How To List Awards On Resume
In a fast-paced job market environment, truly small things can play a decision-making role in selecting your resume. To these things, we can include not only achievements but also awards. We have already discussed how to list accomplishments on a resume, so lets move onto the question of how to list awards on resume and the difficulties surrounding it.
First of all, we have to face the truth: not all your awards are relevant for the position applying for. So, you always have to figure out what awards to put on resume and whether to include them at all due to the next point. Secondly, your resume should be as short as possible, which means you should set the priorities straight from the start regarding what information should be included.
In the end, believe us, the awards section is not the most important part of your resume. Your work experience, professional competencies, and education should take higher priority. Also, bear in mind that you might be brief in your resume but do not forget to be prepared to expand upon your awards on a resume and how you achieved your results during the interview.
Pulling It All Together
Now that you’ve completed this brainstorming exercise, turn your accomplishments into high-impact statements. Lead with the result, outcome, or benefit to your employer. Here are a few examples of how to transform rough notes into accomplishments statements:Position: Teacher
- Rough notes: When I first started, students were passing state exams at the dismal rate of 67%. I updated the curriculum and instilled the students with a love of history. By year’s end, my students had achieved a 93% pass rate.
- Accomplishments statement: Dramatically increased pass rate of eighth-grade students from 67% to a record-high of 93% on state proficiency testing.
Position: Systems administrator
- Rough notes: I helped migrate more than 1,000 users from local servers to corporate Unix DCS servers. My boss wanted this done in a month, and unbelievably, I achieved this.
- Accomplishments statement: Integrally involved in seamless migration of 1,000-plus users from various local servers onto DCS corporate UNIX servers in aggressive one-month timeframe.
Position: Administrative assistant
- Rough notes: On my first day on the job, I couldn’t find anything because the filing system was a mess. Customers were unhappy because wait times were long as we located files. I reorganized the filing system, which now works beautifully.
- Accomplishments statement: Improved office efficiency and customer service by overhauling previously haphazard filing system.
Accomplishments Related To Community
The following bullet points relating to community achievement could also feature on a resume.
- Named Northern Territory Local Hero in 2018 for knitting clothes for Parramatta Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- Boosted annual fundraising total by $5000, on average
- Helped build 20 homes in remote indigenous communities around the Northern Territory in 2019
- Part of the 2018 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race winning team
- Performed for local troops in Afghanistan in 2015
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Awards And Achievements In Resume For Fresher
Nowadays the job market is hugely competitive, especially for those who are recently graduating from school. Every fresher who can just pass out and no experience they have a greater opportunity to make a resume very attractive and impress the hiring manager to hire you. The hiring manager is also responsible for when hiring candidates he should know” If you want to predict someone’s future, look at their past.” and then give the job to the candidate. But when you think to mention accomplishment in the resume then, do not include irrelevant achievement in that. Because extra and irrelevant achievement can make a bad impression in the overall organization. But keep in mind that if you mention accomplishment then it should not be unlimited to things that go above and beyond ordinary expectations. Fresher means that have don’t any corporate experience.
How To List Accomplishments On A Resume In 2021
Showcasing your achievements is what can be the cherry on the cake to help you stand out from the crowd as a top performer and really attract employers.
Achievements, accomplishments, and awards can all serve as major highlights and points of interest on a resume and can help you to get a leg up on the competition.
In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about including achievements on a resume, from what kinds of accomplishments to include to where to place them.
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Where To List Awards On Your Resume
Employers often receive dozens to hundreds of applications for a single open position. Having awards and accomplishments on your resume is one of the ways that you can make your application stand out, but where and how do you list them? In this article, we examine the value of including awards and accomplishments on your resume, the common types of awards to include and how to include awards on your resume to impress potential employers .
How To Write Achievements In Resume
Most job-seekers underestimate the importance of writing professional accomplishments on a resume. Meanwhile, its the accomplishments that distinguish a great resume from a mediocre one. Not only they show your commercial value, but also communicate that you are result-oriented and give a glimpse of what you can accomplish for an employer if hired.
Concentrating the resume on accomplishments rather than on typical duties for the role will give you a competitive edge over other applicants. However, simply adding figures or mentioning that you met expectations is not enough for writing achievements efficiently. Today, our team of the best online resume writers is going to share the professional secrets so you could list your accomplishments in the way that captivates the attention of a hiring person.
Dont have time to learn resume writing rules? Get your resume written by an experienced writer of Resumeperk.com. Our professionals have the expertise in creating achievement-driven resumes and will help to present your background on paper efficiently. We will also work on the writing style, keywords and design to maximize your chances for an interview.
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Add Your Achievements To The Work Experience Section
Your work experience section, where your previous jobs are listed and described, is the most important part of your job application. It is also the best place to show your achievements in your resume. Here is how you can make this section stand out:
- Quantify your achievements where possible.
- Make every sentence count.
- Focus on the business outcome of your actions.
- Use up to 6 bullets points for each job and focus only on what is relevant to the job you are applying for.
- If possible, begin each bullet with an action verb. Action verbs include words like, “designed,””created,””engineered,” and “initiated”.
How To Write Outstanding Resume Achievements
Not all resumes are created equal.
Its a well-known fact that out of 10 resumes that land on recruiters desks, about 7 get tossed in the bin immediately.
What is it, then, makes the remaining three resumes worthy of a second look?
- Is it the design?
- Is it the resumes length?
- Is it a list of impressive references?
- Is it the profile section?
You may be surprised to find out that its an entirely different factor altogether.
Resumes that grab the attention of recruiters have one thing in common: they contain well-articulated, strong achievements that clearly showcase a candidates value.
Unfortunately, most resumes fall quite short of this mark. If youre like most people, your resume probably contains either a list of dull, poorly written achievements or a list of duties and responsibilities instead.
In other words, its a generic listicle of what youve done, rather than a demonstration of value that youve provided.
Typically, achievements are things that youve initiated, built, executed or reached. These are quite different from responsibilities that are usually listed under your job description. An achievement is typically unique to your experience and tells an employer that you have a track record of delivering.
Most importantly, it tells the employer that youre results-driven and possess the capacity to deliver tangible value to an organisation.
Consider these two examples:
Which one sounds more enticing to you?
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Kicks Two Cents: Awards And Achievements Piece Of Advice
- Keep it short. Avoid writing long paragraphs and use bullet points instead.
- Prioritize. If you decide to designate an entire section to your achievements, think about which accomplishments are the most significant. Would you be impressed by it if you were a hiring manager?
- Avoid controversy. Some awards and achievements may be too personal or controversial. Avoid listing any political or religious accomplishments.
- Dont exaggerate. Avoid making something up. You might be asked about your award and accomplishments in your job interview. Or they might contact your references. Lying or exaggerating can cost you a job.
- Mention your biggest accomplishments in your resume summary. If youre a seasoned professional with many notable achievements, they deserve to be placed on the top of your resume. A resume summary is the first thing hiring managers read. Impress them from the get-go.
List Of Sample Professional Awards Achievements And Accomplishments To Put On A Resume
- Received X professional award.
- Shortlisted for X professional award.
- Employee of the month X times because of Y skill/achievement.
- Commended by management for X.
- Part of a team that received X award.
- Completed/created X projects/products per month/year.
- Slashed costs by X%.
- Improved quality measures by X%.
- Cut delivery times by X%.
- Raised revenue by X%.
- Received X% positive customer survey results.
- Trained X employees in Y.
- Improved efficiency of X system by Y%.
- Raised customer satisfaction scores by X%.
- Singled out by management to handle X important project.
- Assigned a peer mentoring role by manager because of X skill.
- Promoted only X months after hiring.
- Maintained costs X% under budget for Y years.
- Didnt miss a day of work for X years.
- Led or participated in a team that accomplished X.
- Consistently met deadlines.
- Beat company/department average of X metric by Y.
- Completed X task Y% faster than company average.
- Cut X waste by Y%.
- Saved X hours per year by initiating Y project.
- Increased staff retention by X%.
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Add Figures And Percentages
Good resume accomplishments are always specific, so you cant go without figures and percentages. Add them wherever possible to quantify your impact, show that you are a result-driven professional and prove our contribution. Continuously exceeded quarterly sales targets doesnt make your impact clear. Exceeded the quarterly sales goals by 35% in FY2018 and recognized by senior management is much better. Figures build trust. Moreover, they naturally stop the eye of the reader and draw more attention than words. However, avoid stretching the truth to receive an interview invitation. Lying on resume is hardly worth it, especially considering the fact that all your resume information is easy to check.
How To List Achievements On Your Resume
The best way to demonstrate excellence and success when applying for a job is to prominently list your achievements in your resume. For your resume to stand out, it must be more than a simple list of responsibilities from previous jobs. It should show how you met goals, exceeded expectations, and achieved important milestones. Your resume has to show how you can add value to a company, not just how you can do the bare minimum. Emphasizing your achievements is crucial to capturing the attention of employers.
To get started, here are a few tips for selecting and writing about your accomplishments.
- Brainstorm: Start by making a list of all of your impressive work-related achievements from previous positions. Any achievement that shows leadership, creativity, and hard work is worth writing down. Dont worry about relevance for now–just focus on collecting all of your accomplishments in one place. Achievements may include:
- Time you saved for the company
- Special projects you worked on
- Revenue you generated
- Media coverage you gained for the company
- Funding, grants or scholarships you received
- Money you saved for the company
- Social media engagement
- Volunteering accomplishments
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What Are Resume Accomplishments
In a nutshell, resume achievements show how well you performed in the previous roles. Employers want to see the results you delivered, as your previous results are seen as a guarantee of your future successes. Thats why all career experts insist that you focus on results instead of job duties in a resume. Responsibilities dont give the hiring person an idea of what kind of employee you are, so resumes which mostly consist of responsibilities are often overlooked.
The success of your resume also depends on crafting a catchy summary. If you struggle to write your summary of qualifications, simply follow our guide: .
Examples Of Accomplishments To Put On A Resume: By Industry
Here are some industry-specific examples of achievements which you can use to give you ideas and to help you write an accomplishment-based resume.
Balanced an annual budget of over $600,000
Saved the company 7% over a 5-year period
Responded to over 30 emails a day and resolved customers problems
Designed email templates, which were used throughout the department
Operated a cash register and handled over $10,000 a week
Assisted 20 customers a day, making tailored recommendations
Saved the company $10,000 by implementing efficiency software
Reduced the hours lost through IT problems by 8%
Provided high-quality care to over 20 patients daily
Mentored and led a team of 12 newly-qualified nurses
Top salesperson in the team for 3 years running
Boosted sales by over 25% in 2016
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What Is An Academic Achievement
An academic achievement is any accomplishment youve made during your time in school, whether thats in high school, college, university, post-secondary certification, or beyond.
This could include anything from your test scores to awards to scholarships to being asked to lead a research study. It could literally be any experience or accomplishment that youre proud of thats associated with school or your education.
However, your resume shouldnt just be a list of everything youve ever achieved during your time at school.
When youre narrowing down what types of achievements to put on a resume, remember that they should be relevant to your professional life.
That is, the academic achievements you choose to list on your resume should work towards convincing the hiring manager that youre worth hiring.
How To Identify Your Best Achievements
Defining achievements in sales and marketing roles is pretty straightforward you usually mention the number of leads youve brought in or a total amount of revenue youve generated.
Other types of roles can be more tricky. I think the best way to show you is through a few real-life examples:
- Stayed under budget for 10 years while exceeding targets by 15%
- Have been promoted to COO after only 12 months on the job
- Increased customer satisfaction by 15%, beating company target by 200%
- Digitised companys medical record library of more than 120,000 files 12 months ahead of schedule
- Ran monthly customer events, resulting in 855 NPS rating
- Directed 25 events per year, which resulted in 1030 qualified leads
I hope that youre starting to see the pattern.
Do you find yourself getting stuck? Ask a former colleague or a boss for some examples of your achievements. Often, were quite bad at recognising our own accomplishments, so an outside perspective can ensure that you dont neglect to showcase your true value.
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Listing Achievements Under Awards Resume Section Detailed
This is how to include awards in a resume with more information for the hiring manager:
Awards2016Salesperson of the Year Award
- In recognition for achieving 193% of annual target nearest competitor achieved 102%
2016Top Performer Award Quarter 4
- In recognition for achieving 127% of quarterly target
2015Salesperson of the Year Award
- In recognition for consistently exceeding every quarterly target
Why Use An Achievement
Imagine for a moment that you are responsible for interviewing candidates for a position in your own firm. In front of you sit 20 CVs each is well presented and features similar qualifications, a number of relevant past jobs and appropriate work experience placements.
How do you choose who to interview?
Creating a CV focused on tangible strengths, as opposed to simply listing responsibilities, will help to get your CV noticed and increase your chances of securing an interview.
Consider these two examples:
-
I was responsible for the company’s filing system.
-
I streamlined the company’s filing system and saved the company £6,000 in temp costs.
Which would you be more attracted to? An achievement-focused CVproves your past performance and gives an interviewer confidence that you will work hard to get results.
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Example Of A Flawed Award Description
2016 Salesperson of the Year Award Despite a slow start, I still managed to reach my annual target by increasing my amount of cold calls and by contacting existing clients to upsell/cross-sell.
As you can see, the good description gets to the point concisely, uses objective language, and backs the award up with quantifiable evidence. On the other hand, the ineffective description rambles on without a clear purpose, uses subjective language, and forgets to include factual evidence to support the award.
Here is an easy checklist for making sure youre describing an award on a resume properly:
- Did I use objective and fact-based language?
- Did I use evidence to support the award, such as measurable achievements or metrics?
- Did I keep the award description concise and relevant to the job post?
- Did I avoid rambling and avoid details that arent relevant or interesting?
- Did I avoid including irrelevant information?
- Did I avoid misspelling the name of the award or any words I used to describe it?