How to handle ambiguous writing topic
Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 5:50 am
Last week, I ran into a task 2 topics which I found ambiguous.
The question's wording is as follow:
Also, I tried to talk about the reason behind the increase and compare the both the positive and negative social impact of the development rather than the impact on individual's life since it depends on the individual's circumstances.
However, my teacher's feedback was that my essay was a bit off topic and my subject matter was limited. The sample ideas my teach gave me were all about individual changing jobs and this made me wonder whether I took the question to literally.
I often found myself confused about how to interpret such topics. Would anybody kindly give me some advice?
Here is my response:
The question's wording is as follow:
I took the question quite literally so I made a distinction between changing careers which I understand as taking a job in a different career and simply changing jobs or employers in the same profession in my mind.An increasing number of people are changing careers during the working life.
What do you think is the reasons and do you think this development is positive or negative?
Also, I tried to talk about the reason behind the increase and compare the both the positive and negative social impact of the development rather than the impact on individual's life since it depends on the individual's circumstances.
However, my teacher's feedback was that my essay was a bit off topic and my subject matter was limited. The sample ideas my teach gave me were all about individual changing jobs and this made me wonder whether I took the question to literally.
I often found myself confused about how to interpret such topics. Would anybody kindly give me some advice?
Here is my response:
Work is a fundamental component of life. Today, there is an increase in the number of people changing their careers. I believe the cause of this trend is the increased feasibility of entering a new profession, and overall it is a positive development.
In the past, changing careers was difficult; today, starting a new career is relatively manageable. The Internet alone provides a wide range of resources to learn new skills and knowledge, and social networks have made many occupations more approachable. Diverse online communities where people exchange experiences, tutorials and professional advice are of great assistance to individuals interested in a new profession. Accordingly, the growth of the development should be attributed to the increased feasibility of changing careers.
This development shows that nowadays people have more freedom over their career choices. In the past, career often meant livelihood. People were closely tied up with their jobs and did not have many options to enter a career of their passion. The increase means that nowadays they do, and it manifests people’s empowerment over career choices and should be regarded as a positive development.
Admittedly starting a new career can be risky and can lead to instability since it affects all factors of a person’s personal life. However, in modern society, most “career changers” are quite rational. Before putting into action, they usually set aside a security fund and draw up backup plans, which can effectively help avoid risks and ensure stability during the transition. Therefore, the growth is a rather healthy development.
In summary, the driving factor of the development is the increased feasibility of such career transition, and it is a positive development because when risks are avoided by taking rational and strategic approaches, it manifests the empowerment of people to pursue suitable careers.