Supporting Materials Information
Supporting materials deadline is 5 p.m. CT (UTC -6) on Feb. 7, 2025.
NO EXTENSIONS. You may NOT email or mail materials; all submissions must be made using the online submission form. You will receive a unique link to the online submission form upon completion of the nomination form. Include the nominee’s first name, last name, and company name in all file names to reduce the risk of error. Example: [Company]_[Last]_[First]_Resume.pdf
If you are having difficulty uploading materials, please contact us well before the supporting materials due date. We won’t be able to help you at 4:59 p.m. CT on Feb. 7, 2025.
Supporting materials should make it easy for judges to see why your nominee is a standout. Incomplete nominations will be rejected and will not be considered in this program. Judges’ tip: Submit materials in all 10 sections so that judges know as much as possible about your nominee. When reviewing supporting materials, the biggest complaint from judges is that they don’t have enough information to make a good judgment of the candidate’s knowledge and abilities.
Below are the 10 types of supporting materials needed to complete your nomination. You may return to the upload form as many times as needed to submit all of the information, just be sure to click the final Submit button each time in order to save your uploaded materials. For items 1-9, you will be asked to upload one or more PDF, DOC, DOCX, or TXT files; for item 10 you will be asked to upload one (1) JPG or TIF file.
Items 1, 2, 6, 9, and 10 are required for complete submission. Nominees without these items will not be considered.
- Nominee’s resume or curriculum vitae (CV). One (1) DOC, DOCX, PDF or TXT file, up to 1 MB in size.
- A brief description (500 to 1,000 words) of the nominee. One (1) DOC, DOCX, PDF or TXT file, up to 1 MB in size. Do NOT provide the same information as shown on the resume/CV. This should touch on how the nominee stands out in some or all of the following areas:
- Academic training (degrees earned, license, etc.)
- Client relations
- Community service
- Dedication
- Innovation
- Inventiveness
- Leadership skills
- “People” skills/mentoring ability
- Personal integrity
- Professional service (with professional societies, organizations, educational events, etc.)
- Public speaking/presentation skills
- Sustained career progress
- Technical skills
- Work/life balance
- Copies of articles the nominee has authored or co-authored. B&W copies are accepted. Please limit this to no more than 5 recent articles if the nominee is a frequently published author. Provide links to these items if they are available online. Up to five (5) PDF files, up to 1 MB each in size.
- A list of presentations/speeches nominee has given. Supporting documentation, such as copies of relevant pages of conference proceedings, should be supplied if available. Please limit this to no more than 5 recent presentations if the nominee is a prolific speaker. Provide links to these items if they are available online. Up to five (5) PDF files, up to 1 MB each in size.
- Brochures, newspaper clippings, or magazines in which the nominee and his/her professional work or volunteer activities are mentioned. Please limit this to no more than 5 recent samples. Provide links to these items if they are available online. Up to five (5) PDF files, up to 1 MB each in size.
- Testimonials from clients or others familiar with the nominee’s work. Testimonial should be signed or should be on letterhead, and indicate how the person knows the nominee. No more than one (1) testimonial from the nominee’s company can be submitted. These must be submitted with the full nomination; do not ask others to send these under separate cover. Please limit this to no more than 5 recent testimonials. Up to five (5) DOC, DOCX, or PDF files, up to 1 MB each in size.
- A list of awards received (if this information is already on resume or CV, please note page of resume for judges to refer to). Provide links to these items if they are available online within the uploaded documents. One (1) DOC, DOCX, PDF, or TXT file, up to 1 MB in size.
- Community outreach or volunteer programs. Events that involve the nominee’s children (such as sports coaching, scouting, children’s clubs, etc.) do not apply. Please limit this description to 500 words. One (1) DOC, DOCX, PDF, or TXT file, up to 1 MB in size.
- Three activities the nominee enjoys doing outside of work. Please give specific examples. Please limit this description to 500 words. One (1) DOC, DOCX, PDF, or TXT file, up to 1 MB in size.
- A high-quality, high-resolution photo of the nominee in a casual or candid setting. Please submit a TIF or JPG file at 300 dpi at 3×5 inches in size. Do not submit professional head shots, photos with children in them, or low-resolution images. This photo should show off the candidate’s personal side — be creative. The 40 Under 40 program recognizes each winner as an individual, so we want photos that show off personality. Suggestions: nominee shown participating in a favorite activity, holding something like a ball or dog, or in an engineering setting. Close-up head/shoulder images with simple backgrounds work best. One (1) TIF or JPG file, up to 10 MB in size.
Photo tips
Hand the camera to a friend or family member!
Here are some basic tips for him or her. Don’t work too hard to position your subject. The goal is for him or her to relax and fall into a natural pose. Try shooting in your subject’s favorite place, or at least a comfortable place. Keep the background simple to avoid distracting elements, but make it relevant to the portrayal of your subject. Pay particular attention to the angle of the head. In a portrait, a head can easily look awkward. Meaningful props, like a trophy, a musical instrument, or even a fish, can add interest as long as it’s photographed carefully.
Take candid pictures
Ignore the impulse to force your subjects to always pose staring at the camera. Variety is important. Take candid pictures to show them working, playing, leaning against a banister chatting, or relaxing.
For close-ups
Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera’s zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Check the manual for your camera’s closest focusing distance.
Use natural light
Cloudy, overcast days provide the best lighting for pictures of people. Bright sun makes people squint, and it throws harsh shadows on their faces. Indoors, try turning off the flash and use the light coming in from a window. Remove sunglasses or other items that shade the face.
Avoid harsh shadows
Avoid harsh facial shadows by using the soft lighting of a cloudy day or a shady area. On sunny days, if your camera has several flash modes, select Fill-Flash. This will fire the flash even in bright sunlight. This “fills” the shadows on nearby subjects, creating more flattering portraits in direct sunlight. Check your camera’s manual.
Avoid extra people
Ensure that other people are not in the photo; focus on the winner only. Avoid awkward “extra” hands or arms from unseen people. Children cannot be in the photograph.
Please contact Amara Rozgus or Amanda Pelliccione if you have any questions about supporting materials.
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