Task
In the past, most working people had only one job. However, nowadays, more and more people have more than one job at the same time.
What are the reasons for this development?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having more than one job?
Examiner’s Answer
This model has been prepared by an examiner as an example of a very good answer.
It is increasingly common for people to hold down more than one job. Gone are the days when people could rely on one source of income to satisfy all their financial needs. I would like to consider the reasons for this change and outline its advantages and disadvantages.
People take on extra work because making ends meet has become so challenging. In recent years the cost of living has risen exponentially, making it a real challenge to break even at the end of the month. Additionally, advertising companies relentlessly promote the idea that more wealth means more happiness, a concept that many people believe. They may take on freelance jobs or weekend work in the hope of improving their lot in life.
A person with more than one job may experience several benefits. Diversifying your skills and gaining more experience can make you more employable when negotiating the highly competitive job market. Avoiding putting all your eggs in one basket is also a wise move as you have something to fall back on if one source of income stops.
There are also many downsides to this situation. Working for more than one company can quickly leave a person feeling overworked and burnt out. It also leaves limited time for being with family and friends or doing things you enjoy. What’s more, when you are spread too thin, you may produce poor-quality work.
Overall, I think it is important to remain balanced. Having an additional source of income can be beneficial if you keep work in its place, but it is not worth damaging your health and relationships for the sake of a slightly larger bank balance.
Examiner’s Comment
This is a strong response. The candidate has addressed both questions and provided a range of extended ideas.
The reasons given for having more than one job include the need to earn more to keep up with the [cost of living] and the idea, sold to people by advertising, that we should earn as much as possible [more wealth means more happiness].
The pros and cons of having more than one job are well covered. Advantages include increasing your skills and experience to make you more employable and avoiding putting [all your eggs in one basket] in case you lose one job. Disadvantages include feeling [overworked] or [burnt out], and [limited time] to spend with family and friends and on hobbies, and producing [poor-quality work].
The response is logically organised with well-managed cohesion. There are some very good linkers [Gone are the days when | Additionally | What’s more] and accurate reference and substitution.
Vocabulary is accurate and wide ranging [satisfy… financial needs | take on | risen exponentially | break even | improving their lot] with some sophisticated resource [putting all your eggs in one basket | burnt out | spread too thin]. Similarly, the range of grammatical structures is wide and flexible.
This is a very good example of a higher-level response.
