If you’ve decided to enter the National Paralegal Awards, well done!  Being a finalist in professional awards or winning an award is a fantastic way to give your career a boost, or as a marketing tool for your business. 

Use these 10 top tips on how to write an award winning entry.

Choosing a Category     

There may be a few categories that are relevant to you.   Make sure you focus on your achievements and choose the category that gives you the best opportunity to talk about these.

Give yourself enough time         

Putting together a great award entry takes effort and time, so you don’t want to rush it.

Focus your message      

Structure your entry so that it is clear and concise.  Keep your sentences punchy and try not to waffle.

Tell a Story        

Take the judges on a journey and help them understand where you have come from, and what you have achieved.

Be Yourself        

Show your personality, and what makes you unique.   Write your entry in a way that helps the judges understand who you are as a person, if it’s appropriate and in your nature, it’s okay to include some humour.

Get your facts straight  

Whilst words like ‘game-changing’ and ‘dedicated’ may sound impressive, can you demonstrate it?  Explain exactly what you did, why you did it and the real business results at the end.

Don’t be afraid to point out what went wrong  

Show how you coped and what you learnt from the problem or experience.  It could be what makes your entry stand out from the rest.

Evidence and Supporting Information

Many awards and categories will ask you to upload supporting information and documents, this could be evidence, useful links, testimonials or case studies.  If you have something relevant, include it.

Stick to the word count

Choose what you include in your entry carefully and only include your strongest examples.  The word count is there for a reason.

Get your entry proof read           

Proofreading is a difficult art when you’re trying to check your own writing.  Ask a friend or colleague to cast their eye over your entry to check for potential spelling and grammar mistakes.  Also ask them to consider whether the copy writing flows or if there’s anything that is unclear or information missing.