UK IT Awards: Winners share their top tips

Allow time, keep it simple, and be honest

The UK IT Industry Awards are one of the most prestigious events in the technology calendar. Jointly run by Computing and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, a win marks a company or individual as one to watch in the eyes of their peers.

But with two entry rounds and a dedicated judging day - plus strenuous competition - getting that win is no easy task.

That's why we hosted a webinar last week to answer applicants' burning questions about the entry process. From the general - "Is it better to enter multiple categories, or focus efforts on a single one?" - to the specific - "What stands out better, a task description or assessed KPI improvements?" - and even the very simple - "Do you accept video submissions?"

To answer these, and more, Computing editor Tom Allen was joined by Carl Harris, brand director at BCS. The two began by discussing this year's awards, including the seven new categories that have been added this year, reflecting the changing priorities in IT.

Click here to enter the UK IT Industry Awards

Later, former 2022 winners joined the webinar: Gill Friend of Digital Health & Care Wales - winner of Best Place to Work in IT - and Milla Mazilu of Network Rail's Wales & Western Region, winner of IT Project Team of the Year. Both had plenty of advice for this year's crop of hopefuls.

"You've got to allow enough time to put together an entry. You can't do it the day before - you need to plan, you need to research, you need to bring lots of different information together," said Gill.

She also stressed simplicity. "When it comes to the written entry, write very simply and clearly... The judges don't really know anything about your organisation, so you've got to avoid jargon and acronyms wherever you can."

Honesty is the best policy, was Milla's advice. "Expose the great parts of what you're doing, but don't be shy about outlining the areas where there have been challenges... That can often show that these are not straightforward activities, but pushing through is extremely valuable."

The full webinar was packed with invaluable information. If you're considering entering this year's UK IT Industry Awards, scroll to the top of this article to watch the entire session now.