The Professional Touch: Enhancing Your Candidacy with Honors & Awards

by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME

In a competitive job market many candidates find themselves lost in the shuffle, especially when other applicants have similar professional and academic histories.

One way to make certain that you get noticed is to showcase, within the first half of your resume, your Professional and/or Academic Honors and Awards.

You can emphasize industry or academic recognition of your work by:

1. Including it in your Qualifications Summary
2. Presenting it in a special “Awards and Honors” section
3. Placing it in your “Career Accomplishments” section beneath the subheading of “Awards and Honors.” You can further subdivide it by indicating whether it is Professional Recognition or School-Related.

The idea is to provide hiring managers with specific and well-organized data

A WORD ABOUT PROVIDING DETAILS OF YOUR AWARDS AND HONORS

Although mention of your Awards and Honors can enhance your candidacy for a position, its impact will be significantly strengthened by providing the hiring manager with specific details. These include:

1. Dates you received the award or honor
2. Significance of award (eg: is it given to everyone in your office/school or are you one of a select few?)
3. Purpose of award – (eg: an academic or sports scholarship; one given to top journalism student at the school; recognition for being the #1 salesperson in a territory, etc.)
4. Scope of the award – is it national, regional, or local?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Honors & Awards: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

· I’ve won many awards during my IT career, but I’m now transitioning to financial services where my experience is nil. Do I still mention my IT awards? If so, where?

Because past achievement is so often indicative of future performance, mention of your repeated recognition in the IT field will indicate your degree of capability to a hiring manager. This can be very important for someone with little to no experience in a new industry. Although it’s not necessary to list all of your IT awards up front, listing your most stellar and current IT accomplishment in the Qualifications Summary provides the hiring manager with a glimpse of your potential. If your transition to the new field is accompanied by stellar academic work, that can also be used to enhance your candidacy. For example:

Currently Enrolled in the Honors Banking & Finance Program
at the American Banking Institute
Bachelor of Arts in Business & Management with an Accounting Major, GPA 4.0
Additional Coursework in Accounting at New York State College of Business

Articulate, results-oriented professional with an academic base in accounting, banking, and finance, augmented by comprehensive knowledge of information systems and significant business experience. Background includes receiving the IT Professional 2001 Award for an information systems improvement that increased growth at Trent Industries 28% over a two-year period. Possesses strong attention to detail, excellent organization/time management, and proven capabilities in problem-solving. Self-starter with a background of assuming responsibility to get the job done accurately and within tight time constraints.

· Should I include my employment awards in a resume that’s being sent for admission to business school?

Yes. Business school resumes are no different than resumes submitted to employers. School admissions directors need to know if candidates for their programs are committed to the educational process and if they will be assets to the school. Industry-specific awards that indicate excellence in the field only enhance an applicant’s candidacy.
· Rather than honors or awards, I have only performance evaluations that I consider quite good. Is it acceptable for me to use them in a resume?

Any data that enhances your candidacy is acceptable. To showcase your performance evaluation data, you may want to list it in a special section and include direct quotes from satisfied clients or management.

WORRIED ABOUT BEING CONSIDERED TOO YOUNG FOR A POSITION?

by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME

The best way to overcome reverse age discrimination (eg: you’re considered too young for a major position, rather than too old), is to deliver a flawlessly crafted, exceptionally professional resume that details your relevant skills and qualifications, while showcasing your accomplishments.

The best format for an up-and-coming young executive is a reverse-chronological format (your most recent position detailed first, followed by the next most recent, etc.) within an executive-style template.

What is an executive-style template?

It’s a format that delivers a powerful marketing message about your unique talents and qualifications – and it does all of this in less than seven seconds.

How?

The executive format generally begins with a tag line, which is the position title you want and one for which you must be qualified. Following that is a line listing your unique skills. Next, a brief summary paragraph provides a snapshot of you as a candidate. Within the paragraph should be your most stellar and recent accomplishment (as it relates to your current job search) and it must be quantified with dollar figures or percentages and time periods.

An example for a young banker:

INVESTMENT BANKER

Mergers & Acquisitions ~ Wealth Management ~ Investment Strategies ~ Marketing Plans

Results-driven, multilingual professional with a solid industry background for such notable firms as Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Consistently works 15+ hour days, while thriving in fast-paced environments. Recent achievement includes retaining $20 million in funds by assisting in wealth management for corporate executives nationwide while at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Continues to foster business connections with executives in Mexico and Portugal. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.


The above is succinct, powerful, and professional. It emphases employment history, major companies worked for, and a stellar achievement.

One last note: Unless your academic history is germane to your professional career (eg: you’re in a career transition and studying for the new field), it’s best not to unduly showcase this information. It will label you as a student or an entry-level candidate rather than a seasoned professional.