Describe a job you would like to do

In IELTS Speaking Part 2 you get this card, one minute to prepare and up to two minutes to speak. Below: the notes a strong candidate might make in that minute, a natural Band 7–8 answer, the words that make it work, and the Part 3 discussion the examiner usually moves on to.

The cue card

One-minute notes

Notes in the preparation minute should be keywords, not sentences — one line per bullet, plus the one detail that makes your story yours. Something like:

• wildlife documentary camera operator
• filming animals, months in remote places
• skills: patience, technical skill, fitness, teamwork
• saw a behind-the-scenes clip as a teen
• appeal: nature + creative + showing people what they'd never see

Band 7–8 sample answer

A job I'd really love to do, even though it's probably unrealistic at this point, is working as a camera operator for wildlife documentaries.

The job involves filming animals in their natural environment, often in very remote places — rainforests, deserts, the Arctic. From what I've read, people in this job can spend weeks or even months in one location waiting for something that might last a few seconds, like a particular bird hatching or a predator catching its prey. They often live in tents or small huts, and work very long, irregular hours.

It needs an unusual mix of skills. Obviously you have to be very good with cameras and understand light and movement. But you also need enormous patience, decent physical fitness, and some real knowledge of animal behaviour, so you know where to be and when. And because crews are small and isolated, you have to be easy to get along with — being stuck in a tent with someone difficult for six weeks sounds like a nightmare.

It appeals to me because it combines the two things I've always cared about most: nature and visual storytelling. I first got interested when I was about fifteen and watched a behind-the-scenes clip showing how a team filmed snow leopards. I remember being more impressed by the people than by the leopards. What I like most about the job is that it shows millions of viewers parts of the world they'll never see in person, and that can make them care about protecting it.

About 255 words — roughly two minutes at a relaxed pace. Notice what it does: one specific story instead of general statements, every bullet covered, natural spoken linking rather than "firstly… secondly…", and the "why" part of the card answered properly at the end — that is where many candidates run out of things to say. Use it to see the structure; don't memorise it. Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and your own story will always sound more fluent.

Useful vocabulary

• remote — far away from towns and people
• behind the scenes — the work that the audience does not see
• get along with — to have a good relationship with someone
• appeal to — to be attractive or interesting to someone
• a dream job — the job you would most like to have
• demanding — needing a lot of effort, time or skill

Part 3: questions and model answers

After your two minutes, the examiner moves to a discussion linked to the card's topic. These questions are more abstract: give an opinion, a reason and an example, and it's fine to say "it depends" — as long as you explain on what.

Which jobs are most respected in your country?

Doctors are probably the most respected, followed by teachers and engineers. Interestingly, respect doesn't always match salary — nurses are highly respected but not particularly well paid. Some well-paid jobs, like certain roles in finance, are respected less because people don't really understand what they contribute.

Should salary be the main reason for choosing a job?

It shouldn't be the only reason. Money obviously matters, especially if you have a family to support. But people spend around forty years at work, and a job you find meaningless can make you unhappy no matter what it pays. Ideally you want a reasonable salary and work you don't dread every morning.

How will automation change employment?

It will probably remove many routine jobs, both in factories and in offices. At the same time, new jobs will appear, as they have with every new technology. The real challenge is the transition — the people who lose their jobs aren't always the ones who can easily move into the new ones.

Is job security still realistic?

Less than it used to be. Very few people now stay with one company for their entire career, and many work on short contracts. I think security now comes more from having skills that are in demand than from a particular employer.

More cue cards about school and work

• Describe a time you worked with a team
• Describe a subject you enjoyed at school
• Describe your first day at a new school or job

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