1. Researching and writing about a trade you want to pursue

I want to research being an electrician

Prompt 3: Trades

Think about your current career interests and goals. Is there a trade that you are hoping to enter? What’s the trade that you’re interested in pursuing? Research this field and write an informative essay that gives the reader an overview of the trade and educates the reader about something important or useful to know about working in that field.

As you research the topic to learn more about the trade, here are a few questions you might wish to consider:

• What are the steps that need to be taken to enter the trade? What’s the entry-level position? What is the most senior position?

• Is there on-the-job training?

• Do you need special certifications or licenses?

• How competitive is the job market for the position you would like to have?

• What’s the average pay? Are positions typically salaried or hourly?

• Is there room for growth?

• What does the future look like for this trade and the position you’d like to have?

You may have other questions you’d like to explore, or that you think would be helpful for a person not familiar with this trade. You don’t have to answer all these questions in your final essay, but you should think about how to explain the field in an interesting and informative way to a person who is unfamiliar with it.

Construction of Your Research Paper

Recall that outlines help writers organize ideas into a logical flow. Remember that your outline can be as simple or detailed as you want it to be, but it’s usually a good idea to look at your source notes as you fill it in.

Here’s a sample outline for you to refer to:

Sample Outline

Here’s a sample outline you can customize to fit your essay:

1. Introduction Paragraph (One paragraph)

2. Body Paragraph(s) on Major Point 1 (One or two paragraphs)

   • Topic sentence

   • Evidence from Source 1

   • Evidence from Source 2

   • Evidence from Source 3

3. Body Paragraph(s) on Major Point 2 (One or two paragraphs)

   • Topic sentence

   • Evidence from Source 1

   • Evidence from Source 2

   • Evidence from Source 3

4. Body Paragraph(s) on Major Point 3 (One or two paragraphs)

   • Topic sentence

   • Evidence from Source 1

   • Evidence from Source 2

   • Evidence from Source 3

5. Body Paragraph(s) on Major Point 4 (One or two paragraphs)

   • Topic sentence

   • Evidence from Source 1

   • Evidence from Source 2

   • Evidence from Source 3

6. Conclusion Paragraph (One paragraph)

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