How To Complete Application Forms
By Career Advice

When applying for jobs you may often find that numerous companies will have their own application forms and will require you to fill them out instead of supplying a CV, often refusing to accept them.

In situations like this filling out multiple application forms can become extremely tiresome. To make your job applications less stressful, follow our simple guidelines to make sure that you can optimise your job application process.

Pre-write relevant information
Have your employment & academic history for each job/course you’ve held or attended at hand when filling out your application form. Ideally you will have pre-typed this information and saved it so that when filling out digital application forms you can simply cut & paste the relevant information easily.

The type of information you will need easy access to will include:

  • Employment history – including Company names, Dates of employment, Your previous job titles, Your responsibilities, Write up of your Career and personal accomplishments, Reasons why your employment ended and in some cases your final rate of pay.
  • Academic History – including Courses studied, Dates of attendance, Grades attained and any further additional professional training you might have undertaken.
  • Your personal information – including the obvious details such as Full Name, Address, Contact numbers, email address but also other information such as National Insurance number (if applicable) and Driver’s licence.
  • Write up a list of references – Including their Name, Job title and contact information. It can be very handy to make a list of references which comprises of both professional and personal references. This way you can tailor your references to each individual application.
  • Have a copy of your CV at hand – Your application form may be required but it wouldn’t hurt to send a CV along with it, in fact some forms may ask you to include it. Although, always make sure to check the requirements of the individual form. If it states not to send a CV, then don’t.

Other advice

  • Read the application form first – Always read through the form before filling it out. Employers will sometimes add specific instructions to the application form to test whether applicants have the ability to follow instructions properly.
  • Mock application – In some cases you may want to practice filling out application forms, if you are filling it out digitally you may want to print the blank form to practice on. In situations where you are filling it out manually you may wish to keep a blank sheet of paper at hand so you can get your wording correct before putting pen to paper.
  • Spell checking – Whether you are filling out your application digitally or manually always make sure to check your spelling is correct. This is very important as applicants will often be rejected if there are obvious spelling mistakes on their forms.
  • Keep a copy for yourself – It is always wise to print or photocopy your application form. Keeping a copy for yourself can be very advantageous as you may find that you will need to refresh your memory before attending an interview.
  • Dress appropriately – If you have to manually collect and return an application form to an employer, always make sure to dress reasonably well. You may find yourself in a situation where you are presented to the person who will decide on your application. Always give the best possible first impression as Managers are far more likely to hire a person who makes that added effort.