Writing Question
You received an email from your cousin, Jane, regarding her decision to undergo plastic surgery. Write an email to persuade her not to do so. Write 200 words.

Dear Chris

Thank you for your letter. I just had my S6 graduation ceremony in June and I have been looking for a job in the service industry for months. However, I couldn’t find one so far. I think that one of the reasons is that I am not slim and pretty enough. So I am thinking about going to the cosmetic clinic for a surgery. I know it might sound crazy to you. But I think I can find a better job with a better appearance. I hope you would support me.

Write soon,
Jane

5A Jason Yuen Tsz Kuen

Dear Jane,
 
I am sorry to hear about your decision to undergo cosmetic surgery. I can empathise with you as it is normal for teenagers to have low self-confidence and feeling lost in their road to an adult. However, it seems thoughtless to me that you only focus on the bright side of undergoing plastic surgery. Here is some of my advice.

First, don't limit your career prospect in service industry. You just graduated and there are numerous jobs for you to choose from. Don’t narrow your options and even believe in the myth that a better appearance benefits you in getting a job successfully. It is ridiculous to think that appearance would be the core reason for failure in getting an employment. As a person with more than 5 years of work experience, I can tell you work experience and education background are the two most vital factors employers look into. You should not struggle on whether to go to the clinic for cosmetic procedures or not. It is more important for you to spend your time on studying, be it university or night school, the higher education level you obtain the easier for you to be employed.
 
Second, you should have more faith in yourself. Traditionally, Chinese women are shaped as inferior to men and are often praised merely for their appearance but not talents. You should not let these biased thoughts define you and erode your confidence. You should always abandon the beauty stereotypes created by mass media. No one is identical to another and no one should be. Instead of making yourself a replicate of someone else, why don’t you start appreciating your uniqueness and define your own way of beauty. Everyone is unique. There is no need for you to carry out any surgery.

Third, don’t forget about the long-lasting influences of carrying out a surgery. If the surgery goes wrong, you may need to suffer throughout the whole life. The potential risks of having a cosmetic surgery could be having an unbalanced face, losing your sight or even your life. You are still at the prime time of your life, it is too risky for you to gamble your life over your appearance. You should think before you leap. Moreover, you mentioned that you are dissatisfied with your body shape. In fact, the quickest and safest way to become slim is not to do cosmetic surgery but to do exercise such as jogging, swimming and dancing regularly. Doing exercise not only helps in changing your body shape but also improve your health condition and physical performance.

To sum up, the reason for failing to get a job is not your look. You should reflect on your performance during the interview and consider the possibility of strengthening your academic qualifications and competitiveness. Hardly could anyone get a job immediately after graduation. Give yourself adequate time and confidence when hunting for jobs. As the saying goes, ‘a rolling stone gathers no moss.’ The key to success is to do everything with persistence. I hope my advice could make you change your mind.

Cheers,

Chris