IELTS Speaking – a person you know who is very good at their job

On a typical weekday, I get up at around half six and have a quick breakfast before heading to university. My morning is usually taken up with lectures, and in the afternoon I either work on group projects or study in the library. In the evening, I go for a run, have dinner and then do a bit of revision.

Yes, for the most part. My classmates are friendly and supportive, and we often help each other out with assignments. Of course, there are occasional disagreements during group projects, especially when deadlines are tight, but we usually manage to sort things out by talking openly. A few of them have actually become close friends.

I'd say the most enjoyable part is working on real case studies. In some modules, local companies give us actual business problems to solve, and we present our ideas to their managers. It's quite nerve-racking, but it's really rewarding when they take our suggestions seriously. It makes the theory feel much more relevant.

Yes, I worked as a barista in a coffee shop for about a year during my first year at university. The pay wasn't great, but I learnt a lot about dealing with customers and staying calm under pressure, especially during the morning rush. It also taught me to manage my time, because I had to balance shifts with my studies.

I'd like to talk about my aunt, Lan, who is a paediatric nurse at a large children's hospital in Hanoi. She's my mother's younger sister, and she's been working there for nearly twenty years. I know her very well because she lived with my family for a few years when I was a child, and even now we see each other almost every weekend. I've also seen her at work a couple of times, once when my younger brother was admitted to hospital with a high fever, and that's when I really understood how good she is at what she does. Nursing children is an incredibly demanding job. She often works long night shifts, and she has to deal not only with sick children but also with parents who are frightened and sometimes angry. Despite that, she always seems calm and patient. When my brother was in hospital, he was terrified of needles, but she somehow managed to distract him with jokes and stories, and he hardly noticed the injection. I think several things make her so successful at her work. First of all, she has a real gift for putting people at ease. She talks to children at their level and explains things to parents in plain language, without any medical jargon. Secondly, she's extremely well organised and pays close attention to detail, which is vital in a job where small mistakes can have serious consequences. Most importantly, though, she genuinely cares. She's told me that even after twenty years, she still feels a sense of satisfaction every time a child goes home healthy. Her colleagues clearly respect her a lot, and she's often asked to train new nurses. Honestly, she's one of the people I admire most.

In my view, job satisfaction matters more in the long term, but it would be naive to say money isn't important. If you're constantly unhappy at work, it tends to spill over into the rest of your life, affecting your health and relationships. On the other hand, a job you love won't feel very satisfying if you can't pay your rent. I think the answer also shifts over time. When people are starting out, they might reasonably prioritise earning and saving, whereas later they may be willing to accept a pay cut for more meaningful work.

I think AI will gradually shift human work towards tasks that machines find difficult, such as creative thinking, complex decision-making and anything involving empathy. Routine jobs, like processing documents or answering basic customer questions, are likely to be largely automated. But at the same time, completely new roles will emerge, for example people who design, supervise or check AI systems. I also suspect that many existing professions will simply evolve. A teacher, for instance, might use AI to personalise lessons and spend more time mentoring students. So adaptability will probably be the most valuable skill of all.

There are a few reasons, I think. For some people, it's about security. A stable job with a pension and a predictable income can be very reassuring, especially if they have a family to support. Others genuinely feel a strong sense of loyalty, perhaps because the company has treated them well or given them opportunities to grow. My grandfather, for example, worked for the same state-owned factory for over thirty years and was proud of it. That said, this is becoming much less common among younger generations, who tend to change jobs more often to gain new skills or higher pay.

I believe they should take at least some responsibility, since work is one of the biggest sources of stress in people's lives. Excessive workloads, long hours and toxic management can seriously damage employees' mental health. So companies have a duty to create a healthy working environment, for instance by setting reasonable deadlines and offering access to counselling. It's also in their own interest, because burnt-out staff are less productive and more likely to quit. However, I wouldn't say employers are entirely responsible. Mental health is affected by many factors outside work, so it's really a shared responsibility.