How to List Awards on a Resume

Have you received any awards for your outstanding achievements? Putting them on your resume is a great way to stand out from other job applicants. Read on to learn how to list awards on a resume, and to view examples of awards on resumes.

 Which awards should be included?

You might be wondering which awards to put on a resume. Most awards worthy of inclusion will fall under one of three categories: company, industry, or academic awards.

List only significant awards on a resume. If you're not sure which awards are significant and which are not, recognition given based on predetermined metrics are usually best – for example, a valedictorian or top salesman award – whereas awards that are given in a spirit of fun or to help employees get to know each other (employee of the month on a company newsletter, or an academic senior superlative award) may be best left off your resume.

What information should be included?

Awards listed on a resume should include the following information:

• The name of the award
• The group who gave the award (this is often, but not always, included in the award's name)
• The date the award was received

• A brief explanation of the purpose of the award
• The scope of possible recipients of the award from which you were chosen
• A brief summary of why your work was chosen

Wondering where to put awards on a resume? As previously mentioned, most awards you should consider including will be given at the company, industry, or academic level. These roughly correspond to the sections of your resume where you might include them:

• Academic awards should be included in the education section of your resume.
• Company awards should be included in the entry for the job at which they were received.
• Industry awards should be listed either in the entries for the job you held when you received them or on a broader section of your resume dedicated to your general skills. The second option is best suited to awards that recognize broader achievements of your career, while the first is appropriate when the award is specifically related to your work at that company.
• If you've received many awards, consider a dedicated section on your resume specifically for showcasing them. Only do this if the awards follow a similar theme, allowing the section to remain cohesive.

Examples of Awards on Resumes

Some examples of each type of award in context within a resume are below. The exact formatting used to convey the information above is flexible – choose a format that works within the chosen structure of the rest of your resume. (Note that fictional awards, companies, and universities are used in these examples).

Mechanical Engineering • Awarded 2013, Gregory Clark Medal, by the National Fellowship of Mechanical Engineers in recognition of pioneering contributions to the field of power steering.

Awards and honors in journalism:

• 2004 E.M. Thompson Prize Winner
• 2010 E.M. Thompson Prize Winner
• 2013 Marisol Jennings Medal Winner

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