Nomination Guidelines

The following guidelines outline the Employability Excellence Awards nomination and judging processes.

Please refer to the FAQs or contact the Careers and Employability team (careers-events@newcastle.edu.au) if you have any further questions.

Top Writing Tips

Who, why and how

Summarise the key information at the start of your application.

Use personal examples

This is a memorable way to make your nominee stand out.

Plan and categorise

Remember a good piece of writing is 30% planning, 40% writing and 30% editing. You can compartmentalise your thoughts and ideas, and improve readability for the selection panel.

Address the selection criteria

Just like a job application, responses need to be linked to the selection criteria. Ensure you carefully address each criterion, demonstrating the nominee's impact and achievements, and providing evidence where possible.

Avoid hyperbole

Words like “world-class” or “superstar” are overused and not evidence based.

Remember your audience

Award moderators have relevant expertise for each category. The Selection Committee consists of senior staff and industry representation.

Terms and Conditions

Nominations

  • For a nomination to be eligible a nominator must be a business/industry/community partner, University of Newcastle staff member or current student.
  • An individual may nominate themselves.
  • Recipients can be nominated for more than one award category.
  • Nominees may request to be removed from the nomination process at any stage.
  • If additional information is required, the nominator may be contacted.
  • The University reserves the right to disclose the identity of the nominator to the nominee.
  • Previous award recipients are not eligible to be nominated again in the same award category. However, they can be nominated in another category.
  • Unsuccessful nominees may be nominated again in subsequent years.
  • The profiles of finalists and recipients (names, images, biography) may be published in any form of media in any context pertaining to the Awards and to the University of Newcastle.

Selection

  • The Careers and Employability team will collate and provide all nominations to the moderators. Nominations will be shortlisted by moderators for each category. Recommendations will then be passed to the selection committee for final decision making and/or endorsement for each category.
  • The selection committee will consist of senior staff members and industry representation.
  • Award moderators will be senior staff members with expertise relating to the award category.
  • The decision of the selection committee is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
  • The University reserves the right to withhold any award or decide not to make an award in any category, at its discretion.
  • All unsuccessful nominees will be notified of the outcome of their nomination.
  • No member of the selection committee may be nominated for an award, or be a referee for a nominee.
  • Awards will not be awarded posthumously, unless otherwise determined by the University.

Awards presentation

  • Recipients will be shortlisted for each award, for which one or more recipients will be selected.
  • Recipients will be advised in writing and invited to participate in the creation of multimedia celebrating their success.
  • Award recipients will be presented with a plaque and multimedia copy highlighting their achievements at our Employability Excellence Awards celebration event on Wednesday 8 November 2023.
  • Award recipients will be announced publicly on Thursday 9 November 2023.