Some people believe that employers should focus more on practical skills rather than formal qualifications when hiring new employees. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In recent times, employers have had a wide range of options when selecting new staff. While some argue that choosing candidates with strong formal qualifications is essential, I believe that those with practical skills are more suitable for most organisations for several reasons.

To begin with, I acknowledge that formal education is sometimes necessary to ensure safety standards and compliance with standard operating procedures. Formal training helps individuals understand essential theoretical concepts and the scientific principles behind their work. For instance, an aircraft maintenance engineer must possess a certain level of academic knowledge to ensure the aircraft is safe for operation.

However, I strongly feel that practical skills are more valuable than academic qualifications alone. Firstly, hands-on experience allows employees to learn faster and perform tasks more efficiently. Since practically trained workers require less time to adapt to new systems, organisations can achieve higher productivity with less investment in training. For example, practically experienced employees tend to adopt new technologies and processes more quickly, which results in faster growth for the company. In contrast, those who rely mainly on theoretical knowledge may take longer to translate ideas into action.

Furthermore, hiring practically skilled individuals often leads to smoother communication and better accountability within teams. This is because such employees usually have real-world exposure to problem-solving, machine operations, and task management. For example, a person with limited formal education but extensive experience in machine handling can complete tasks independently and efficiently, whereas someone with only a degree but no practical background may struggle to perform confidently.

To sum up, although I admit that academic qualifications have their importance, I firmly believe that practical knowledge and skills generally outweigh formal education in the hiring process. Therefore, employers should prioritise hands-on competence when selecting new employees.

Why This Essay Deserves Band 7+

1️⃣

Strong Task Response

- Presents a clear opinion from start to end - Addresses both viewpoints (formal education + practical skills) - Ideas are fully explained and supported with relevant examples

2️⃣

Clear Coherence & Cohesion

- Logical paragraph structure - Smooth flow of ideas - Effective use of connectors (e.g., while, however, for instance, in contrast) - No overuse of linking words

3️⃣

Advanced Lexical Resource

- Uses precise vocabulary: safety standards, theoretical concepts, hands-on experience, organisational productivity - Accurate collocations and academic tone - Very few repetitions or inaccurate word choices

4️⃣

Strong Grammatical Range

- Wide variety of complex structures used correctly - Accurate clauses, conditionals, passive structures, and comparisons - Minimal grammatical errors that do not affect clarity

5️⃣

Formal, Academic Tone

Consistent style appropriate for IELTS No informal phrases or conversational language Sounding natural, polished, and professional