Profile Essay: Guidelines for an A+ Paper

I. Introduction

A. Hook.
B. Background information.
C. Thesis statement.

II. Body

A. First body paragraph

• Write the main point of the first paragraph.
• Provide evidence supporting this paragraph’s main point.
• Write explanations of the evidence.
• End with a concluding statement.

B. Second body paragraph

• Write the main point of the second paragraph.
• Provide evidence supporting this paragraph’s main point.
• Write explanations of the evidence.
• End with a concluding statement.

C. Third body paragraph

• Write the main point of the third paragraph.
• Provide evidence supporting this paragraph’s main point.
• Write explanations of the evidence.
• End with a concluding statement.

III. Conclusion

A. Restatement of a thesis statement.
B. Summary of the three main points in a body section.
C. Closing remarks emphasizing the significance of a profile essay.

Step 1: Research

Research after interviews or observation sessions is vital to making any paper. To write a profile essay, people gather detailed information through interviews and observations, organize their content with an engaging introduction, informative body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion, and blend factual details with personal insights and vivid descriptions (Early, 2023). Typically, a student conducts some research before interviews or observation sessions to identify areas of interest that are worth investigating. After collecting information, authors must engage in research to develop a deeper understanding of responses or actions of a subject. In turn, this research stage ensures an author’s unfamiliarity with specialized vocabulary and conventions of discipline-specific discourse does not result in incorrect interpretations or summaries.

Step 2: Writing an Introduction

Hook

A hook sentence is a first statement of an introduction section. In this case, to start a profile essay, writers begin with an engaging hook that introduces a particular subject and captures a reader’s interest, followed by background information and a clear thesis statement (Early, 2023). Basically, an engaging sentence serves the purpose of triggering an audience’s interest in a subject of a review. In this case, students may use a variety of strategies to develop a hook, for instance, making a comparison, using a vivid quotation, mentioning a surprising fact, and asking a question (Warburton, 2020). In turn, if learners know how to write a hook, they ensure this sentence relates to a reader’s knowledge or experience, which allows it to be an impactful statement on its own. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a profile essay are:

• From the moment I met [Name], I knew [he/she] was someone worth profiling because … .
• Growing up in [place], [Name] always dreamed of … .
• One of the most striking things about [Name] is [his/her] ability to … .
• During our interview, [Name] shared a fascinating story about … .
• To truly understand [Name]’s impact, it is important to consider … .
• As [Name] walked me through [his/her] daily routine, it became clear that … .
• One of the defining moments in [Name]’s life was when … .
• Many people might not know that [Name] has a hidden talent for … .
• According to those who know [Name] best, [he/she] can be described as … .
• Reflecting on [Name]’s achievements, it is evident that [he/she] has … .

Background Information

This segment of an introduction contains information that responds to four main questions:

• Who or what is the subject?
• What are the important traits of the subject?
• Why is the subject interesting?

Responses to these three questions provide background information on an assigned subject. Moreover, statements narrow a central scope of a purpose of writing a profile essay, which sets the stage for announcing a thesis statement.

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is the last element of a first paragraph. In particular, a central claim informs readers of the purpose of interviews or observation sessions, which are the source of most information in a profile essay (Early, 2023). Essentially, a thesis statement is a one-sentence summary of the main points that students write in each paragraph, and it should be succinct and clear.

Step 3: Writing Body Paragraphs

Topic Sentence

A topic sentence informs readers of the main point that an author discusses in a particular paragraph. Basically, topic statements do not present an author’s claim in a profile essay. Instead, if students know how to write a topic sentence, they provide a brief and direct answer to an interview question or a question that motivates authors to observe a subject (Warburton, 2020). In turn, topic statements contribute to the development of a thesis statement.

Evidence

In this segment of a body section, students present specific details that support a topic statement. Basically, learners may incorporate evidence into a profile essay by using three main techniques: direct quoting, paraphrasing, and summarising. Mostly, authors acquire evidence from records of interviews or observation sessions (Penders, 2018). In turn, writers should ensure that the meaning of the evidence is not lost, especially during paraphrasing and summarising.

Explanation

Students elucidate the significance of the evidence to a topic statement in this section of a profile essay. In particular, learners provide the necessary information for a target audience to interpret the evidence correctly because any piece of evidence is merely a snapshot rather than an entire account (Fleckenstein et al., 2020). Besides, objectivity is critical while writing an explanation segment of a paragraph with bridge sentences. In turn, the length of explanations varies with the perceived complexity of the evidence.

Concluding Sentence

This statement is the last element of a body section. Usually, it is one sentence that appears at the end of any writing. Moreover, a concluding statement offers a summary of an entire content of a paragraph (Roberts, 2017). In this case, the primary role of this summary is to connect a paragraph’s content to a thesis statement. Furthermore, such a sentence contributes to a transition effect because it informs a target audience that a paragraph is complete.

Step 4: Writing a Conclusion

A concluding section has three essential elements: a restatement of a thesis, a summary of the main points, and closing remarks. Basically, students begin a final paragraph with a statement that has the same meaning as a thesis statement, although it employs an entirely new set of words and different syntax (Grogan, 2020). Next, authors provide an overview of an entire content of a body section. Lastly, learners write one or two sentences that link an introduction, thesis statement, and body section to create a sense of unity between individual parts of a profile essay. In turn, students must refrain from introducing new information while writing a conclusion part.

Step 5: Revision

Once students complete a first draft, they should revise a profile essay to eliminate any errors, which may result in a target audience deriving the wrong meaning from particular statements. During revision, learners assess the suitability of a specific audience and voice, the correctness of a thesis statement, rationality of the arrangement of body paragraphs, and the quality of evidence (Roberts, 2017). Then, authors should take a break of a few hours or a whole day before revising a profile document because it increases their objectivity. Moreover, writers may use a checklist to guide a revision process to guarantee they do not neglect any of the items on the assessment criteria. Besides individual revision, students may subject their profile essays to peer review, which provides them with useful feedback on the meaning-related flaws of a paper.

Step 6: Editing

An editing stage yields a final draft of a profile essay after it eliminates surface errors and ascertains the clarity and effectiveness of sentences. Basically, surface errors are mistakes that affect the readability of a profile paper, such as spelling errors, comma splices, sentence fragments, verb errors, and pronoun errors (Early, 2023). Then, parallelism, incomplete sentences, dangling modifiers, and unclear pronoun references are issues that students consider when evaluating the clarity of sentences. Moreover, authors examine the sentence structure and length, use of appropriate language, smoothness of transitions, and succinctness of sentences to determine its effectiveness (Roberts, 2017). In turn, writers should conduct editing for surface errors, clarity, and effectiveness in three different readings of a profile essay because of the expansive nature of dimensions of editing.

Topic: What It Takes to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

Introduction Sample

At 35 years, Abraham Jake is the youngest billionaire in the tech industry. In particular, Jake is the founder, owner, and chief executive officer of Futuristic Tech, which is a company that manufactures microprocessors for Apple, Intel, Dell, and other leading electronics firms. Moreover, an interview with Jake reveals some experiences that are responsible for his exceptional character as an entrepreneur. In turn, Jake’s failures and numerous bouts with fear and optimism in decision making shape his solitary lifestyle.

Examples of Body Paragraphs

Character Traits

Failure is a dominant theme in Jake’s life, which makes perseverance one of his readily observable character traits. During the period between 2005 and 2015, Jake began five different businesses that collapsed within eight months of opening. Particularly, the fifth business crippled Jake financially, which left him with bank loans and no savings. In this case, the constant failure in setting up a business took a toll on Jake because he found himself in a vicious cycle of saving heavily only to losing everything. Furthermore, the strain of performing at work while trying to build a business left him mentally and physically exhausted. On multiple occasions, Jack was at the brink of quitting on his dream to open his own business each time he had to shut down the business after months of struggling to keep it afloat without any success.

Fear and Optimism

The balance between the pull of fear and optimism defines Jake’s decision making strategy. For example, Jake sarcastically laughed as he said, “fearfulness and optimism are equally dangerous but learning how and when to call upon these traits is a lifelong endeavor.” Basically, it took Jake four months after to finally shut down the first business after seeing red flags that he knew were not reversible. Conversely, it took him two weeks to decide to close down his fifth business. Moreover, Jake experienced situations where he had to make decisions that hinged on his fear of losing capital and optimistic beliefs of the business’s recovery. In turn, Jake does not claim that the decision to close a business became any more straightforward. Instead, he suggests that one becomes more comfortable when faced with these decisions, which improves an individual’s decision-making abilities.

Solitary Lifestyle

Jake notes that he became accustomed to a solitary lifestyle, which he believes is a consequence of the lack of time to build meaningful relationships. Jake recounts a particular six-month period where he did not attend any social gathering or event. In a voice burdened with disappointment, Jake remarked, “if there is one thing that I regret about my entrepreneurial journey is the loss of friendships and lovers.” In this case, Jake’s attempt to juggle full-time employment and the running of a company left him with very little time to spare for nurturing personal relationships. Also, he lost touch with friends and could not keep up with the time demands of an intimate relationship. Eventually, Jake’s dual-focus lifestyle left him with professional relationships, which had minimal value when he needed emotional support.

Conclusion Sample

Jake’s past played a critical role in the emergence of the successful businessman we see today. Basically, consistent failure at opening a business is responsible for his “never give up” attitude. In this case, understanding the complicated relationship between fear and optimism gives Jake a sense of control when making tough choices. In turn, Jake recognizes that he leads a solitary lifestyle, although he is not proud of it. Thus, Jake’s personality shows that rational and emotional aspects play equally important roles in the success of an entrepreneur.