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Important Information on Resume Awards Section
On a resume, the awards section helps demonstrate to a potential employer that you have received recognition for your abilities in a certain field, and also that you are a balanced or well-rounded individual. You may believe that all that matters on your resume are your educational background and accomplishments in your work history, but this leaves a great deal about who you are and your strengths out of the mix. When you create your resume, the awards section is an essential part of demonstrating your skills and abilities.
Where to start
In order to make this area as professional as possible, make a list before you begin. Write down every award and honor you have received as far as academic honors, scholarships, certifications and even volunteer work you have done. Also, decide what message you want to get across. Are you more interested in showing an employer that you are a diverse individual with many interests, or do you want to focus on the fact that you have in-depth expertise in a specific area?
What to include in your resume awards section
Here are a few examples to help give you an idea of information you may want to include in the awards section of your resume:
Were you chosen employee of the month at a prior job?
Perhaps you were captain of the debate team. This lets an employer know that you possess leadership skills.
Do you have any first aid or lifesaving certificates?
If you were in the military, you may have decorations or ranks that will impress a potential employer.
If you have many awards, honors or certificates, you may want to limit the information you provide on your resume. A lengthy list can make your resume look too messy or crowded, and you want to keep it as simple and brief as possible while still demonstrating your abilities clearly. Take out any awards or other honors that aren't as impressive as others, so that your list contains only the most impressing achievements or accomplishments.
Organize your information into specific categories, so that an employer is easily able to understand your achievements. Begin each category with the most important honor or award, and use bulleted lists to further highlight your information.
On your resume, the awards section generally goes toward the bottom of the page. Be sure to include the dates that you received the honor or award to the right of your information.
When added to your resume, an awards section can demonstrate to an employer that you are a good team player, have exceptional leadership skills, or that you are able to work well on your own without supervision. This section can also let an employer know that you have a great attitude, or even that you possess high moral standards. All of these things combined with your prior job accomplishments and education can take you far toward securing the position of your dreams!
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