Many students have challenges describing themselves in an academically sound manner. They mix their thoughts and don’t know how to order their thoughts correctly when writing a who am I essay. Others have difficulties choosing the information to include in their papers. This assignment’s purpose is to help you let your readers understand who you are and what you believe in.
Also, this paper shouldn’t necessarily focus on your positives. You may also highlight your weaknesses, provided you do this discreetly and creatively. For instance, you may talk about what angers you quickly. This post discusses professional life hacks for writing the best narrative essay about yourself. Read on to understand how to write a narrative essay that fetches the best grades.
Table of Contents
What Is a Who Am I Essay?
Let’s start our discussion on a defining note. A who am I essay is an academic assignment you write for college, your bio, or yourself. When writing this paper for your autobiography or yourself, your project has no specific goal. Instead, it only analyzes yourself to show your audience who you are. Additionally, you don’t have to follow stringent academic rules and requirements, being able to write it whichever way you wish.
However, writing about yourself for work or college purposes differs. This essay can be a part of your job interview or college admission process. It allows your potential employer or admissions committee to examine your personality, tastes, and likes more closely. It convinces readers that you are the best person to take an employment or admission slot. Thus, write it to make the best impression you can about yourself.
Unlike other formal academic papers, a who am I essay allows you to use the first-person language. This assignment has different formats: narrative, philosophical, college application, and autobiographical.
Narrative Format
The who am I essay type focuses on providing your readers with your life story. The narrative can take various forms, like your personal or family encounters. The best strategy for drafting this paper is “showing” instead of merely telling your readers about yourself. This technique uses clear descriptions instead of rigid and formal informative statements. You may also utilize personal anecdotes to drive your points home.
College Application Format
The Who am I essay format lets you write to a college’s or university’s admissions board. Here, you get a golden chance to convince the board you have everything the college wishes to see in a new student. You must supply all the necessary information that advances the college’s course, including how to write a college application essay effectively. For instance, tell the committee about your personal qualities, academic achievements, work experience (if any), and future dreams.
Autobiographical Format
An autobiography essay format is a life story capturing your entire life. However, pay attention to how you include details in this paper because telling everything about your life in a short paper like this is impossible. Thus, summarize your life’s main events and experiences. This essay type requires excellent summarizing skills that can tell much using a few words.
Your main goal is to offer readers sufficient details to understand who you are. Some details to include in a who am I essay are your family lineage, demographical (race, ethnicity, sex, language, and nationality) background, academic qualifications, and professional achievements.
Philosophical Format
The who am I essay form engages your reader in a discovery manner because philosophy attempts to unravel life’s and nature’s mysteries. Therefore, some argue that this essay is more informative than a narrative essay type. Its investigative nature requires you to focus on telling your readers facts about yourself that advance your understanding of human nature.
Who Am I Essay Ideas
Having a sweet personality is great because it makes college boards and potential employers scramble for you. However, they won’t fight for you if they don’t know about you. This paper opens the door for college admissions committees and prospective employers who long to see you live. Here are tips and ideas to help you compose a compelling who am I essay.
- Show your character
Your paper should clearly demonstrate your character traits. It must also show the habits that define you.
- Share your values
Remember to include your value system. Your assignment must feature the things that motivate your behavior. Show readers your personal inspiration, principles, and beliefs. Inform your audience about your firm convictions but without going to radical extremes.
- Prove your skills and potential
A perfect who am I essay must also highlight your personal skills and potential in different areas. Show the reader your aptitudes and each skill’s level. You may feature computer proficiency, educational levels, leadership skills, excellent communication skills, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, consider seeking professional guidance from a personal statement editing service to refine your essay and ensure it presents your strengths effectively.
Besides, show your readers where all these abilities are taking you. Demonstrate how you intend to harness them to move to your dream future. Remember to show how these things contribute to the college community’s development. When writing to a prospective employer, mention how you can use your capabilities to improve the workplace and help the company grow.
- Honesty
Always remember that honesty is the best option. All hiring officers and college admissions board members are busy. They review thousands of cover letters and application essays. Therefore, never take them for kids who can’t discern lying applicants. Including exaggerated facts in your who am I essay will definitely backfire in your face. So, be honest as possible regardless of how you want to show your ambition and market yourself.
- Don’t boast
Being confident of your skills and capabilities doesn’t mean you become boastful. Learn how to balance confidence with humility. Your desire to make a positive impression shouldn’t make you arrogant. Remember, your readers are adults who have read thousands of who am I essays for many years. Thus, they know how to detect and reject an empty braggart.
- Be creative
Creativity should define your approach to a who am I essay. This task falls outside academic writing’s stringent rules that usually suppress creativity. It allows you to break most of the suppressing rules and unleash your creative genius. You aren’t obligated to cite anyone and can freely express your opinions about yourself without worrying about who agrees or disagrees with you.
- Be a bit “cosmetic”
You must be as honest as possible. However, be a bit “cosmetic” where necessary. What does this mean? It would be best if you expressed your weaknesses without sounding helpless. Learn how to hide or smooth your shortcomings while highlighting your strengths.
- Share your position
Admissions board members and hiring officers would like to know about your thinking processes. An excellent who am I essay doesn’t need extra references. So, don’t fear to assert yourself in this writing piece.
- Share an interesting narrative
Know how to share a fascinating narrative that excites your audience but be selective about what to share and what to keep private. When you’re writing for your tutors, childhood memories and encounters would do good. However, they may not interest an admissions officer or hiring manager unless you were a genius child in something.
- Share your passion
Lastly, be generous with writing about your personal passion. Clarify what fills you with positive energy. Let the reader know what turns on your world and unleashes your potential.
Who Am I Essay Outline
Your who am I essay needs an outline to hold your thoughts. It takes the following shape:
- An Introduction Paragraph
- A hook to attract and keep your reader’s attention and interest.
- A short summary.
- A thesis statement.
- Main Body
- Body Paragraph 1
- Body Paragraph 2
- Body Paragraph 3
- A Conclusion
- It restates your thesis statement.
- It summarizes your essay.
How to Start a Who Am I Essay
Starting a who am I essay is easy with the proper guidance. You only need to understand your assignment’s question. Next, determine the format you wish to use for presenting your ideas or marketing yourself. Afterward, choose the life experiences and the details you want your readers to know about you. Go ahead and formulate a thesis statement that holds together all the other ideas about you.
When composing this assignment, use first-person language and personal anecdotes to spice it up. You should also utilize vivid descriptions to let your essay show and not just tell your story. Ensure to write your paper to fit your assigned word count. Don’t exceed because you feel you have too much information to tell about yourself because your readers don’t have the time to read all of it.
Who Am I: Example of Essay
Nothing inspires you to write a better who am I essay more than a perfect example. Here is an excellent body paragraph sample to inspire your writing.
Friends are more than social relationships to me. They are concepts that define my worldview and relationship with the world. Since childhood, I have never been someone who likes social forums. The very thought of people dictating what I should do or say at any particular moment irritates me. For instance, I caused a violent commotion when a friend tried making me dance with a stranger at a birthday party. However, life is hard enough, and we cannot avoid social interactions. Therefore, I have a few introverted friends willing to push themselves to the edge. Consequently, they always devise plans to take ourselves outdoors to interact with other humans.