This is a guest post by Mike Szczesny
A strong resume is key to standing out in a sea of job seekers. What’s one way to set yourself apart from the crowd? Include performance awards on your resume to highlight your accomplishments and skills.
Why Performance Awards Matter to Employers
Performance awards say a lot about who you are as a job candidate. Awards show that you have skills that are difficult to quantify on a resume, like dedication to a long-term project or creative problem-solving skills. Certificates might indicate that you’re qualified to perform a particular job that others lack.
Ultimately, performance awards show what you can bring to a workplace. So whether you’ve received a certification in a particular skill or custom trophies from your former workplace, don’t be afraid to include accolades on your resume.
What Types of Performance Awards Should Be Included on a Resume
- Academic awards. Include academic awards most relevant to your career history, such as academic honors, fellowships, or scholarships.
- Industry awards. These show that you are active and respected in your industry or field.
- Community awards. Awards that honor your work in a local community, such as volunteering or local government work, show your interests outside the workplace.
- Leadership awards. Leadership awards show that you have many skills that hiring managers want to see, like adaptability, conflict management, and creativity.
Five Tips for Adding Performance Awards to Your Resume
Showcasing your accomplishments and successes is essential to creating a solid and effective resume. One way to do this is by including performance awards you have received throughout your career.
Including performance awards on your resume can help you stand out from the other candidates and demonstrate your skills and achievements to potential employers. Here are five tips to help you effectively add performance awards to your resume:
1. Organize Awards for Quick Scanning
A resume should be organized and uniform. You want to make it easy for a hiring team to see everything you offer.
One option is to include performance awards in a separate section. Clearly label this section and place it in your resume where it won’t be overlooked if the hiring manager is doing a quick scan. Another option is to separate individual awards and include them in related sections; you might include a certificate awarded from your previous job under that job entry.
2. Label Awards Clearly
Whether you include performance awards in your resume entries or put them in a separate section, your reader will need information about each award to understand its meaning.
Each award entry should include the title of the award and the year it was presented to you. It is also helpful to say who gave the award, especially if this helps the reader understand the size or importance of the award.
3. Make Awards Dynamic with Brief Descriptions
Along with a basic entry, it’s a good idea to include some context to make your awards more dynamic in a quick read-through. This means addressing the larger purpose or significance of the listed awards.
The key is to stay brief and relevant. You might mention what the award represents, how often the award is granted, or other pertinent details that make an impact. (Were you given prize money? Were you chosen from a large pool of applicants? Etc.)
4. Pick Relevant Awards that Showcase Your Skills and Experience
Resumes are limited in terms of space, so you need to make careful decisions about which details to include. Don’t list every award you’ve ever been granted. Instead, pick the awards that are most impressive and relevant to the job at hand.
Under some circumstances, the more, the better. If you’re new to the job market or don’t have a robust resume, awards can help demonstrate a relevant skill or experience to flesh out your career history.
5. Strike the Right Tone: Be Professional and Modest
Striking the right tone is key to including performance awards on your resume. You don’t want to brag or oversell an award, but you also don’t want to downplay your achievements. Represent them faithfully and clearly on your resume, and trust that the hiring manager will see their significance.
Including performance awards on your resume can help your job search significantly. You can distinguish yourself from other candidates and demonstrate your worth to potential employers by emphasizing your accomplishments and successes.
By following the tips in this article, you can showcase your accomplishments and increase your chances of landing your dream job. Remember that your resume should be a true reflection of your skills and experiences. Performance awards are an excellent way to demonstrate to prospective employers what you can do and how valuable you are.
About the Guest Post Author:
Mike Szczesny is the owner and vice president of EDCO Awards & Specialties, a dedicated supplier of employee recognition products, branded merchandise, athletic awards and custom trophies. Szczesny takes pride in EDCO’s ability to help companies go the extra mile in expressing gratitude and appreciation to their employees. He resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.