How to List Awards on Your Resume in 2025

Why list awards on your resume? Because highlighting awards and honors on your resume can significantly enhance your application. Awards provide tangible proof of your skills and excellence in the field.

Keep reading to learn how how to list awards on your resume, with explanations and examples to make your resume stand out to recruiters.

How to list awards on your resume

Wondering what to put on your resume? Knowing what a resume should look like in 2025 can seem pretty confusing, but it should always include the highlights of your career.

Listing awards on your resume is key. It boosts your application and highlights your qualifications. The key is to share clear and relevant information always, like having the exact name of the award included, who awarded it, and making sure the dates are formatted correctly.

Focus on your achievements and show how they fit with your skills and experience.

To list awards on your resume and make it ATS-friendly, use tools like Jobscan’s free resume builder. Pick one of five resume templates. You’ll go straight to our resume builder. The chosen template will be pre-loaded and ready for you to customize.

You can quickly add your details. This includes your contact info, work experience, education, skills, certificates, and awards. You’ll have a finished resume ready to send to recruiters in no time.

Below is an example of what the resume builder looks like when you’re adding awards:

Here’s are the other important things to know when you’re listing awards on a resume:

Only include relevant awards

Focusing on relevance is key for listing awards. It helps make your application stronger. Knowing how long a resume should be is very important, and there should be space for you to list your achievements and awards.

Listing relevant awards strengthens your results and achievements. It adds value to your application and shows you’re a good fit for the role. It might seem unprofessional if you include any honors that are unrelated to the job posting.

To determine which awards are relevant, consider the job you are applying for and the industry. Ask yourself:

Quantify your accomplishments

Measuring your achievements is key to making a strong awards list on your resume. This practice elevates your awards from mere titles to powerful evidence of your capabilities and impact.

Quantifying makes your awards more meaningful and relevant. It gives employers more context. This helps them see how important your achievement is. Using numbers helps to show the value of the recognition and prove the value of your experiences.

List the measurable achievements that earned the award. Use metrics like percentages, dollar amounts, or specific figures to show impact.

Read more: Should You Use Past or Present Tense on Your Resume?

Use clear titles

Use clear titles for each award you include. This practice is key. It helps your achievements stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. You should always mention the official title of the award when listing it on your resume.

Where to put awards on your resume

You can list awards in different spots on your resume. This depends on the type, number, and how relevant they are to the job you want. The goal is to maximize the impact of your accomplishments on potential employers.

You should start with having a a dedicated “Awards” section. This is a common approach if you have multiple significant awards (generally three or more) that you want to highlight.

It’s also useful for listing awards that don’t neatly fit under a specific job or educational entry. It provides a dedicated space to showcase achievements without cluttering other sections. It’s all about knowing how to organize your resume into sections the right way

Here’s an examplee of a dedicated awards section on a resume:

In this example, the name of the award is clearly listed (Patient Excellence Award), and so is the date it was awarded and who awarded it. A summary of what the award is for is also included, demonstrating value like “demonstrates exceptional care” and “ensuring patient comfort”.

The placement of a separate awards section can vary. We almost always suggest listing it towards the bottom of your resume. If the awards are important and relevant, place them earlier. You can put them after the skills section or even near the top of your resume. This works well for well-known achievements you want to highlight.

For a chronological resume format, it’s often placed towards the end, while for a functional resume, it might appear earlier. And, remember that a two page resume might be the ideal option if that’s what it takes to include everything you need.

Here’s an example of a resume with a dedicated awards section. Not only does it have all of the information included (heading, award title, awarder, date, and a summary of the award), but it’s places at the bottom of the article and formatted correctly.

Why list awards on your resume?

Listing awards on a resume is important. It helps you stand out in a crowded job market. Employers often receive many applications for a single position. Awards provide tangible proof of your skills and excellence, significantly boosting your chances.

Here are the main reasons why listing awards on your resume can be a great idea:

Demonstrate your skills

Listing awards on your resume is a smart way to stand out. They show potential employers your hard skills and achievements. Awards show your skills and achievements. They do more than list your duties; they highlight how well you did them.

Awards show your skills, knowledge, and expertise in your field. Academic awards, for example, show mastery of subjects and specific qualifications. Professional and industry awards showcase your expertise and authority in your field.

They can also showcase your soft skills, like:

Show your value and prove your abilities

Skills and experience show what you can do. Awards prove how well you did those tasks and the positive difference you made. Here’s how awards help you show your value:

Awards you should include on your resume

The awards you should include on your resume is guided by their relevance to the job you are applying for. Including relevant awards is a highly effective way to make your application stand out. You should only include awards that align with your current career goals and job search.

With all of that in mind, here are some examples of awards you could list on your resume:

Academic awards

This includes scholarships, Dean’s List mentions, high GPA, honors (like cum laude), academic distinctions, honor societies, departmental or college awards, fellowships, grants, research awards, and recognition for specific academic activities or subjects.

Professional awards

Awards received from employers, such as Employee of the Month/Year, Best Performer, Leadership awards, Innovation awards, Top Salesperson, Performance awards, company-specific recognition, or project awards.

Industry awards

Recognition from professional groups, industry associations, or inclusion in important lists and trade publications in your field.

Civic and volunteer awards

Awards recognizing involvement in community service, volunteer work, or civic activities. These highlight key soft skills such as commitment, teamwork, leadership, and creating a positive impact.

Military awards

Awards and commendations received during military service. They matter for military jobs. They can show soft skills like leadership, teamwork, and commitment. They also highlight technical skills for civilian roles if they fit the job.

Competition awards

Recognition from competitions or for specific skills, such as technical certifications, coding competition wins, or artistic/creative awards.

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