How to write an argumentative essay on choosing a startup or a large company for your first job
‘It depends on the person’ is true, and it is not an essay. The essays that work say who their advice is for (a graduate with no one depending on their income, a career-changer, someone who needs a steady salary or a work visa) and then recommend one option for that person, risks included.
The task
The briefA common placement dilemma: a 12-person startup offering broad responsibility and uncertainty, or a large services company offering structure, training and a known salary. Write an argumentative essay recommending one for a first job, and defend it against the obvious objection.
A general reader of a campus magazine.
Make a clear recommendation and say who it is for
Give at least two reasons specific to a first job
Acknowledge the risk your recommendation carries
Close with a conclusion that follows from the argument
Length
240–320 words
Suggested time
30 minutes
Level
Medium
Planning tip: Say who your advice is FOR. "It depends on the person" is not an essay; "if you are early in your career and can live on a modest salary, X" is.
What a strong answer does
It names the reader of the advice, for example ‘a graduate with savings and no dependants’ or ‘a first-generation graduate supporting family’.
It makes one clear recommendation for that person.
It gives two reasons specific to a first job: what you learn in year one, the habits you form, how the first role shapes the second, salary stability, training, mentorship.
It admits the risk of its own recommendation honestly. Startups fail; large companies can bury beginners in narrow, repetitive work.
Its examples are plausible and fair: a new hire at a small startup who runs a product launch in month three; a structured graduate programme with months of training and a published pay scale.
It avoids caricatures. Startups are not all chaos and large companies are not all bureaucracy.
How to structure it
- 1
Introduction
45–60 wordsThe dilemma in one sentence, who your advice is for, and your recommendation.
- 2
Reason 1
55–70 wordsA reason specific to a first job, with an example.
- 3
Reason 2
55–70 wordsA different reason, with its own example.
- 4
The risk, and how to manage it
50–65 wordsConcede the obvious objection honestly, then say how the reader can reduce the risk.
- 5
Conclusion
35–50 wordsA conclusion that follows from your argument, perhaps a test readers can apply to their own offers.
Useful phrases
Frames, not finished sentences: put your own details where the [brackets] are, and use only the ones that fit what you are saying.
Saying who it is for
- My recommendation, for a graduate whom nobody depends on financially, is [option].
- This advice is for [reader]; for someone who [different situation], the answer may change.
Recommending
- For this graduate, the better first job is at [option].
- I would choose [option], for two reasons.
Giving reasons
- In a first job, what matters most is [factor], and [option] offers more of it.
- A second reason is the way a first role shapes the next one.
Using examples
- At a small startup, a new hire might [example].
- A structured graduate programme typically [example].
Admitting the risk
- The obvious objection is that [risk], and it is a fair one.
- That risk can be reduced by [action].
Concluding
- A useful test for any first offer is [test].
Common mistakes, and how to fix them
‘It depends on the person.’
True, but not an argument. The brief asks for a recommendation and a defence of it.
Fix: Say who your advice is for, then recommend.
Reasons that apply to any job, not a first job.
‘Startups have a good culture’ says nothing about starting out, which is what the brief asks about.
Fix: Ask of each reason: why does this matter more in year one than in year ten?
Caricaturing the other option: ‘Big companies treat you like a machine.’
It is easy to disprove and makes the essay sound biased.
Fix: Describe the other option at its best, then explain why yours still wins for your reader.
Ignoring money.
For many graduates, a steady salary, family obligations, loans or visa conditions decide the question. Ignoring them makes the essay feel unrealistic.
Fix: Address the financial risk directly, even if briefly.
Double comparatives: ‘more better’, ‘more safer’, ‘most biggest’.
Common among learners whose first language marks comparison with a separate word, as Hindi, Spanish and Arabic do. English uses ‘-er’ for short adjectives and ‘more’ for long ones, never both.
Fix: Write ‘better’, ‘safer’, ‘more stable’, ‘more interesting’.
A conclusion that introduces a new argument.
A fresh point in the last paragraph cannot be supported and leaves the reader unsure what your real reason was.
Fix: Make the conclusion follow from what you have already argued.
Before you submit: a self-check
Have you said who your advice is for?
Is your recommendation one option, stated clearly?
Are both reasons specific to a first job?
Have you admitted the main risk and said how to manage it?
Is the other option described fairly?
Is it within 240–320 words?
Questions people ask
Should my first job be at a startup or a big company?
It genuinely depends on your circumstances (savings, family obligations, visa needs, how you learn best), which is why a good essay names its reader before recommending. As a writing task, the point is not the ‘right’ answer but a well-defended recommendation for a specific person.
How do I avoid ‘it depends’ in an argumentative essay?
Narrow the question. Instead of answering for everyone, answer for one kind of person and say so in the introduction. ‘It depends’ becomes ‘for this person, X’, and that is an essay.
What are good reasons to choose a startup, or a large company, for a first job?
For a startup: broad responsibility early, close contact with founders and customers, and seeing how a whole business works. For a large company: structured training, mentorship, a predictable salary and a well-known name on your CV. Pick the reasons that matter most to the reader you have named.
Can I use examples from people I know?
Yes. A friend’s or relative’s experience is a valid example if you keep it short and say what it shows. Do not present one person’s story as proof of what always happens.
Argue: start your career at a startup or a large company?
240–320 words · 30 minutes · Medium. Free to start; you need a TalkDrill account to submit, not to read this guide.
Scored by AI on TalkDrill on
- Task response25%
- Organisation20%
- Grammar20%
- Vocabulary15%
- Mechanics (spelling and punctuation)10%
- Tone10%
