WRA26: how to go from applicant to finalist

Every year, the Women’s Recognition Awards award women and businesses from across the industry who are making a real difference.  

So how can you make sure that you make your application the very best it can be? Here are a few tips and tricks to help turn you from an applicant into a finalist.

Show off your achievements  

Highlight your biggest achievements from start to finish: tell the story of how you reached your goals and what obstacles you overcame to get there.

Did your success come about because you followed a specific plan, or did things not go quite the way you intended, and how did you adapt accordingly? What skills did you display along the way, and what did you learn?

Most importantly, tell us what impact these achievements have had on your business, or even on the industry as a whole. Any evidence you have to back this up is also hugely beneficial, including statistics, testimonies and case studies. 

Bad example 

My biggest achievement was adapting to changing deadlines on a big project.  

Why is this a bad example?

This answer is very vague and general and doesn’t explain in any detail what they did or the outcome (or why it mattered).

Good example

As project manager, I adapted to shortened deadlines and shifts in the market by bringing in and training our team on a new project management system, which meant a 60% reduction in time taken to complete the project. This meant the team’s efficiency increased and we were able to improve customer satisfaction metrics.

Why is this a good example? 

It explains how and why the change was made, the nominee’s part in changing it, and the positive outcomes. 

Highlight your impact on others 

As well as showcasing your own achievements, telling the judges how you’ve uplifted others, whether it be customers or your fellow employees, can also enhance your application.  
Why not demonstrate your ability to work effectively as a team and to lead effectively or underline how your forward-thinking creativity has contributed to a project or campaign?

Inclusion, in any form, is at the heart of the Women’s Recognition Awards, so if you have worked towards improving EDI in a professional capacity in any way at all, include this in your application, too! This could be anything from mentoring younger employees to standing up for a cause that helps women and/or other marginalised groups in mortgages and financial services and in wider society.

No matter how you’ve had a positive impact on others, remember to include as many evidence-backed examples as you can.  

Bad example

I led the marketing team in marketing our new product to a wider audience, and this received positive feedback.  

Why is this a bad example?

There’s no evidence to back up the impact on either the business or on the industry as a whole. 

Good example

I collaborated and led the marketing team in delivering a social media campaign that successfully explained our new product to the mortgage advisers across LinkedIn and Facebook, highlighting how it could support under-served customers. This increased socials engagement by 45% and contributing to a sales boost of 30%, with feedback from advisers indicating that they’ve been able to place trickier cases with us and help more clients who thought they couldn’t get a mortgage. 

Why is this a good example?

It demonstrates who benefited (advisers and under-served customers); gives statistics to back up the claim; and explores the real-world impact. 

Tell us your story 

The judges will want to see your passion shine through for the industry, your role, and making mortgages and financial services a better place for everyone. This goes beyond a few adjectives to describe how motivated you are. Tell us why you’re motivated, how those motivations manifest themselves in your day-to-day role, and how it inspires you to make a difference. Don’t be afraid to tell your story. 

Bad example

I am passionate about being a leader because I am driven to help others, ambitious, and hard-working. 

Why is this a bad example?

A lot of adjectives but no substance; it describes, but doesn’t explain.

Good example

Having worked my way up from a junior role to a senior position in the industry and experiencing setbacks and challenges that could have been avoided if I’d had better support myself, I am now driven by seeing the impact that I can have on my team - which means I provide mentoring and support outside of my role to boost other up-and-coming colleagues and improve the early-career experience of those coming into the mortgage industry. 

Why is this a good example?

Show, not tell: this example shows the candidate does additional work outside of their role (so is hard-working), keen to make an impact on the people around them (driven to help others), and demonstrates the leadership skills, rather than just stating that they’re a leader. 

How does it work?

There are two ways to begin your Women’s Recognition Awards journey.  

The first pathway is being nominated by someone else, after which you’ll receive an email providing you with a link to complete your application.

The second is nominating yourself, which you can do via the WRA homepage. Once you’ve done this, you’ll receive an email containing a link for you to complete the process.

You can give us all the details our judges will need to assess your entry straight away, or you can do it at a later date. Just make sure you get it in before the deadline!

Nominations close on 19th June, after which time all applicants will have an extra week (until 26th June) to finish and submit applications. 

AI usage and anonymous applications 

We know that AI can be a useful tool for pulling ideas together and for making the process of writing applications more accessible. However, applications written entirely by ChatGPT or other AI tools tend to be generalised and non-specific, meaning we’ll miss the key nuances and details that make you a potential award-winner, and that can make it difficult for them to stand out when it comes to our judging process.

Our top tip for catching the judges’ eyes is to ensure your entry primarily comes from you and use AI tools, if required, for refining, rather than writing the entry. It’s a chance to reflect on your successes as you write, and will help add personality, passion and human interest to your entries.

This year, we’re also trialling anonymised applications so that the content of an entry remains the focus, combining this with our expert panel committed to a fair judging process to ensure a level playing field for all entrants. 
 
We wish you the best of luck! 

To nominate yourself and others for #WRA26, or to learn more about booking a table and sponsorship opportunities, click here to head to our home page.