An employer or instructor may require you to write a personal development essay that describes a particular pattern or event in your life that has allowed you to develop or change in some way. Writing such an essay does not have to be difficult, but you will need to do a bit of brainstorming and preparation. It helps to develop a clear focus for your personal development essay so you know exactly what topic you want to cover. Once you have a topic in mind, you can brainstorm general ideas you want to discuss in relation to that topic.
After you brainstorm general ideas, you will need to begin writing the personal development essay by following a specific format. The best way to remember the proper essay format is the simple statement: say what you're going to say, say it, then say what you said. In other words, your first paragraph should prepare the reader for the general topic as well as the specific thesis statement. The next several paragraphs should explain your broad points. Then, your last paragraph should sum up your arguments deftly and clearly.
The first paragraph of your personal development essay is the most important one because you will need to grab your reader's attention and draw them into the essay. You can do this by creating an image or telling a story, then transitioning that story into your thesis statement, or specific argument or topic that you will be covering in the rest of the essay. Your thesis statement is usually the last sentence in the first paragraph, and it should be fairly specific. An example might be:
"Raising a child has given me the tools to be a more caring person because I have learned how to focus more on the needs of others."
Notice that the statement gives a specific reason how raising a child has improved the person's life. Specific examples are always good to include in a thesis statement for your personal development essay.
Remember to take note of the question that was asked of you, if one was given. Employers and teachers often ask specific questions in regard to personal development, and it helps to underline key words in the question so you can ensure you answer the question thoroughly. You may even want to include those keywords somewhere in your essay to indicate you have addressed the specific parts of a question.
