Being asked to write about yourself positively doesn’t come naturally to us all but like many things, it is a skill that can be learned.

As you have been nominated for the Women in Accountancy and Finance Awards, you have been asked to do just this! It may come naturally

• Above all, it’s important that you tell a story, a story of achievement, innovation, development – it doesn’t really matter. The key thing is to get a focus on what it is you want the judges to understand about your entry and what makes you stand out from the crowd. So, make sure you don’t lose the narrative thread of your entry with unrelated information.

• Be honest with yourself (and us) about what makes you stand out. Deep down you probably know why you have been nominated so, without going over the top, be confident in highlighting those attributes or behaviour that make you stick out to the judges.

• If you are unsure or uncomfortable doing that, ask some of your peers and work colleagues why they think you have been nominated. They may be able to help you see your achievements from a different perspective and help you formulate your entry.

• Ask your colleagues and peers for testimonials and include them in your entry. Not only will these give your entry more gravitas with the judges, they could help you get an alternative perspective on your achievements.

• Be very clear about the project or process you are citing in your entry. Read it back to yourself several times and ask a colleague to take a look to be sure that what you have written is clear to someone coming to your experience cold. • Make sure that you stick to the criteria set out in the entry form. Those criteria are quite loose but basing your entry on something that happened three years ago rather over the last year isn’t going to get you very far with the judges.

• There is space for supporting documentation but consider how to use it carefully. Is the additional information supporting the points you’ve made in your entry? This could be the space to add the testimonials or case studies we mentioned earlier. Think about this as an opportunity to provide evidence to your entry. IMPORTANT: Do not overload the judges with pages of information; this will go against you.

• This is perhaps obvious, but make sure you carefully proof-read your entry for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. Having them in there isn’t going to exclude your entry but they don’t necessarily go down well with the judges. And make sure you keep within the word counts – they’re there for a reason.

• Finally, keep the language simple and easy to understand. You are not going to impress anyone by regurgitating a dictionary. That’s it really. It’s not rocket science, but we are aware that entering an award about yourself can be quite daunting.

So, don’t be afraid to ask colleagues for help and support - or even contact some of the other women who have been nominated to see how they have gone about it. And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch and we'll be happy to help!