The 2023 Forty Under 40 competition is now open for entries!
Access the entry form here. See a list of Frequently Asked Questions here. Deadline is Thursday, June 17, 2024.
The Personal Statement requested on the webform—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.
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
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.
2/ Education
Formal education is not necessarily a reliable indicator of career success, but the judges need to know how far the candidate has gone in their education and how it contributed to their overall career development. 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 organization(s)? 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(s) and in what role(s) did they serve their community? How are they giving back?
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 1200 characters, but you can also attach a supporting document (or a consolidation of documents, up to 100mb in various formats) 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 Forty Under 40 superstar. Use the points above to structure the statement, supporting each point with more detailed information.
Additional materials
If you have additional supporting documents (see the FAQs for some permissible items), please email them to Rich Binsacca, editorial director, at rbinsacca@sgcmail.com.
A final word about the judging process
The judges take into account the age of each applicant; for instance, we don't expect a 26-year-old to have achieved as much as a 38-year-old.
Also, we're open to receiving entries from a wide range of professionals who are involved in the home building industry. After reviewing the nomination form, the FAQs, and this how-to-win Tips sheet, if you're still unsure, email Rich Binsacca, editorial director, rbinsacca@sgcmail.com, for a ruling on eligibility.
Tips courtesy of editors Rob Cassidy and Dave Barista.
