Honors and Awards Resume Examples: In a competitive academic and job market, many students or recent grads find themselves lost in the shuffle, especially when other applicants have similar academic or work histories.
Honors and Awards Resume
My duty right now is to make sure you understand the standard of resume that you can possibly incorporate your Honors, Awards, etc.
Academic and work accomplishments are what set you apart from the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other candidates vying for the same seat in college or that job you want.
Admissions directors and hiring managers know that past achievement usually predicts future performance. They also know that achievers are self-starters, motivated, and an asset to their school or company.
Remember, admissions directors and hiring managers have dozens of resumes to review daily. In that sea of paper, accomplishments are what capture and retain their interest, so to make certain that you get noticed, highlight your academic or work-related honors, awards, and accomplishments.
The following points make up this article
What is an accomplishment?
Accomplishments are relevant honors, achievements, or awards that you earned for exceeding average standards in either academics, athletics, or a work environment. Some examples of accomplishments are:
- Scholarships
- Honor Roll inclusion for high grades
- Awards won for specific activities or subjects (i.e., Most Valuable Player (MVP), Fine Art Award)
- Inclusion in student-related achievement publications (i.e., Who’s Who in American High Schools)
- Perfect attendance awards
- Work-related awards (i.e., Top Sales Performer)
- Promotions to leadership positions in your job (i.e., Shift Supervisor)
- Volunteer related awards (i.e., Volunteer of the Year)
As you can see, the key is to provide an admissions director with relevant academic honors and achievements that highlight your particular background. Be sure to include other honors and awards as you see fit.
What is not an accomplishment?
Any regular activity that does not include attainment of an award, scholarship, or other means of recognition should not be listed as an accomplishment since your ability to be extraordinary has not been measured by an organization.
Examples:
-
- Performing daily tasks correctly
- Promptness for meetings
- Being congenial or friendly
- Attending school daily
Describing your accomplishments
When describing honors, awards, or accomplishments on your resume, it is important to maximize the use of language and wording to get your point across in the strongest way. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Avoid writing vague self-serving statements on your student resume by using quantifying data.
Weak: High School Senior with good grades
Strong: High School Senior consistently named to the Honor Roll, 2000-2004 Member of the National Honor Society
- Avoid accomplishments that have nothing to do with your future career goal, your current job search, or those that do not enhance your candidacy.
Don’t use: Beauty contest “Miss Congeniality” winner
Use: Won Award at High School Science Fair, 2002
- Be specific with details to capture and retain interest.
Weak: Won Award for Best Art.
Strong: Earned Excellence Award for Art Work (pen & ink drawings), 2008-2010
Weak: Helped customers in the showroom.
Strong: Increased sales by $5,000 during the summer by helping clients in a showroom. This resulted in sales to 8 out of 10 customers.
Featuring Honors, Awards, and Accomplishments on your Resume
Accomplishments, no matter how stellar, will do little to enhance your chances of getting into school or getting a job, unless they are properly showcased in your student resume or entry-level resume.
If you bury them within your daily duties or general academic information, they may not be seen. Remember, admissions directors and hiring managers have many resumes to review. If it’s hard for them to find important information on your resume, they may pass on your candidacy.
You should emphasize your academic, work, or volunteer recognition by creating a specific honor, awards, and accomplishments section of your resume. Make sure to provide the following details when including your accomplishments:
-
- Date of recognition or award
- Purpose of award and accomplishment it recognizes (i.e., Academic, athletic, job-related)
- Significance of award (i.e., What did you have to accomplish? Only one who received the award? )
- Scope of the award (i.e.: National, regional, or local)
As you can see, there are a variety of ways to market and display your academic and career accomplishments.
How to Write Honors and Awards on your Resume
If you’ve decided that an Honors and Awards section will add value to your resume, you should create a separate resume section to make your accomplishments stand out.
In this Honors and Awards resume section, it’s possible to add scholarships, academic awards, and as well as other professional certificates gained throughout your academic or professional career.
If you have lots of work experience, it is advisable to include any professional awards on your resume to highlight the fact your work was recognized for its excellence in a certain field.
The accomplishments that you choose to add to your resume must be relevant to the job vacancy you’re applying to or relate in some way to the industry or specific company.
When it comes to listing awards on a resume you should remember to include the details of when and where it was awarded to you, such as the date and the school, college, or enterprise.
When Should you Include Honors and Awards on your Resume?
Your resume is one of the most important tools you have at your disposal during a job hunt. It’s the first point of contact for potential employers, and it is what they’ll use to decide whether or not to give you an interview.
Therefore knowing how to write a good resume is crucial. You need to tailor it to the job at hand to show how you will add value to your potential employer’s organization. Putting Honors and Awards on your resume can do this, but only if you use the right ones.
Should I include honors and awards on my resume?
The answer to this question depends on a few considerations. The main aspect to consider is whether or not the achievement is relevant for the position you’re applying to.
If you are a student, it is worth including Honors and on a resume because you are likely to have limited work experience and you will need to fill space.
Honors and Awards on a resume can highlight skills that are valuable to many employers. The same applies if you have limited work experience or are writing an entry-level resume.
Your statement can show that you have self-belief, your Awards and Honors section on your resume can prove you have the ability. They can also be verified during the background check.
When not to include Honors and Awards on a resume? In most cases, resumes shouldn’t be longer than a page. Space on your resume is therefore highly valuable.
If you are not a student and have more relevant work experience, you won’t be struggling to fill space and it may be more beneficial to focus on other areas of your resume.
Every item on your resume should highlight why you are the best candidate for the job, so only write a resume with Honors and Awards if the achievements are directly relevant.
Tips for Building your Honors and Awards Section
Depending on your professional profile, including a specific resume section dedicated to honors and awards could be just what you need to stand out in the application process.
- Most colleges and higher education institutions have academic honor societies for their brightest students. Make sure you include the names of these along with a brief description.
- Also, include relevant professional awards and any involvement you’ve had in professional societies if it relates to the job you’re applying for.
- Don’t include high school honors on your resume. Unless you’ve just finished high school and are creating a high school student resume, there’s no need to include them in your education section. It will seem like you’re desperately trying to fill space.
- Provide information with each award. Explain what each achievement means and what is involved. The employer may not be familiar with the award or the organization, so briefly explain this by including scope, significance, and purpose of the accomplishment.
- Focus on the elements which are directly relevant to the job at hand. Do not add unnecessary information if it is not pertinent to the vacancy or industry you’re applying to.
Where Should Awards and Honors go on a resume?
Deciding where to place an Awards and Honors section will depend on the . However, no matter how impressive this section is, it should not be the main focus of your resume.
So, where do you put awards on a resume?
Any awards and acknowledgments that you choose to add to your resume should be prominent, but your experience and qualifications are the main selling points. You could put it directly below or next to your Experience or Qualifications section.
Your resume tells your story and demonstrates why you are the right person for a position. The Awards and Honors section should accompany your Qualifications and Experience, adding extra value to your resume.
Using an is a simple and effective way of writing a winning resume that will get you through to the interview stage.
Why Include Honors and Awards on a Resume
Should I include awards on my resume? The simple answer is yes if you have the space on your resume and the achievements are relevant to your professional profile and the job offer, then it is perfectly acceptable and often recommended to list your accomplishments, including many awards and honors, on your resume.
To understand the importance of adding awards to a resume, it’s key to remember that hiring managers receive dozens if not hundreds of resumes for potentially just one vacancy, which means the successful candidate needs to find a way of making their resume stand out! An Honors and Awards section is just the way to do that.
Whether you’re just graduated high school or you’ve been working in the industry for many years, being awarded or honored for your work or academic excellence is always an impressive accomplishment that should be highlighted when you’re applying for a new position.
Don’t hold back if you have various awards in a certain field or you’ve achieved something special in a previously held position similar to the vacancy. Humility has no place on your resume!
You got the information you wanted right? I believe you did, you can always rely on StudentsandScholarship when it comes to information like this. If you share this article with your friends via their social media handle it won’t take much of your time. Should you have any questions bothering you, the frequently asked questions below could be useful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ques.: Why do I need a resume?
Ans.: The purpose of a resume is to stimulate the interest of a potential employer enough to want to interview you. Resumes provide a brief overview of your skills and experience and demonstrate your aptitude for the job you are applying for.
You might use a resume at job fairs and informational interviews, to answer job ads, to accompany a request for a letter of recommendation, and as part of a graduate school application.
Ques.: Do I need an objective on my resume?
Ans.: It is a good idea to include an objective on your resume so that a potential employer is clear about what you are looking for from the beginning. It’s not required, but an objective is useful for focusing the resume and the reader. Employers often say that they prefer resumes with objectives and they want them to be fairly specific.
Not only do they not have time to try to figure out which of their many positions you might fit into; they also prefer to know what you are really interested in.
Ques.: What’s the difference between a resume and a curriculum vitae?
Ans.: A curriculum vitae (CV) is an academic resume and is used for research and college/university teaching positions. A resume is brief – usually one page – and focuses on work experience.
A CV can be as long as it takes to state one’s qualifications, publications, papers presented, etc. Sometimes people ask for a CV when they really want a resume. Be sure to check with the person requesting it to be certain you are using the correct version for that position.
Ques.: Can a resume be more than one page?
Ans.: Yes, a resume can be more than one page, but it shouldn’t be unless you have extensive experience related to your job objective. Most resumes for college students and recent graduates should fit onto one page if you clearly and concisely describe your experiences.
Ques.: Must I include my GPA on my resume?
Ans.: As a student or recent graduate your academic achievement will be one of your most important assets. The basic rule of thumb is “if you’ve got it, flaunt it;” it is appropriate to include your GPA on your resume if it is 3.0 or above.
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StudentsandScholarship Team.
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