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What Do Job Application Forms Look Like
Many companies use standard job application forms. These application forms will normally be between two to four pages long with sections regarding:
Your personal details
Your work experience
Your educational history, and sometimes,
Your reasons as to why you are a suitable candidate for the role
Most companies use forms that are similar in appearance. Generally, the main difference will be some basic layout and the company details at the top. In some instances, there may be differently designed forms for the various job functions.
How Companies use Job Application
Application forms contribute significantly to reducing the workload when processing job applicants for a role. This is especially important for large companies that may have several open positions at any one time. Each applicant’s CV will potentially be in a different layout and also may be missing or even contain extra information. A standard application form will require the applicant to place information in specific areas and in a specific format. This helps to process each applicant very quickly, thus moving from a large pile of applications to a subset containing those that match the position’s and company’s requirements. Ways in which applications are moved to the ‘potential interview candidate’ pile include:
Fully completed and clear application.
A good educational history. Not under or over educated.
Relevant work history, including the sign of progression through jobs if there are more than one.
Good grasp of your skill-set and abilities with emphasis on those that will fit into the role in any sections asking you to describe yourself. Do not be shy, but ensure that you are not arrogant.
Clear understanding of the role/position.
The form shows that the applicant has the skills, attitude and personality to do well within the role and fit into the team or company.
Filling a Job Application Form
Here below we point out some points that offer a good approach to take.
DO make sure you are using the right form – some employers have different forms for different job functions.
DON’T use a Standard Application Form or CV where the employer specifies that you should use their own application form.
Make a number of photocopies of the form, two to five should be sufficient and keep the original form in a safe place.
Research you have done regarding the target company that you think will be useful for filling out the form. (The research could be viewing the company’s website brochures or simply talking to employees, friends who may know about the company).
Read and re-read the form thoroughly and then collect all paperwork that relates to the information you are being asked to provide. (i.e. your school, college or/and university addresses, dates and qualifications and also any previous jobs that you have had).
Any queries you may have with the form can also be directed to the company. It is best to check with the company than to answer a question inappropriately.
Check and recheck all dates provided on the form, if there are any discrepancies you might not get a chance to be asked of them at an interview.
Set aside up to one whole day on this task spread over two to three days. A hurried application form is very noticeable. You must also aim to finish completing the original application form at least a day before it needs to be sent or handed over.
DON’T start to write on the form itself until you are perfectly certain of what you are going to say. Do your first draft on a photocopy of the form, to make sure that you can fit everything you want to include into the space available.
Find a quiet place to fill out the form – the library, your room or wherever suits you. Keep coffee cups, chocolate bars, food and small children at a safe distance.
Use a good pen and ensure that you are at a comfortable table or desk where you will not get distracted.
Never leave any part of the form blank. If a question or section does not apply to you put N/A (not applicable) against it. This shows that you have read the full form and completed all sections.
Be informative, detailed but concise in your answers give the employer the essential detail but leave them wanting to meet you to find out more, you need something for the interview!
Keep in mind the qualities that the employer is looking for, and answer the questions in ways that will show that you have these qualities.
Don’t dismiss anything as irrelevant without careful thought. Applicants often assume that their work as a waiter, shop assistant or fruit-picker can be of no possible interest to a graduate employer. This is not so – employers can learn a great deal about your motivation and skills from jobs such as these – They can learn how determined you are to apply yourself, work as a team, give insight in your face to face communication skills, or mere taking orders, so do include them
Don’t make lists: “reading, cinema, sport” under “Interests” will not tell the employer anything useful about you. Give details of the extent of these interests and any clubs, societies or achievements related to them.
All education and job entries should be in reverse date order (most recent at the top of the list).
For sections with a large amount of white space, place a lined pad underneath the form so that you can follow the lines when writing.
If you are required to include the details of any references that you have, ensure that you have spoken to them and got their approval before putting their contact information on the form.
If you have a disability and are unsure whether to disclose this on an application form, see our information on Disclosing Disability
If you have more to write than the space provided, use a covering letter to highlight the most important points and to say more about them. It is usually OK to add an extra page but don’t add just for the sake of it.
DO keep a copy of each application form. When it comes to the interview stage, it is immeasurably useful to remember what you have told the employer and he may ask for clarification!
Send the form to the Company or agency as early as possible.
How to improve your chances
By making sure your Job application form is
• Convincing
• Interesting
• Well presented
• Completed correctly.
Competency-based questions
These are the hardest part of the Job Application form for most applicants: questions usually begin “Describe a time when you …” or “Give an example of …” and asking for examples of specific skills such as teamwork, leadership, persuasiveness, etc
Describe how your personal planning and organisation resulted in the successful achievement of a personal or group task.
Give an example of where others have disagreed with your views. How did you deal with this
One way of answering these questions is by the ‘STAR’ approach:
Situation, Task, Action and Result.
It’s a bit like a mini essay. The Situation and Task are usually combined and form the introduction, The Action you took, should form the main body of your answer, and the Result should be your conclusion – try here to be specific if you can: “I won the x cup”; “Sales of the company increased by 45%”; “I raised £600 for X charity”. If you failed to achieve your objective say it but show what you learned and what you would do differently next time.
Example
Situation.
How, when, where, with whom
Ans: Whilst employed at Sainsbury. last year,
Task.
Describe the situation or the task you were faced with.
Ans: I was given the task of rationalising the stock control system
Action.
What action did YOU take
Ans: I would look at factors such as when the stock was last ordered, what it was put out and how often it needed replenishing. I worked out a method of streamlining the process involved and redesigned the relevant forms, which I then submitted to my manager.
Result.
What results did you achieve/conclusions did you reach/what did you learn from the experience
Ans: My ideas were accepted and implemented and a 15% reduction in stock and time needed to do the work resulting in improved sales
Ethnic Origin
Many forms include a section asking for details of your ethnic origin. This section should play no part in the selection process but is included so that employers can measure the proportion of ethnic minority applicants and the success rate of their applications – these questionnaires have been approved by the Commission for Racial Equality. They are optional, though, so if you prefer not to complete this section there is no compulsion on you to do so.
Attention to detail
Read the form thoroughly before attempting to complete it and make sure you answer every single question. Also, avoid misreading questions.
Make sure any examples you use are relevant. As fascinating as you might think an example is it is not if it does not fit within a question.
Think beyond merely answering the question and try to ask yourself what the recruiters are actually looking for by asking that question.
How does your response relate to the role and work undertaken by the position Think about the skills required to do the job: do you have these skills And if so, have you outlined them appropriately Make sure any sweeping statements are backed up with relevant examples.
Some sections ask a number of questions and it’s easy just to focus on the first part. Make sure you answer all sections, breaking it down as you would an essay question in an exam, and include a conclusion. Also, don’t forget to stick to the word limit as some applications will not let you exceed this and will cut you off mid-sentence!
What separates a good Application form from a brilliant one 3 points.
1. Identify skills you have gained from:
Work experience
Sports teams
Volunteering
Internships
Summer work
2. Research the role – find out what skills are required
3. Make the connection between 1 and 2.
Application form checklist
• Make several photocopies of the form to use for your first drafts
• Follow instructions, for example about the use of block capitals, black ink, your own handwriting and word limits
•Complete every section
•Take your time and concentrate – it is easy to miss out words and sentences, even when copying
• Pay attention to your writing style. Use action verbs such as ‘organised’, ‘responsible’, ‘managed’, ‘lead’, ‘planned’ to create a dynamic, competent image
• Check the visual impression – your form may be discarded if it’s not neat and easy to read
• Check you’ve put the right information in the right places
• Check for mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation. Ask someone to look it over for you.
•Compare what you have written with the job description – it should be concise, clearly illustrating whyyou are right for the job.
•Re-read your draft answers to the questions while imagining you’re the employer. Does it impress you Would you want to interview this applicant Don’t be afraid to get a friend or a careers advisor to give it a once over as they might spot a mistake you missed.
•Keep a copy of the form so that you can read it before the interview
What to Avoid
• Adding extra sheets unless the form states that this is acceptable.
• Cramming too much text into a small box
• Attaching your CV and referring the reader to it. It gives the impression you can’t be bothered to complete the form
• The scatter-gun approach – There is no limit to the number of applications you can send out. But remember,, quality is far more important than quantity, so it is better to make fewer applications and spend more time on each one.
“Sending 20 copies of the same application form to 20 different companies has as much chance of success as putting the same National Lottery numbers in at 20 different shops. You will do better with three or four applications focused on the specific requirements of the company and showing how you meet their needs
Avoid copying and pasting between applications like the plague. If you really can’t help yourself, make sure you change all the references to a firm’s name for your next application.
Prepare longer answers in a separate word document and copy them into the application form once you have checked for spelling and grammar. But don’t remember to check formatting when you copy your answers over.
Don’t miss the deadline
Yes, itt sounds obvious, but with so many deadlines competing for your attention it’s very easy to let one slip through the net. So to avoid the risk of missing a deadline, prepare a timetable to help you prioritise.
Other points to note:
When applying online
• Check to see if any online help is offered or if there are written guidelines.
•Check that you can save your answers and amend them, or complete the form later. If not, download or print off the questions and draft your answers first.
•Don’t use symbols in the text as they can cause problems.
•Consider the content of your answers carefully and spend plenty of time on drafting.
•Some employers scan applications to see if you have used key words and phrases, so think carefully about how you describe your activities and skills.
•The form may allow you to copy and paste your answers from a word processing document. This can save time and decrease errors.
• If the text goes into an expanding box, check how far it stretches and whether you can change the font size.
•Use action words such as ‘organised’, ‘responsible’, ‘lead’, ‘planned’ – and try to match these expressions to the job description or person specification, or the key skills referred to in the section headings.
•Print and save a copy so you can look at it again before the interview.
•Only send in your application when you are completely satisfied with the result and have proofread it.
Sending CVs by email
• Always send a covering email, similar in content to a covering letter
• Use the subject line to make clear you are sending a job application form.
• Use a formal style (e.g. Dear Mr Smith), and pay attention to spelling and grammar.
• Include your CV as an attachment to the email.