Writing an Essay About Yourself Made Easy

You’d think an essay about yourself would just flow from you naturally. But when it’s time to put ‘pen to paper,’ you might be at a loss for words. You need to know how to write an essay about yourself without sounding like an egomaniac. An ‘about me essay’ needs to sell your strong points without making you sound like an improbable angel!

How to introduce yourself in an essay

It’s natural to want to write essays about yourself that describe your virtues and accomplishments. But it’s not always about tooting your own horn. Your essay needs to come from a place of sincerity where you give the reader some insight into your life experience. In an ‘introduce yourself essay’, the reader wants to know about your reality, not your imagined future.

Give an honest account of some of the things you’ve been through. You should know how to start an essay about yourself in such a way that the reader wants to continue. The opening line should ‘hook’ them.

How to write about yourself and your experiences

Hone in on one specific experience or characteristic that relates to the purpose of your essay. If you’re writing a college application essay, stick to something that speaks about something to do with your education. It can be a day on which something specific happened. It could be about a role model who has influenced you.

Think about your target audience

Essays about yourself are generally written for a specific purpose. If you’re applying for colleges or jobs, the purpose of the essay is clear. It’s a describe yourself essay. Even so, don’t have a generic ‘about me essay’ that you hand in randomly. You need to customize it to suit the needs of the situation.

Put yourself in the shoes of the person reading the essay. Doubtless, they’ve had to read hundreds of them. What is it about yours that will make it stand out and be memorable? When you can answer this question, you’re ready to start.

Get some inspiration

You can look online for a ‘sample essay about yourself.’ Reading what other people have written may give you some new ideas. In fact, you might wind up tackling your essay from a different perspective entirely.

You can find a lot of ‘personal essay about yourself examples’ online. They were written by a diverse group of people for very different reasons. When you look at them, think about yourself and your style. Also, think about the purpose of your essay. Both of these factors can influence your approach.

Rely on someone you trust

Get a close friend or family remember to read your essay about yourself. They know you best. That means they’ll be able to tell you if your essay is sincere and portrays you in the best light possible.

If it’s over the top, they’ll tell you. Often, we don’t see ourselves the way our family and friends do. What we see as insignificant, they might feel is significant. Having a different perspective from someone who cares for you can offer a new insight.

Things to include in an essay about yourself

When you plan how to write an essay about yourself, brainstorm the things you want to include. They need to flow in the writing of the essay and seem to be mentioned naturally. You need to include information about your education and employment background.

The skills, knowledge, values, and attributes you regard as important must feature in your essay. Mention what you like to do in your spare time, and also what you want to achieve in the long-term.

Things an about me essay should avoid

It’s important to know how to write about yourself without coming across as too controversial and opinionated. Steer clear of topics that have to do with race and religion, politics, or gender. You might have strong opinions that offend the reader. They’ll be less inclined to finish reading what you have written with an open mind.

Layout

People have differing opinions on what an ‘introduce yourself essay’ should look like. It is a matter of personal choice. But bear in mind that someone else has to read it. What looks pleasing to you may not look pleasing to them. Keep the font neutral as curly complicated fonts are off-putting.

The size should be such that it is readable. Have regular margins in your documents. Single spacing is not always so easy to read. Consider 1.5 spacing between lines. You can include a frame, but don’t make it too ornate or elaborate.

Spelling, grammar, and language

No matter how amazing your essay about yourself is, mistakes will count against you. It’s important to make sure that you have checked your spelling, punctuation, and grammar thoroughly. If you’re not writing in your home language, get someone to help you proofread and edit your work. You can also make use of online tools such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor if you’re writing in English.

Great content can be ruined by poor language usage. Don’t be a victim of this by not being thorough.

Another common mistake that people make is trying to use complex words and sentences. It’s in an effort to come across as well-versed and intelligent. However, it can come across in completely the opposite way.

There’s a chance it can come across as an attitude of superiority which is unlikely to win friends and influence people positively. If the tone and style are too grandiose, the reader may lose track of what you’re trying to say. Your message will be lost, and an opportunity may be missed.

Deadlines

If you’re asked to write essays about yourself, don’t under any circumstances leave it until the last minute. The pressure can be overwhelming. One thing that is for sure is that the quality of your final product won’t be your best.

It’s at this point that many people make the mistake of searching for ‘write about yourself sample essays’ and plagiarizing something that they find. If they’re caught, it can have serious ramifications.

It’s better to plan well ahead of time. If you ask an experienced person how to write an essay about yourself, they’ll tell you that timing is everything. Have a set of milestones you need to accomplish on your way to writing your essay. Set deadlines for each milestone and adhere to them. When everyone is scrambling around at midnight the night before trying to finish, you’ll be sleeping the sleep of the righteous!