Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in Résumés (ROAR) Annual Competition

Below is a short video with best practices from one of our judges

• Entries must be submitted in PDF format and an original Word document.
• Unlimited submissions per category are allowed for each contestant.
• Each entry must be one continuous document that includes the resume, followed by a page break, then a final page with a paragraph or two explaining your strategy for developing the resume. It is also helpful to include the original job description that the resume is targeting. [NOTE: If you do not have the original job description you used to target this resume, you may include an equivalent job listing (e.g., same job title, same industry).]
• Client names, contact information, company name, and optional description must be fictionalized.
• If submitting multiple resume entries, be sure each has a different fictionalized name.
• Entry file names must be in the following format:
• • “ROAR2025_CategoryCode_WriterLastName_WriterFirstName_ClientFirstName_ClientLastName.PDF”
  • “ROAR2025_CategoryCode_WriterLastName_WriterFirstName_ClientFirstName_ClientLastName.docx”
  • Example: ROAR2025_NEW_Doe_Jane_Mickey_Mouse.pdf AND ROAR2025_EXEC_Doe_Jane_Mickey_Mouse.docx

By submitting entries to this contest, you agree to the following rules:

• Contestants must be NRWA members in good standing.
• Resume submissions must represent the work of the contestant. A business owner may not submit a resume on behalf of an employee or subcontracted writer. The writer must submit the resume in their name. In addition, any resumes found to contain plagiarized content will be disqualified from the competition.
• Winning resume submissions will be published at the discretion of the NRWA. They may appear on our website and social media accounts and on display at the NRWA Annual Conference.
• Using templates by NRWA partner Distinctive Resume Templates is allowed. Content will be prioritized over design skills.
• Decisions of the judging committee will be final.

Submission Instructions

Categories:

• New Business Owner (Category Code: NEW)
• Experienced Business Owner (Category Code: EBO)
• College Career Services (Category Code: CCS)
• Military Transition / Workforce (Category Code: MTW)