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Describe a challenging profession you know about

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 313 with Model Answer:

Describe a challenging profession you know about.

You should say:
  • what profession it is
  • what challenges it involves
  • if you want to be in this profession
and explain why this is a challenging profession.  

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you're going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]


Model Answer 1:
I think that any profession can be challenging, given the adverse circumstances and surroundings, for a person. But, there are some professions which are just challenging by their very nature and definition, and today, I would like to talk about one such profession.

The profession of a “Firefighter” is what I am talking about, and the people, who are involved in this profession, work with fire, speaking literally, day in and day out, to put out the fire and save lives. These firefighters are just some kind of “machines” who just don’t seem to get bored or tired. In fact, they just can’t afford to get tired or bored of their jobs because then they would have to risk some unimaginable destruction of life and property.

By the way, they also have to deal with other occurrences like industrial accidents, car accidents, suicides, and sick/injured/dead people, and that too from the very first day of their jobs, which also probably could very well be their last day on duty, because they could lose their lives very easily in seconds.

But, still, so many people take the challenge to do this job to serve their people and country, and I salute them for their unparalleled courage and commitment. One indeed has to be very noble to accept the challenges of such a dangerous job. But, if I was ever to be offered such a challenging role, I would have to decline the offer very politely because I just don’t have the kind of courage to perform the duties of such a dangerous profession. Besides, one has to have a certain level of physical and emotional fitness to do such a challenging job, which I just don’t have.

So, the job of a firefighter is indeed very challenging, not only because they have to work tirelessly to save lives and properties, often in very adverse conditions, but also because they could lose their lives on duty, at any time. Besides, they also have to go through some terrible emotional turmoil because of the loss of life and properties that they have to see on a daily basis.


Model Answer 2:
Umpiring in cricket is one of the most challenging professions I have ever known. In fact, this is one of the toughest professions I have come across in my life. Thank you for such a nice topic, and here I will describe how being an umpire in cricket is so tough and challenging.

Umpires are usually ex-cricketers or experts in this sport who are responsible for making important decisions throughout the competition and their decisions make the game fair and enjoyable. It is such a challenging profession because it demands extensive knowledge of cricket, adherence to guidelines imposed by ICC, the governing body of international cricket, utmost patience, nonchalant attitude and unaltered precision. There is hardly any scope for distractions or mistakes as a single mistake can make an umpire a villain or subject to criticism from millions of people in just a few seconds! Moreover, they need to keep their focus on everything and that makes things more challenging. The umpire is also responsible for looking after the stepping of the bowlers which requires sharp eyes. Declaring a batsman out is another challenging task for them.

To be frank, I am not eligible for the position of a professional umpire in cricket. This is an intricate job, and I lack the skills and expertise that are required to be an umpire. Even though I have played some cricket in my locality, I have never been a player in professional cricket. So, this is not a profession for me.

I have already given some reasons why becoming an umpire and being successful in it is so hard. I will give a few more reasons why this is one of the most difficult professions I know about. First, umpiring is a challenging profession because they need to decide everything in no time. There is no scope for taking some time and then making a decision. It had to be instantaneous and of course correct as there is no scope for an error. A few mistakes can ruin their whole career. Moreover, this is not a career where people can come with some basic training or skills. It takes years of experience, keen eyes, great mental faculty and sound knowledge of cricket to become an umpire.

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