Including the right awards on a resume elevates an application from a list of duties to a narrative of success. These honors act as third-party validation, offering recruiters proof of your skills and achievements. Thoughtfully presented awards can capture a hiring manager’s attention and differentiate you from other qualified applicants.
What Types of Awards Belong on a Resume?
Professional and Industry Awards
Accolades from professional organizations and industry bodies represent external validation of your expertise. These awards are recognized beyond a single company, signaling a high level of skill respected by peers. Examples include a Clio Award for advertising or a “40 Under 40” list, which demonstrates leadership potential. Listing these shows your work was considered exceptional by external judges and can be persuasive to hiring managers.
Company-Specific Recognition
Internal awards like “Employee of the Month” or “Top Performer” highlight a history of exceeding expectations. To make these impactful for an external audience, add context. For instance, specify that “President’s Club” was “Awarded to the top 5% of sales representatives nationwide.” This translates an internal honor into a universally understood measure of achievement.
Academic Achievements
For recent graduates, scholastic honors demonstrate a strong foundation of knowledge. Awards like graduating magna cum laude or inclusion on the Dean’s List signal high academic success. Other recognitions, like scholarships or honor society inductions, also serve as early indicators of your potential. While their relevance diminishes over time, they remain a testament to your abilities early in your career.
Community and Volunteer Honors
Awards for community service or volunteer work showcase your character and soft skills like leadership and empathy. Recognitions like a “Volunteer of the Year” award highlight a commitment beyond professional obligations. Including these honors provides a more holistic view of who you are and can be a deciding factor for employers building a positive workplace culture.
Where to Place Awards on Your Resume
The placement of awards on your resume affects their visibility. The best location depends on the number of awards, their relevance to the job, and your career narrative. A dedicated “Awards and Recognition” section works well if you have three or more awards. This section is placed toward the bottom of the resume but can be moved higher if the awards are prestigious or highly relevant.
Alternatively, integrate awards into the “Work Experience” or “Education” sections. This method is ideal for one or two awards tied to a specific job or program. For example, a “Top Salesperson” award can be a bullet point under the corresponding job. Academic honors like the Dean’s List are best placed within your education section.
How to Format Your Awards Section
Clear formatting is important for readability. A simple format to follow is: [Name of Award], [Awarding Organization], [Date Received]. For instance: “President’s Club, XYZ Corporation, 2023.” This format is clean and easy for both readers and applicant tracking systems (ATS) to parse.
If an award’s name doesn’t convey its significance, add a brief description for context. This is useful for company-specific awards unfamiliar to recruiters. For example: “Innovator of the Quarter, ABC Tech, 2022 – Recognized for developing a process that reduced project turnaround time by 15%.” This quantifies the achievement.
What to Do If You Don’t Have Formal Awards
A lack of formal awards does not mean a lack of achievements. You can demonstrate your value by focusing on “accomplishments” and showcasing your successes with quantifiable results and specific examples.
Consider highlighting these forms of recognition:
- Quantifiable results: Frame your impact with data. For example, “Streamlined the invoicing process, resulting in a 25% reduction in payment delays.”
- Promotions: A promotion is a clear indicator that your employer recognized your value and trusted you with greater responsibility.
- Positive performance reviews: Quoting an impactful line from a review, such as “Consistently exceeded sales targets by over 20%,” can act as a powerful testimonial.
- Informal recognition: Mention instances where you were asked to train new hires or lead a high-profile project, as these instances demonstrate trust and expertise.
Focusing on these concrete achievements builds a strong resume that showcases your capabilities, even without a formal awards section.
Awards to Avoid Including
Not all awards belong on a professional resume. Including the wrong honors can clutter your document and distract from your qualifications. Maintain professionalism and relevance by omitting the following types of awards:
- Outdated awards: Omit awards from high school (unless you are a very recent graduate) or those from more than a decade ago, as they may no longer reflect your current skills.
- Irrelevant hobbies: Avoid listing awards for personal hobbies unless the hobby directly relates to the job, such as a photography award for a graphic design role.
- Potentially polarizing honors: Be cautious with awards related to political or religious activities unless you are applying to a role within such an organization. This helps avoid unconscious bias.