Tips for writing a good nomination
Tips for writing a good nomination
These tips are designed to help you provide clear, detailed, and impactful responses, ensuring your nominee’s contributions are fully recognised. Specific examples, timeframes, and outcomes will strengthen your nomination and help us better understand the value your nominee brings.
Thank you for your attention to detail and for taking the time to nominate your exceptional young people!
Question 1: Outside of their cadet activities, is your nominee engaged in any volunteering, community or social action? If so where, for who and for how long?
- Be Specific: Clearly state the type of volunteering, community work, or social action your nominee is involved in. Mention specific activities and avoid general terms like “helped in the community”.
- Identify the Organisation or Cause: Include the names of the organisations, community groups, or causes they have supported. This helps highlight the impact and scope of the work.
- Explain Their Role: Provide details about what your nominee did in their role. Were they leading projects, organising events, or directly helping others? Be clear about their contributions.
- Mention the Duration: Specify how long your nominee has been involved in the activity. Include the total time span (e.g. 1 year, 6 months) and, if relevant, how frequently they contributed (e.g. hours per week and / or months).
- Highlight Impact: If possible, describe the positive outcomes of your nominee’s efforts. How did their work benefit the community, the organisation, or individuals involved?
- Provide Quantifiable Details: Use numbers where appropriate. For example, “They volunteered 5 hours a week for 6 months” or “They organised 3 successful charity events that raised £2,000”.
Question 2: Has your nominee demonstrated any personal values such as compassion, selflessness, being supportive, being inclusive or ‘going the extra mile’ to help others and make a difference to their lives? If so, briefly describe how, when and where.
- Provide Specific Examples: Use specific examples to show how your nominee demonstrated values like compassion or selflessness. Focus on one or two specific situations rather than being vague or general.
- Describe the Situation: Clearly outline the context in which the nominee’s values were displayed. For example, was it during a challenging time for others, a community initiative, or in support of a peer or team?
- Focus on Actions: Explain what the nominee did that showed these values. Did they offer emotional support, take initiative to help someone in need, or include others who felt excluded? Describe their actions in detail.
- Show the Impact: Highlight the positive effects of the nominee’s actions. How did their compassion or support make a difference in someone’s life or the community? Did it improve morale, resolve a problem, or inspire others?
- Include Timeframes: Mention when these actions took place. Were they part of an ongoing effort, a one-time significant event, or a recent situation? Providing a timeframe helps demonstrate the nominee’s consistency or personal growth.
- Emphasise Going ‘the Extra Mile’: If your nominee exceeded expectations or went above and beyond their usual duties to help others, describe how they did this. For instance, did they volunteer extra hours, or offer help in an unexpected way?
- Illustrate Values in Action: Make a direct connection between your nominee’s values and their actions. For example, “They demonstrated inclusivity by ensuring everyone in the team felt heard and valued during group activities.”
- Use Personal Observations: If possible, add personal observations or feedback from others who witnessed or benefited from the nominee’s actions. This adds credibility and a human element to the example.
Question 3: Has your nominee needed to address or overcome a personal challenge in order to pursue their goals? Have they shown resilience and determination in the face of obstacles? If so, please provide a brief example.
- Clearly Identify the Challenge: Begin by briefly describing the specific personal challenge or obstacle the nominee faced. This could be related to their personal life, education, health, or other areas.
- Describe How the Challenge Affected Them: Explain the impact of the challenge on your nominee’s life or goals. How did it make pursuing their objectives more difficult? Be clear about the significance of the hurdle they had to overcome.
- Focus on Actions Taken: Highlight the steps your nominee took to overcome or address the challenge. Did they develop a plan, seek support, or take certain actions to push through despite difficulties?
- Emphasise Resilience and Determination: Show how your nominee exhibited resilience and determination. Did they continue working toward their goal despite setbacks? Did they maintain a positive attitude or adapt to the situation in order to succeed?
- Provide Specific Examples: Be specific about the strategies or efforts your nominee made to overcome the obstacle. For example, did they study harder, seek out new opportunities, or manage their time more effectively to balance multiple demands?
- Show the Outcome: Describe the result of your nominee’s resilience and determination. Did they achieve their goal or make significant progress despite the challenge? Focus on the positive outcomes, even if they didn’t fully reach their objective yet.
- Include Timeframes: Specify when the challenge occurred and how long it took your nominee to overcome it. This helps illustrate the duration of their struggle and persistence over time.
- Connect the Challenge to Personal Growth: If applicable, mention how overcoming the challenge helped your nominee grow personally or professionally. Did they learn new skills, gain confidence, or develop stronger resolve for future challenges?
- Avoid Generalities: Instead of saying “they faced many challenges”, provide one detailed example that shows their ability to overcome adversity. A specific story is more impactful than vague statements.