Young Guns & Legends: Nomination Tips
Want to submit a winning nomination? Follow these tips!
The Personal Statement requested on the online nomination form—essentially, why the candidate deserves consideration and recognition—is critical and necessary to ensure a complete nomination and evaluation of the candidate. It can come from a nominator or the nominee directly.
If the nominator does not have access to this information, he or she must ask the nominee to provide it or the nominee will not be considered.
More about 2025 Young Guns & Legends:
Here are some tips to help you to prepare a personal statement:
Entries are judged on several key factors:
1. Career progress and achievements
2. Technical and/or educational achievements
3. Membership in and service to professional organizations
4. Community service
5. Special talents or story
1. Career progress and achievements
For Young Guns, demonstrate the growth of the nominee's skills, responsibility, and success in their chosen profession. Be as specific as possible. You can also attach a resumé/CV or provide a link in the statement to a LinkedIn or similar online profile/CV.
For Legends, tell us how the candidate has made a signioficant and meaningful impact on the housing industry, and how their leadership, innovative or creative spirit, and dedication has made the industry better.
2. Education
Formal education is not necessarily a reliable indicator of career success, but the judges need to know the extent of a candidate's education and how it contributed to their overall career development or contribution.
Did they earn a degree at night while working a full-time job? Did they seek out advanced training, such as a CGP, CAPS, MIRM, or other professional designations?
3. Service to professional organizations
How involved is the candidate in professional organizations? Are they more than just a member? Have they chaired a committee? Led an event? Served on the board?
As before, be specific: How did their involvement produce results (e.g., indicate how much money they helped raise, the success of a new program, etc.)? Wherever possible, supply data to make a case.
4. Community service
As with the item above, be specific. Withe what organizations and in what roles did they serve their community? How are they giving back? What's been the impact of their service?
5. Special Talents or Story
Here's where you could discuss additional (and special) information that would be helpful to the judges.
Is the candidate involved in activities or have a special (cool, interesting, fun) talent not specifically related to work or community/professional service? Did they start in another profession or career track? Conduct symphonies? Speak five languages?
Statement length
How long should the personal statement be? The webform allows you 700 words, but you can also attach up to four (4) supporting documents to supplement the online statement.
Either way, the statement should tell the candidate's story concisely but comprehensively, in an organized fashion.
SUGGESTION: At the beginning of the statement, list 3 to 5 main reasons why the nominee should be named a Young Gun or Legend. Use the points above to structure the statement, supporting each point with more detailed information.