jobs -- meaning you did your self-assessment homework (for some helpful articles on that, see this one by Saundra Loffredo and another by Natalie Lundsteen) and some networking (see great advice from Joseph Barber here ) and narrowed it down to a couple of career paths you are interested in transitioning into. Searching for a job can be a full-time job by itself. And considering you already have a full-time job as a trainee and hopefully some personal life, approaching the big, scary job search can feel quite overwhelming. Here are three ways to start and keep you going in the right direction, even when things feel or get tough.

Map Your Job Search Plan

Your ultimate goal is clearly to find a job, but it’s a pretty hefty one, and as you know, a goal without a plan is just a wish. You should be doing several things in preparation for and during the job search, including:

• preparing and customizing job search documents (e.g., résumé, research statement, cover letter);
• creating a target companies/universities list;
• expanding your network (e.g., conduct informational interviews, attend conferences); and
• preparing for interviews.

So how do you create your job search plan? The best approach is to break the job search process into what is called SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, results focused and timely. For example, before you start contacting people for networking or submitting job applications, you should have a solid résumé that you can send immediately upon request or customize to your application. So a SMART goal (assuming you made it on a Monday) would be “Convert my CV into a one-page résumé by Friday.” That would go along well with another SMART goal of “Email Y from the postdoc services office on Thursday to set up a meeting for a résumé review for next week.”

You may be thinking creating a goal for your job search document was easy because it’s a tangible product, but how do you break something like networking -- which is pivotal for your job search -- into attainable goals? Here is one example: “For the next two weeks, I’ll spend 10 minutes a day on LinkedIn connecting to people I already know.” Or let’s assume you are really interested in working for company X but don’t know anyone working there and need to expand your network. A SMART goal for you can be “I will spend two hours on Wednesday to search LinkedIn for scientists currently working at company X.” Then once you have a list of names, your SMART goals should be to contact them and set informational interviews. Another networking SMART goal can be, “In November, I will contact three people a week for informational interviews.”

Depending on your personal preference, you may want to put your SMART goals in your weekly planner, print them and put the list on your desk or block the time on your online calendar. Whatever you do, they should be “in your face” somewhere so you remember to act on them.

Use Technology to Your Advantage

It is sometimes easy for us to ignore our to-do lists, especially when they require us to pursue things that don’t feel comfortable to us -- like contacting complete strangers for informational interviews. Now that you have a plan, you need to act on it. Luckily, technology can help keep you on track in your job search. For example, I recommend that you keep spreadsheets of:

• Your networking efforts. Whether you are cold emailing someone, being introduced through a friend, or contacting an old acquaintance, keeping track of who you contacted, when and whether you heard back is very useful and can save you time (and save you from potential embarrassment). You will remember, for example, who introduced you to whom or whether you heard back from a certain person after emailing them twice and the like.
• Your job search applications. Create a list of the companies you applied to and when, what the position was, who referred you, your log-in credentials for their application system and so on. And if you actually interviewed with them, you can keep track of when, who the contact person is, whether you followed up and other important details.

You should also block time on your online calendar. A key benefit of doing that rather than writing things down is that you’ll receive automatic alerts. That way, when it’s time for the 30 minutes a day you’ve dedicated to contacting people for informational interviews, or the one hour in the evening you set aside to work on your research statement, the automatic alerts will remind you.

In addition, I encourage you to establish job alerts. You can set up automatic job searches on LinkedIn, Indeed and other career websites, as well as on specific companies’ job search sites. That will save you time searching the web, as you’ll just get the alerts in your inbox. Since timing is key, I recommend that you set the frequency to daily.

Find an Accountability Buddy

Let’s be honest -- the average human attention span these days is shorter than the one of a goldfish (which is why I’m greatly appreciative that you’re still reading this). So I completely understand that the suggestions listed above can be hard to keep up with when we’re constantly distracted. I also acknowledge the fact that if you’re a “to-do list” kind of person, this advice is easy to follow but would feel close to impossible if you’re not that kind of person. Therefore, I highly recommend you find someone to keep you accountable. Set up a monthly meeting with one of the professionals in your graduate student and postdoc affairs office, ask your mentor, or find a friend who is also job searching and team up. Beyond keeping you accountable, such people can support you through the ups of down of the job search process.

Best of luck with your job search, and if you have any tips, please share them in the comments section below.

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The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

• Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
• Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
• Revision:  Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

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Table of contents

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

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Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

• Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
• Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
• Do your research: Read  primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
• Come up with a thesis:  The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
• Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a  topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

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The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

• Returns to your thesis
• Ties together your main points
• Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

• Including new arguments or evidence
• Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
• Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

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Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

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An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

• An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
• Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
• A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

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• June 2, 2022

• What is an essay? 

What makes a good essay?

Typical essay structure, 7 steps to writing a good essay, a step-by-step guide to writing a good essay.

Whether you are gearing up for your GCSE coursework submissions or looking to brush up on your A-level writing skills, we have the perfect essay-writing guide for you. 💯

Staring at a blank page before writing an essay can feel a little daunting . Where do you start? What should your introduction say? And how should you structure your arguments? They are all fair questions and we have the answers! Take the stress out of essay writing with this step-by-step guide – you’ll be typing away in no time. 👩‍💻

What is an essay?

Generally speaking, an essay designates a literary work in which the author defends a point of view or a personal conviction, using logical arguments and literary devices in order to inform and convince the reader.

So – although essays can be broadly split into four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive – an essay can simply be described as a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. 🤔

The purpose of an essay is to present a coherent argument in response to a stimulus or question and to persuade the reader that your position is credible, believable and reasonable. 👌

So, a ‘good’ essay relies on a confident writing style – it’s clear, well-substantiated, focussed, explanatory and descriptive . The structure follows a logical progression and above all, the body of the essay clearly correlates to the tile – answering the question where one has been posed. 

But, how do you go about making sure that you tick all these boxes and keep within a specified word count? Read on for the answer as well as an example essay structure to follow and a handy step-by-step guide to writing the perfect essay – hooray. 🙌

Sometimes, it is helpful to think about your essay like it is a well-balanced argument or a speech – it needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question in a coherent manner. ⚖️

Of course, essays can vary significantly in length but besides that, they all follow a fairly strict pattern or structure made up of three sections. Lean into this predictability because it will keep you on track and help you make your point clearly. Let’s take a look at the typical essay structure:  

#1 Introduction

Start your introduction with the central claim of your essay. Let the reader know exactly what you intend to say with this essay. Communicate what you’re going to argue, and in what order. The final part of your introduction should also say what conclusions you’re going to draw – it sounds counter-intuitive but it’s not – more on that below. 1️⃣

Make your point, evidence it and explain it. This part of the essay – generally made up of three or more paragraphs depending on the length of your essay – is where you present your argument. The first sentence of each paragraph – much like an introduction to an essay – should summarise what your paragraph intends to explain in more detail. 2️⃣

#3 Conclusion

This is where you affirm your argument – remind the reader what you just proved in your essay and how you did it. This section will sound quite similar to your introduction but – having written the essay – you’ll be summarising rather than setting out your stall. 3️⃣

No essay is the same but your approach to writing them can be. As well as some best practice tips, we have gathered our favourite advice from expert essay-writers and compiled the following 7-step guide to writing a good essay every time. 👍

#1 Make sure you understand the question

#2 complete background reading.

#3 Make a detailed plan 

#4 Write your opening sentences 

#5 flesh out your essay in a rough draft, #6 evidence your opinion, #7 final proofread and edit.

Now that you have familiarised yourself with the 7 steps standing between you and the perfect essay, let’s take a closer look at each of those stages so that you can get on with crafting your written arguments with confidence . 

This is the most crucial stage in essay writing – r ead the essay prompt carefully and understand the question. Highlight the keywords – like ‘compare,’ ‘contrast’ ‘discuss,’ ‘explain’ or ‘evaluate’ – and let it sink in before your mind starts racing . There is nothing worse than writing 500 words before realising you have entirely missed the brief . 🧐

Unless you are writing under exam conditions , you will most likely have been working towards this essay for some time, by doing thorough background reading. Re-read relevant chapters and sections, highlight pertinent material and maybe even stray outside the designated reading list, this shows genuine interest and extended knowledge. 📚

#3 Make a detailed plan

Following the handy structure we shared with you above, now is the time to create the ‘skeleton structure’ or essay plan. Working from your essay title, plot out what you want your paragraphs to cover and how that information is going to flow. You don’t need to start writing any full sentences yet but it might be useful to think about the various quotes you plan to use to substantiate each section. 📝

Having mapped out the overall trajectory of your essay, you can start to drill down into the detail. First, write the opening sentence for each of the paragraphs in the body section of your essay. Remember – each paragraph is like a mini-essay – the opening sentence should summarise what the paragraph will then go on to explain in more detail. 🖊️

Next, it's time to write the bulk of your words and flesh out your arguments. Follow the ‘point, evidence, explain’ method. The opening sentences – already written – should introduce your ‘points’, so now you need to ‘evidence’ them with corroborating research and ‘explain’ how the evidence you’ve presented proves the point you’re trying to make. ✍️

With a rough draft in front of you, you can take a moment to read what you have written so far. Are there any sections that require further substantiation? Have you managed to include the most relevant material you originally highlighted in your background reading? Now is the time to make sure you have evidenced all your opinions and claims with the strongest quotes, citations and material. 📗

This is your final chance to re-read your essay and go over it with a fine-toothed comb before pressing ‘submit’. We highly recommend leaving a day or two between finishing your essay and the final proofread if possible – you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes, allowing you to return with a fresh pair of eyes and a more discerning judgment. 🤓

If you are looking for advice and support with your own essay-writing adventures, why not t ry a free trial lesson with GoStudent? Our tutors are experts at boosting academic success and having fun along the way. Get in touch and see how it can work for you today. 🎒

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Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay

Writing an essay for college admission gives you a chance to use your authentic voice and show your personality. It's an excellent opportunity to personalize your application beyond your academic credentials, and a well-written essay can have a positive influence come decision time.

Want to know how to draft an essay for your college application ? Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing.

Tips for Essay Writing

A typical college application essay, also known as a personal statement, is 400-600 words. Although that may seem short, writing about yourself can be challenging. It's not something you want to rush or put off at the last moment. Think of it as a critical piece of the application process. Follow these tips to write an impactful essay that can work in your favor.

1. Start Early.

Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. Many advisers recommend starting as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible.

You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner you start, the better.

2. Understand the Prompt and Instructions.

Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.

3. Create a Strong Opener.

Students seeking help for their application essays often have trouble getting things started. It's a challenging writing process. Finding the right words to start can be the hardest part.

Spending more time working on your opener is always a good idea. The opening sentence sets the stage for the rest of your piece. The introductory paragraph is what piques the interest of the reader, and it can immediately set your essay apart from the others.

4. Stay on Topic.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep to the essay topic. If you're applying to 10 or more colleges, it's easy to veer off course with so many application essays.

A common mistake many students make is trying to fit previously written essays into the mold of another college's requirements. This seems like a time-saving way to avoid writing new pieces entirely, but it often backfires. The result is usually a final piece that's generic, unfocused, or confusing. Always write a new essay for every application, no matter how long it takes.

5. Think About Your Response.

Don't try to guess what the admissions officials want to read. Your essay will be easier to write─and more exciting to read─if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about your subject. Here’s an example: If all your friends are writing application essays about covid-19, it may be a good idea to avoid that topic, unless during the pandemic you had a vivid, life-changing experience you're burning to share. Whatever topic you choose, avoid canned responses. Be creative.

6. Focus on You.

Essay prompts typically give you plenty of latitude, but panel members expect you to focus on a subject that is personal (although not overly intimate) and particular to you. Admissions counselors say the best essays help them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application.

7. Stay True to Your Voice.

Use your usual vocabulary. Avoid fancy language you wouldn't use in real life. Imagine yourself reading this essay aloud to a classroom full of people who have never met you. Keep a confident tone. Be wary of words and phrases that undercut that tone.

8. Be Specific and Factual.

Capitalize on real-life experiences. Your essay may give you the time and space to explain why a particular achievement meant so much to you. But resist the urge to exaggerate and embellish. Admissions counselors read thousands of essays each year. They can easily spot a fake.

9. Edit and Proofread.

When you finish the final draft, run it through the spell checker on your computer. Then don’t read your essay for a few days. You'll be more apt to spot typos and awkward grammar when you reread it. After that, ask a teacher, parent, or college student (preferably an English or communications major) to give it a quick read. While you're at it, double-check your word count.

Writing essays for college admission can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. A well-crafted essay could be the deciding factor─in your favor. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll have no problem creating memorable pieces for every application.

What is the format of a college application essay?

Generally, essays for college admission follow a simple format that includes an opening paragraph, a lengthier body section, and a closing paragraph. You don't need to include a title, which will only take up extra space. Keep in mind that the exact format can vary from one college application to the next. Read the instructions and prompt for more guidance.

Most online applications will include a text box for your essay. If you're attaching it as a document, however, be sure to use a standard, 12-point font and use 1.5-spaced or double-spaced lines, unless the application specifies different font and spacing.

How do you start an essay?

The goal here is to use an attention grabber. Think of it as a way to reel the reader in and interest an admissions officer in what you have to say. There's no trick on how to start a college application essay. The best way you can approach this task is to flex your creative muscles and think outside the box.

You can start with openers such as relevant quotes, exciting anecdotes, or questions. Either way, the first sentence should be unique and intrigue the reader.

What should an essay include?

Every application essay you write should include details about yourself and past experiences. It's another opportunity to make yourself look like a fantastic applicant. Leverage your experiences. Tell a riveting story that fulfills the prompt.

What shouldn’t be included in an essay?

When writing a college application essay, it's usually best to avoid overly personal details and controversial topics. Although these topics might make for an intriguing essay, they can be tricky to express well. If you’re unsure if a topic is appropriate for your essay, check with your school counselor. An essay for college admission shouldn't include a list of achievements or academic accolades either. Your essay isn’t meant to be a rehashing of information the admissions panel can find elsewhere in your application.

How can you make your essay personal and interesting?

The best way to make your essay interesting is to write about something genuinely important to you. That could be an experience that changed your life or a valuable lesson that had an enormous impact on you. Whatever the case, speak from the heart, and be honest.

Is it OK to discuss mental health in an essay?

Mental health struggles can create challenges you must overcome during your education and could be an opportunity for you to show how you’ve handled challenges and overcome obstacles. If you’re considering writing your essay for college admission on this topic, consider talking to your school counselor or with an English teacher on how to frame the essay.

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How to Get a Good Job 2 Pages 608 Words

             First of all, if you want to get a good job you must have good education.              Then, look through the advertisements and pick up the ones that suit you best. Make sure that the company you are going to apply to is reliable.              Next, it is very important to have an effective CV. Keep it brief but don't forget to include all your skills, qualifications and achievements.              However, great knowledge and a good CV is not enough. It is extremely important how you look and act during the interview. You should dress formally and look calm. Be aware of your body language, try to control yourself and don't show that you are nervous. Smile and keep an eye contact with the interviewers but don't act too informal.              You must be very self-confidant. You should not only answer the questions but ask ones as well. You are expected to show great enthusiasm and interest in your potential future job. Anyway, you should feel the limits because employers don't like over-confidant candidates.              In general, you must be aware of your abilities and have in mind that not only the interviewer is choosing a candidate but you are also choosing a place to work in. First of all, if you want to get a good job you must have good education.              Then, look through the advertisements and pick up the ones that suit you best. Make sure that the company you are going to apply to is reliable.              Next, it is very important to have an effective CV. Keep it brief but don't forget to include all your skills, qualifications and achievements.              However, great knowledge and a good CV is not enough. It is extremely important how you look and act during the interview. You should dress formally and look calm. Be aware of your body language, try to control yourself and don't show that you are nervous. Smile and keep an eye contact with the interviewers but don't act too informal.              You must be very self-confidant. You should not only answer the questi...

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I'm a former director of admissions at Cornell. Here are my 4 tips for writing a successful application for a highly selective college.

• John Morganelli Jr. worked as the director of admissions at Cornell University.
• He said there are subtle but important differences between Ivy-level and NYU-level applications.
• Morganelli Jr. shares his best application tips from gaming major selection to presenting a brand.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with John Morganelli Jr., a former Director of Admissions at Cornell University and the current Director of College Admissions for Ivy Tutors Network , about his experience with admission to elite colleges in the United States. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

College prep in the United States starts early. The summer after eighth grade, going into ninth grade, when students should start thinking about what clubs to join in high school. If you want to get into a US college and you wait until 10th and 11th grades, you may not have enough time to create the depth in the application you're looking for.

If you have good grades, you can get into a good college. But there's a subtle difference between an application that will get a child into an Ivy-level school versus an NYU-level school. Here are my insider tips from working as the director of admissions at Cornell University.

Prospective major selection can impact your chances

When I was the Director of College Admissions at Cornell, managing institutional priorities was my biggest job. Elite colleges want diversity — ethnic, intellectual, academic, and social. One of the things that can make students more attractive to a top-tier school is their prospective major.

When you apply to a university, you first apply to the college: arts and sciences, engineering, or business college. Moving between colleges is difficult, but you don't have to declare your major until the second semester of your sophomore year. You can pick any major you have the grades for; it doesn't have to be what's on the application.

The prospective major is just the lens through which readers look at your application. Some majors are more competitive than others. Computer science and pre-med are competitive, but if you say on your application that you want to major in anthropology, the popularity would be very low.

Anthropology is housed in the same college as these more competitive programs but receives fewer applications. And the quality of the apps for anthropology — the engagement, the research, and the objective achievement — would be more diverse because the field is more broad.

Consider applying with a secondary or tertiary interest that may not be your long-term goal but would allow you a significantly easier pathway into the college type you want.

Activity lists are a needle mover in an application

The activity list is a focused list of your extracurricular activities. You want to add some personality and contribution-oriented language.

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Many students struggle with it and treat it like a résumé by just explaining their duties.

Admissions officers want to understand your perspective, whatever activity you choose. If it was the school newspaper, what drew you specifically to this activity, and how did you make a difference in this role? Be clear about your contribution.

Clubs like the newspaper and the model UN are easily adaptable as precursors to various academic disciplines.

Don't leave the additional information section blank

The biggest opportunity students don't capitalize on is the additional information section.

90% of the apps we received were submitted with no additional information.

But you have 650 words available in that section. Use that section for what I call "evidence" — proof that you're already engaged with your prospective major in your community.

Conduct independent research with a community-oriented, information-sharing or advocacy aspect. Formulate a research question you want to know about independently or with a teacher's supervision.

The question could be, "Which groups are left out of public communication about injury prevention?" Write the answer as a paper.

Then, do some additional outreach on that topic in your local community. Maybe write an op-ed for the local newspaper, or attend a council meeting, and speak during the open forum. Get a video or a press clipping of that, and include the public outreach and the research paper's abstract in the additional information section.

Admissions officers glancing at this section will immediately recognize how passionate an applicant is. An application with this extra step will look a lot different than 99% of the students in the country.

Top colleges want you to have a personal brand

The acronym PAGE is a helpful reminder of the four things that make an application stand out.

"P" stands for perspective, "A" for activity or action, "G" is your academic goal, and "E" is ethos.

The difference between admitted and waitlisted students is the clear academic goal: your prospective major or a topic like housing insecurity in rural areas. The more specific, the better. The activities and actions you list should support that goal.

Most students who apply to Ivy League schools have clear goals and activities that support those goals. The differentiator is perspective; how they specifically approach life.

Ethos stands for the application's brand or theme, which should reflect all these elements. We write one for every student. It's about two sentences long and explains the student's values. For example, "I believe that a person must embrace being empathetic to overcome a lack of connection and foster meaningful relationships," or "I believe that being audience-centered, engaging, and adaptive in communication is essential to fostering meaningful engagement and effectively reaching diverse groups."

Infuse these qualities across all your activities, creating a brand or theme in the app. Tie your activity descriptions back to the ethos.

An admissions officer wants to understand the value you're adding to the community. Otherwise, it's just who's the smartest with the highest grades. The easiest way to do that is to create a brand.

Since pivoting to higher education consulting, I have used this strategy to help many students get accepted into Ivy League schools.

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