What is a profile essay?

A profile essay tells the story of someone or something in an informative and personal way. Like a portrait, a profile essay illustrates what’s important and noteworthy about the subject by highlighting specific features and flaws. The reader learns what makes the subject unique.

The term “profile” originally referred to a sketch of an image, but it’s also used to describe a concise summary of a person’s essential characteristics. A profile essay has much the same function as a profile summary: to provide a brief but illuminating overview of someone or something.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to write a profile essay and how to do it well. https://studybay.com/blog/profile-essay/

With that basic definition in mind, here are five important things you need to know about how to write a profile essay.

1. Focus on one subject

The best profile essays focus on a single subject. Maybe it’s someone like LeBron James or someone more obscure — it doesn’t matter. But the essay must focus on one person or thing. 

That focus helps draw the reader in. You’re leading the reader through a series of revelations about this one person or thing, and if done well, the reader will feel like they really know this person or thing by the end of the essay.

But here’s the downside: A profile essay can feel somewhat static. Because the subject is so central to the essay, you often can’t move around the story in interesting ways. The structure is pretty straightforward and linear.

2 . Start with a bang!

The opening sentence (or few sentences) of a profile essay is crucial. You need to grab the reader and pull them into the story. Maybe start with a surprising fact, an intriguing scene, or an question.

For example, let’s imagine you’re writing a profile essay about your friend Billy. You could start your essay like this:

When Billy told his parents he was gay, they stopped talking to him altogether.

Or you could start this way 

When I met Billy, he was rocking a pink baseball cap and a fluorescent yellow tank top.

These opening sentences lead into the main body of the essay, where you can expand upon these initial insights and give the reader more details about these two characteristics. Later in the essay, you can possibly even address the moral question these opening sentences raise: Is it acceptable for a straight person to be friends with a gay person?

3. Give the reader new insights into your subject through details.

A profile essay is a great opportunity to show — not tell — readers what makes your subject special or interesting. 

Use descriptive language to paint a picture of your subject with words. Describe their physical appearance, but also their personality traits, actions, and environment.

Show, don’t tell — these words ring true in every essay, but especially in a profile essay. Often, you’ll be working with limited information about your subject, so you need to describe their qualities and reveal their character through action and details.

For example, let’s imagine you’re writing a profile essay about your grandpa. You know he’s kind and loving, but how do you show that to your reader? You could describe a moment between the two of you.

I smile when I think about the day I told Grandpa I was leaving for college. We were sitting on the porch, and he pulled out a box of old letters. He handed me one and said, “This is from your grandma during World War II. She spent every day in a basement, typing messages to soldiers so their families would get news from them. She never talks about it, but I think it was really hard for her.”

This passage reveals two personality traits of Grandpa — his empathy and his ability to tell stories — and also explains why the letter was so interesting to me. The reader now has a good reason to keep reading, because they’ll be interested to learn more about Grandpa.