: Using pronoun in an essay: 2nd person or 3rd person? 1) Working in a wide range of positions can improve a person’s experience and make him more successful. 2) Working in a wide

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Either is fine. It's a matter of style.

(a) Be consistent. Don't write, "Working in a wide range of positions can improve your experience and make him more successful." Okay, maybe that sentence sounds so obviously wrong that you wouldn't do that. But I've read plenty of things where the writer hops back and forth between second and third person from paragraph to paragraph.

(b) It does create a difference in tone. Saying "you" makes it more personal. I generally avoid using "you" when an article could be construed as critical of the subject. Like, "If he is lazy and irresponsible ..." rather than "If you are lazy and irresponsible ..." Unless, of course, my goal is to be direct and challenging. Also, "you" tends to sound more personal and informal. That could be good or bad depending.

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