Honors and Awards Section on a Resume
Make your honors and accomplishments really stand out with a well-written resume awards section. Understand which awards you should include and the best ways to include them.
In a competitive job market, it is important to have a resume that stands out from the crowd. Listing honors and awards on your resume gives you the edge you need to reach the interview stage and beyond.
Your degrees and experience will distinguish you from thousands of other candidates, but remember that employers have to look through dozens of resumes daily. Sometimes, you need a little something extra.
Adding resume awards and honors can give your resume the invaluable advantage it needs to get noticed.
Check out the following guide to find out where awards should go on a resume and how to include them so that they can positively influence your candidacy.
Our easy-to-use resume builder can then help you create your own resume with an awards section in minutes.
Award vs Honors
While both awards and honors recognize achievement, they differ in several key aspects. The following highlights the main characteristics that distinguish awards from honors:
Awards
- Recognize specific achievements or accomplishments
- Often include monetary prizes, plaques, or certificates
- Can be based on performance criteria, contests, or reviews
- Tend to have specific requirements and application processes
- Examples: “Employee of the Month,” “Best Paper Award”
Honors
- Acknowledge exemplary performance in a broader context
- Typically no tangible rewards beyond recognition
- Usually conferred based on academic or professional standing
- Often involve inclusion in a distinguished group or society
- Examples: “Dean’s List,” “Magna Cum Laude,” “Phi Beta Kappa”
This comparison illustrates that while awards often recognize specific accomplishments with tangible rewards, honors typically acknowledge overall excellence within a broader academic or professional context.
Understanding these differences can help you better categorize and present your achievements on your resume.
Why Include Honors and Awards on a Resume
Including awards and honors on your resume can significantly boost your chances for these reasons:
- Differentiation: With numerous applicants for each position, awards help you stand out from the crowd.
- Validation: Honors demonstrate external recognition of your skills and achievements.
- Relevance: Include awards that are relevant to your professional profile and the job you’re applying for.
- Impressive at any stage: Whether you’re a recent graduate or an industry veteran, awards showcase your excellence.
💡Tip
Only include honors and awards if they add value to your application and you have space on your resume. Quality trumps quantity, so choose your most impressive and relevant achievements!
What Are the Best Awards to Put on a Resume?
When considering what awards to add to your resume, it’s essential to focus on recognitions that highlight your skills, experiences, and accomplishments relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Here are a few types of awards that can help enhance your resume:
- Industry-specific: These are awards that are specific to your field of work or study. For instance, a “Salesperson of the Year” award would be highly relevant when applying for a sales role.
- Academic: Plenty of college awards on a resume look great and can illustrate your dedication and commitment to your field of study.
- Leadership: Any recognition for leadership, such as “Employee of the Month” showcases your ability to lead a team, which is a valuable trait in many roles.
- Community Service: Awards that showcase your commitment to the community and can be particularly relevant for roles in the non-profit sector or roles that value community engagement.
- Creative: If you are in a creative field, awards from competitions, festivals, or shows can illustrate your creative abilities.
A major key to listing awards on a resume is the relevance to the position. Always align your awards with the requirements of the job you are applying for to demonstrate your suitability and stand out as a candidate.
Additionally, provide context for each award to highlight why it’s significant and how it showcases your potential value to the prospective employer.
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.
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.
What information you should include about your awards
When listing awards on your resume, the goal is to provide the reader with enough context to understand its relevance and significance.
The information you include about each award plays a crucial role in this. Here is what you should mention:
- Award title: Begin with the formal name of the award. This should be the official title as given by the awarding body. The title alone can often indicate the award’s prestige, nature, and relevance to your field.
- Awarding organization: Include the name of the institution, organization, or body that presented the award.
- Date of award: Add the date (typically the year) you received the award. This gives employers a sense of your career timeline and recent achievements.
- Reason for the award: Briefly describe why you received the award. This can highlight specific achievements, skills, or qualities that the award recognized.
- Competition level: Mention the scale of the competition (local, regional, national, or international). This can indicate the level of expertise or skill required to win.
- Significance in the industry: If the award is reputable in your industry, briefly explain its importance.
By providing this information you can support your skills section and paint a clearer picture of your capabilities for the hiring manager
When Should You Include Honors and Awards on Your Resume?
Knowing how to write a resume and where to place honors and awards is crucial.
The main aspect to consider is whether the achievement is relevant to the position you’re applying to.
If you are a student, it is definitely worth including Honors and Awards on a resume because you’re 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 personal statement can show that you have self-belief, and your resume’s Awards and Honors section can prove that you have the ability. These 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 two pages. If you are not a student and have lots of relevant work experience, you will probably have filled a lot of the available space already. If so, consider whether it’s worth including this section or not against other areas of the resume.
On a professional resume, it can be useful to include professional awards, but only if they are relevant to the position you’re applying for, as they act as an easy reference for your ability.
For example, if you’re applying for a job in accounting at the age of 30, don’t include an award you won at school for creative writing.
Or if you won an award for Best Young Web Designer, and you are applying for a job as a web designer, it will clearly look good and help make your resume stand out.
Where Should Awards and Honors Go on a Resume?
While the placement of an Awards and Honors section depends on your resume format, it should never overshadow your experience and qualifications. Here’s how to position it effectively:
Enhance your story: Use this section to complement your qualifications and experience, adding extra value and demonstrating why you are the ideal candidate for the position.
Prominent but secondary: Place the Awards and Honors section near your Experience or Qualifications sections. This ensures they are noticeable without detracting from your main selling points.
Tips for Building Your Honors and Awards Section
As discussed, including a dedicated resume Honors and Awards section on your could be just what you need to stand out. Read through the following tips to effectively organize this section.
Academic Honors
- Honor societies: List any academic honor societies you were part of during college. Include the society’s name and a brief description of its significance.
- Dean’s list or cum laude: Mention achievements such as the Dean’s List or graduating with honors like Magna Cum Laude, providing context about what these honors entail.
Professional Awards
- Industry-specific recognitions: Include any awards relevant to your field, such as “Salesperson of the Year.” Explain the criteria and significance of the award to highlight your professional excellence.
- Professional society involvement: If you have been involved in professional societies, mention any awards or recognitions received, especially if they relate to the job you’re applying for.
Guidelines for Including Awards
- Relevance: Focus on awards that are directly relevant to the job you are applying for. Avoid listing high school honors unless you are a recent graduate creating a high school student resume.
- Description: Provide a brief explanation for each award. Include details about the scope, significance, and purpose of the accomplishment to ensure potential employers understand its value.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls
- High school honors: Generally, do not include high school honors unless they are exceptionally relevant or you have recently graduated.
- Unnecessary information: Avoid cluttering your resume with awards that do not pertain to the position or industry you’re targeting.
Carefully select which honors and awards to include and provide clear descriptions to present your achievements and enhance your resume’s impact effectively.
Using an online resume builder is a simple and effective way of writing a winning resume which will get you through to the interview stage.
Awards and honors examples
Like any other part of your resume, it will be critical for you to first examine how to list honors on your resume correctly. That way you’ll have a clear idea of how this information should be presented.
Check out the following example of a resume awards section:
Salesperson of the Year, ABC Company, 2023
- Awarded for exceeding annual sales targets by over 25%.
Magna Cum Laude, XYZ University, 2021
- Graduated with high honors in recognition of academic excellence.
Dean’s List, XYZ University, 2020-2021
- Recognized for maintaining a GPA of 3.8 or above for all terms.
It’s also important to note, that for an academic achievement, you should not mention your GPA unless it is over 3.5.
Experience section
- Employee of the Month (3 times in 2023)
- Top Salesperson Award (2022)
- Customer Service Excellence Award (2021-2023)
Education section
- Dean’s List (All semesters)
- Summa Cum Laude
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
Separate Awards and Honors section
- Industry Innovation Award (2023)
- Best Paper Award, International Conference on AI (2022)
- Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2021)
Skills section
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Six Sigma Black Belt
- Adobe Certified Expert
Professional Development section
- Leadership Excellence Program Graduate (2023)
- Advanced Data Analytics Certification (2022)
The key is to place awards where they best support your overall narrative and career objectives. For recent graduates, academic honors might be more prominent, while seasoned professionals might focus on industry recognition and workplace achievements
💡Tip
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!
Key Takeaways
Strategically featuring honors and awards on your resume can significantly boost your chances of landing an interview. Remember the following points:
- Strategic placement: Position prominently without overshadowing experience
- Relevance: Include only job-related or skill-showcasing awards
- Quality focus: Highlight significant achievements over minor accolades
- Clear explanations: Briefly describe each award’s significance
Thoughtfully incorporate these elements to create a resume that not only tells your professional story but also highlights your exceptional achievements.
Go for it!
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