In this tutorial, you will learn how to write an essay about your qualifications.
Writing such an essay is a great way to showcase your skills and knowledge to potential universities or employers. It can help you stand out and make a great impression if done correctly.
So let’s dive right into it.
In writing an essay about your qualifications, you must first consider what you want to highlight to your potential university or employer. Pick a main idea, select your top three qualifications, write an introduction and a paragraph for each qualification you chose, and finally, a conclusion.
Planning and organizing your thoughts can make writing an essay easier. So, take your time and follow this tutorial to keep your ideas flowing.
First, you need to choose your main idea.
Choosing a central idea that covers all the qualifications you want to highlight will help you understand your essay’s structure. To do this, you can think of how your top three qualifications help you.
Your main idea might answer questions like: How do these qualifications make you the right candidate?
Whatever you pick will be your essay’s thesis. So, it’s best to keep it simple.
For example, we can say, “My top qualifications help me succeed.”
Next, select your top three qualifications.
Breaking your main idea into supporting points will help keep the ideas flowing.
In your essay, it’s easy to think of qualifications you want to talk about because everyone has some great qualifications.
But be careful not to talk about too many or too few.
So, let’s use the Power of Three!
The Power of Three is a three-part structure that helps you create your essay’s body paragraphs by dividing your main idea into three supporting points.
Three is the perfect number the brain can handle, and it always works. So, selecting your top three qualifications is the best way to go.
Make sure your supporting points are distinct from one another to keep the ideas flowing and create a great thesis statement.
Now let’s see how this works.
Let’s use these three qualifications for our sample essay:
1. I am a team player
This section will describe what it means to be a team player and how it proves the central idea: how it helps achieve success.
We can answer the following questions to help us keep the ideas flowing:
- Why is being a team player important in the workplace or school?
- How does being a team player help you succeed?
2. I take feedback well
Like the first qualification, we need to use this qualification to prove the main idea. So, let’s try to answer these questions in this part of our essay:
- Why do you need to take feedback well?
- How does this help you succeed?
3. I am determined
Again, we need to show how being determined helps with success. To do this, we can answer these questions:
- How do you show determination at work or school?
- How does this qualification help you succeed?
After dividing your main idea into three distinct supporting points, you will have a clear picture of your essay’s structure. In the next step, you will learn how to expand them into an entire essay.
Write your introductory paragraph and body paragraphs.
Now that you understand your essay’s structure, you can write an introductory paragraph and three body paragraphs — one for each qualification.
To write an introductory paragraph, you need an opening sentence (introduction) that briefly sets your essay’s context. Then, you will proceed with the thesis and three supporting points.
Here’s an example of an introductory paragraph for our essay:
“In the modern world, qualifications are an important part of any career. My top qualifications help me succeed. Being a team player provides me with learning opportunities and cultivates my relationships. Taking feedback well helps me develop my character and skills. And my determination helps me overcome challenges and continuously improve.”
Note how our introductory paragraph goes from general to specific, starting from our introduction sentence to our main idea and three specific qualifications.
Now let’s write the body of the essay.
To write body paragraphs, start with a topic sentence summarizing your point. Then, explain it briefly and illustrate it using examples.
Here are examples of body paragraphs for our essay:
Paragraph 1
“Being a team player is an essential qualification for success in any field. It helps me develop trust in my colleagues, build relationships, and promote collaboration. In addition, being a team player allows me to accomplish more tasks than doing things alone. For instance, I volunteer to work late to help my coworkers achieve a goal, although it is not my job to do so.”
Paragraph 2
“Taking feedback well is a crucial skill for achieving success in both my personal and professional life. It means receiving suggestions or criticisms constructively, which allows me to learn and make necessary changes. It also helps me see challenges as opportunities to grow continuously. I listen carefully when someone gives me feedback and consider how I can use it to improve.”
Paragraph 3
“Determination is one of the keys to becoming successful. It means a strong commitment to achieving goals and working passionately despite obstacles. I stay focused on what I want to achieve. I also keep myself motivated despite setbacks, challenges, and failures by maintaining a positive attitude and developing a growth mindset.”
Note that we followed the diagram above, starting from the topic sentence down to some examples that illustrate it.
We also answered some of the questions above and showed how these qualifications are keys to success.
Lastly, write your concluding paragraph.
Do you want an easy and quick way to write your essay’s concluding paragraph? I recommend restating your thesis statement using different words.
Why? Doing so will give you all you need to conclude your essay, and this method is time-tested. So it always works!
Here’s a concluding paragraph for our essay:
“My top qualifications have helped me achieve success. I honed my skills as a team player, always seeking opportunities to grow and learn from my coworkers. I also take feedback constructively, using it to develop myself professionally and personally. And my determination has helped me overcome challenges and continuously improve, ensuring that I am focused on my goals.”
Great! Now we’re done writing the sample essay.
I hope this tutorial has answered your question. Now it’s time to write your essay about your qualifications!
