Imagine you're the director of a pageant and you're going over contestant applications.

But instead of getting well written and well-prepared applications, you see grammatical errors.

Ladies, this is not the first impression you want to make.

Your pageant paperwork serves to introduce you to the pageant organizers and judges.

You should always aim to present yourself in the best light possible.

And that starts by submitting paperwork that is well put together.

Keep reading to find out how to make your pageant application stand out in 2021.

Get in Formation

When you receive your application do not procrastinate.

Be sure to take note of the due date.

Some applications come with more paperwork than others.

And that's why it's important to review the paperwork in its entirety as soon as you receive it.

Start by making a checklist of everything you need to complete.

Set some deadlines to get everything done.

If your pageant provides a handbook to guide you through the application process be sure to use it!

Filling Out Pageant Paperwork

The pageant organizers and the judges want to see the real YOU.

So resist the urge to embellish talents, skills and experiences.

You never want to have a judge ask you something off your paperwork and you not be able to answer it.

You also want to take control of the narrative.

You should never list anything you don't feel knowledgable about or comfortable discussing.

The judges will be able to tell if you're faking it.

Trust that who you are is enough for the pageant.

Be Authentic

In pageantry, the aim of the game is to stand out, set yourself apart from the other contestants.

You can't do that if your paperwork is uninteresting and blends in with everyone else.

I've seen contestants list under their hobbies "reading."

Listing reading does not help you to stand out.

But if you listed "Reading (read 10 Stephen King books in the last year)."

Now you stand out as the girl who loves Stephen King books.

This makes you more interesting and memorable to the judges.

Another way to make sure the judges don't forget you are to be specific with your goals.

Don't just state that you want to make a difference in the lives of others.

But give an example of how you plan to go about doing that.

This shows that you've put real thought into your plans.

And that you aren't putting things down because they sound good.

Keep It Fresh

You only want to use recent, relevant information and experiences.

You definitely don't want to waste space mentioning old awards.

This is why it's important to keep your resume up to date.

If you keep your resume up to date then you don't have to think about all your accomplishments.

You should not list anything that is older than 3 years unless it's relevant to your life today.

Tell Us Who You Are

Your pageant paperwork is an opportunity to brand yourself, so don't miss out on this chance.

Remember that your pageant paperwork is often the first chance the judges have to "meet" you.

You can brand yourself by choosing 3- 4 important things you want the judges to know about you.

This will help make your paperwork easy to read at a glance.

Choose things that will help you stand out from the other contestants.

On your Biography, for example, you don't need to list every single thing that's happened in your life.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen contestants tell us their whole life story in their bio.

Heck, I've done it.

But guess what? You don't need to overdo it.

Judges generally don't get a whole of time to review a contestant's bio.

So be practical and selective with the information you do choose to share.

Some other tips that will help your application:

• Write your first draft, then put it down for a couple of days and then rewrite what you wrote.

-“There is no good writing only good re-writing”

• Don't use too many acronyms and abbreviations.

• Have someone, like a coach, review your paperwork

• Look for proper grammar, punctuation, misspelt words and typos

• Use formal language

• Type it, if possible or ask someone with good penmanship to write it for you.

• Don't use hard to read font colors or pens, keep it professional.

Final Thoughts

Your pageant paperwork should be interesting and engaging for the judge to read.

You want to be at the top of the judges' minds.

Identify the things that make you unique and be sure to highlight those things.

Your paperwork should make you stand out, it should make you memorable.

Until next time xoxo,

T

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