What’s the winning formula for #FRA24?

Posted 2024

Writing an application for the Financial Reporter Awards can sometimes seem daunting - how should you present yourself? Which skills should you highlight? What should you include to make your application stand out?


So to ease the pressure, we’ve been examining the strengths that have previously turned applicants into the ones holding the trophy while being admired by brokers everywhere, and have put together a winning formula that could help to give your application the edge...


Dedication

One of the most important things that our judges are looking for is dedication to your role and to the industry as a whole. Whether it’s a commitment to always doing your best work for customers, a passion for making the industry a better place for your colleagues, or a devotion to a particular project or cause, demonstrating your dedication through detailed examples and your general tone will help make it clear to our judges that you are willing to go above and beyond. You can also include PDFs and images to bolster your examples and clarify your commitment.


Exceptional service

While a great attitude will help your application to impress the judges, you also need to show how this has paid off through your ability to provide excellent service for your customers. If you have statistics on customer satisfaction or examples of how you’ve overcome difficult situations, make sure to include them.


Collaboration and teamwork

Another important aspect of your application is how well you work with others. Our judges will want to see how you’ve worked with others in the mortgage industry - this can include how you’ve helped to push for and facilitate an inclusive, welcoming workplace environment, or how you’ve collaborated with colleagues to do the best job possible on various projects. Are you a good communicator? Do you make everyone on your team feel heard? If yes, then show us this in your application!


How should your application look?

It’s really up to you – you can give us paragraphs, bulletpoints, or somewhere in between. Our application portal allows you to upload documents, so if you’d like to add images, PDFs or other documents to support your application, you can. Other suggestions include adding testimonials from customers, links to external press coverage or videos, and adding stats or numbers to highlight your winning attributes.

Ultimately, there’s no one way to impress the judges – first and foremost, we want to hear the unique things that make you or your business special! We’re very proud of the fact that we have celebrated a broad range of winners over the years, proving that the Financial Reporter Awards are not a one-size-fits-all awards ceremony: from tiny businesses to High Street lenders, we’ve got a huge range of talent in the FRA alumni.

So instead of being daunted by the application process and trying to write the ‘right answers’, just tell us what makes you stand out and see where it leads – the only way to get to the next stage is by applying!

If you’re still looking for inspiration, why not check out what our judges said they were looking for in entries for this year’s awards?