Do awards matter?

[valpo87]

For the second year in a row, I kind of got snubbed at the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards last night... then again I did get third place in page design. Not what I was aiming for since 1) I entered just about every sports writer and photography category available and 2) I don't even remember entering page design.

Part of me is a little down, but the other part of me is saying it was the first award out of college (graduated in 2009). So do they even matter? Should the work that I do and present to future employers be enough? Or will not having been recognized by WNPA hurt down the road?

 

[Stitch]

If you're want to win awards, then they matter, but it probably won't help you get more money.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Depends. State awards won't really help your career much. National awards will make your career.

 

[Smallpotatoes]

They mean nothing. And everything.

 

[RedHotChiliPrepper]

Depends. State awards won't really help your career much. National awards will make your career.

I've won two of those ... They've done nothing for my career as far as advancement because everybody applying for the same jobs I am has far more than I do, probably.

But they make me feel good about the work I do. But I like what SmallPotatoes said, that's about the truth.

 

[Cubbiebum]

Depends. State awards won't really help your career much. National awards will make your career.

I've won two of those ... They've done nothing for my career as far as advancement because everybody applying for the same jobs I am has far more than I do, probably.

But they make me feel good about the work I do. But I like what SmallPotatoes said, that's about the truth.

You talking state or national awards?

Having national awards and getting passed over for someone who has more doesn't prove they're worthless. Not sure if that was what you were saying. Having national awards makes you more attractive than someone who doesn't.

Whether state or national, awards can't hurt. It is nice to be able to say you are an award winning journalist.

 

[Den1983]

Nope.

 

[RickStain]

Depends on whether I win them or not.

 

[BDC99]

How many times has this been discussed here? I fall on the side that thinks awards look good on the resume and make you feel good about the work you do. I know that I feel pride when my paper is top 10 in the APSE awards, and I've won a handful. Nothing wrong with a little validation. The problem comes when papers/writers/designers TRY to win awards. Just do the work the best you can, and if it's good enough you'll be rewarded.

 

[bpoindexter]

They mean nothing. And everything.

Yeah, what Small said,.

 

[BB Bobcat]

In three consecutive years I got a first, a second and an honorable mention in APSE writing categories.

Since then I've been laid off twice.

 

[michael_badley]

For better or worse, they matter a great deal. Many editors, even those with huge reputations and at magnificent papers, consider a good story a great story only after it has won an award. That's just the way it is, idiotic as that notion actually is.

It's wrong, but that's a byproduct of the competition in this business. I know folks who have at least gotten a foot in the door at better (in theory) places only because that APSE award or whatever jumps out at the hiring editor. The same clip might not have popped if not for that line on the resume that it was recognized by some subjective group of strangers.

Awards are terrific for standing out from the pile of applications; it's usually on the applicant to take it from there and interview well.

 

[schiezainc]

Awards mean absolutely nothing. I know this because I recently sat in on the judging of an awards contest and got to see, first hand, how the people judging it know no more than I do.

That being said, it's one of those things that, if you're worth your salt, you obsess over and think about ... until you get that first one and realize how trivial it actually is.

I won four awards this year, three of which were for writing (first place in state, third place in New England, second place in the SNA contest) and one of which was a third-place finish in page design and while they look pretty on my wall and remind me that my work is recognized by someone, they don't really mean much to anyone but me.

Of course, when I send out resumes and introduce myself to prospective clients in my wedding photography side business, I make sure to introduce myself as an "award-winning journalist" but, deep down, I'm no different now than before I won any awards and I think that's pretty much the case for everyone.

 

[Brad Guire]

Such a loaded question. And I have nothing but my own anecdote to supply, but I don't feel like typing it. I merely shrug my shoulders in response.

 

[SportsDesigner]

I won a couple Washington Press awards many moons ago. I think it can give you a good idea of what writing areas you are good at, say features vs. gamer vs. enterprise. And it pops more on your resume when you say you won first place for a story on such and such.

I can say, having been to many of the national design competitions and won a few there, that winning those is high praise. It's not just getting lucky, there is amazing work to see and compete with. But that's design, I don't know the inner details of the APSE contest.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

I guess if you're young and want stuff on your resume, they can be important. If you've been around a while, won a few and have no plans to move, not really.
As for feeling good about your work, I get a far better feeling when a reader comes up to you on the street and says "That was a great story" or some old lady comes up as you're walking into a stadium or gym, hugs you and says "We really appreciate what you wrote" for example. Those type things mean much more to me than feeling like I have to have some judge 500 miles away validate what I do.

Another reason I don't give them much credit is about 8-10 years ago one paper in our state swept 1-3 in every category. It didn't have to be me. It didn't even have to be our paper. But you're telling me no other paper in the state could crack the top three in any category? I had to call bull**** on the whole process.

 

[PirateSports]

I worked at a shop where winning awards was a huge deal to management, if for no other reason it was validation that even though our staff was being sliced up, we could still put out award-winning quality work. It was a real double-edged sword.

 

[RedHotChiliPrepper]

Depends. State awards won't really help your career much. National awards will make your career.

I've won two of those ... They've done nothing for my career as far as advancement because everybody applying for the same jobs I am has far more than I do, probably.

But they make me feel good about the work I do. But I like what SmallPotatoes said, that's about the truth.

You talking state or national awards?

Having national awards and getting passed over for someone who has more doesn't prove they're worthless. Not sure if that was what you were saying. Having national awards makes you more attractive than someone who doesn't.

Whether state or national, awards can't hurt. It is nice to be able to say you are an award winning journalist.

I have two APSE awards. I don't mind being passed over for a job by someone who is better qualified than I am, that's just the way the world works.

I haven't even gotten a sniff for other jobs, though, since I won them. I'm sure eventually they'll matter more to someone who is hiring, but for now it's just nice to have them on the wall.

 

[Batman]

Years ago we had a writer who, to put it bluntly, was horrible. He struggled to piece together basic 12-inch game stories, and most of his work needed heavy editing.
However, in his short six-month stint with us, he somehow managed to write a feature story that won first place in that year's state press association contest. It baffles me to this day. It was as if Forrest Gump turned into Shakespeare.
The lesson is, anyone can do it once. It's always nice to be recognized (especially for a piece you know is good), but if you get too caught up in the highs and lows of winning or losing one contest you should feel a little foolish. If you ever judged one of these or saw the judging at one of these, especially after lunch, you'd REALLY feel foolish.

Now, that said, if you start winning awards year after year then you should feel good about yourself and your work. Anyone can do it once, but winning multiple awards shows you've got some sort of talent.
I was brushing up the resume a couple weeks ago and realized I had won something in that same state press association contest each of the last 10 years. On a yearly basis I tend to shrug off awards, but seeing that cumulative body of work made me feel like I know what I'm doing in this business and put a smile on my face.

 

[SF_Express]

Whether justified or not, and it was only one time, I won APSE when I was 22 years old, and it absolutely changed my career arc and life. Without question.

It really depends on the award, the timing, who's paying attention, and how much it matters to those people. And I might have found a little different path to the same things. But there is zero percent doubt that it had a huge impact for me.