Be Award Ready

To optimize your chances for recognition, it is helpful to consider how to best position yourself for a future award. So what does it take to be award ready?

• Familiarize yourself with the nomination and application process for an award well before the deadline so that you can plan accordingly.
• Check eligibility requirements in advance, including membership requirements. Many professional memberships and awards granted by societies require continuous active membership. If you think you are going to apply for an award in the future, remember to maintain your professional memberships. 
• Create a culture that supports awards within your department. Nominate your colleagues for awards and alert them to awards that seem appropriate based on expertise. An environment that supports the awards process is beneficial for all involved.  
• Serve on an awards advisory committee within your department or form a committee — if one does not already exist. Polished applications benefit from peer review. Serving on an awards committee not only helps to create a culture around awards, it offers you a new perspective on the process and gives you the benefit of reviewing other applications from an “insider’s view.”
• Strategically think about how awards fit into your career map. When preparing your career plan, include awards in your career map. This can create useful goals and can help you to start thinking about a tentative pipeline to honorific awards and memberships. 
• Meet with the Director of External Awards to plan for your future awards. Application packets are most competitive when planned for in advance. Being award ready means strategizing. The Director of External Awards can help your prioritize and develop reachable goals around honorific awards.