Guide to completing an application form
Some employers prefer you to fill in an application form rather than send a CV, particularly for public sector jobs. Forms are easier to compare because, unlike CVs, they follow the identical format. If you are filling in an application form, you will still need to work out the best way to present your skills and experience. This is why completing an application form often takes just as much time and effort as writing a CV and covering letter.
The main rules are to:
- follow the application instructions
- present the information neatly ideally in a typed format
- sell your most relevant skills.
Read on to find out how you can make your application form stand out.
What to include
- Try to match your experience with the person specification.
- Give examples of when you have demonstrated each skill in the past. This can be from any area of your life and not just in a workplace.
Keep a copy of your form to refer back to in case you are called to interview.
Online application forms
If the form is online, draft your application offline first - in a word processing package like Word - and save it to your computer. This way you’ll be able to run a spell check before you copy the information into the online system. It also means you will have a back-up if there’s a problem with the form.
More and more sites offer the option of storing your application online and coming back to it. If you do this in more than one sitting, keep a record of any usernames and passwords so that you can get back in.
Online forms can be longer and more complicated than paper forms - follow the instructions carefully and check how many screens you have to fill in before you can submit your application. Some employers will ask for a ‘personal statement‘.
If necessary, copy all the questions into an offline document - that way there’s no danger of submitting an incomplete application.
Paper application forms
If you are filling in a form by hand, write as neatly as you can in black ink. Use block capital letters if the form asks you to.
A good way to avoid mistakes and crossings-out on the final form is to photocopy the original and practice filling in this copy first. Take care of the original form - do not spill anything on it or leave it in your bag to get creased!
Check and recheck!
Get it right - whether your form is online or on paper you should:
- read it over a few times to check for spelling and grammatical errors - these are one of the most common reasons applications are rejected
- ask someone else to proofread it and check it for you
- check you’ve filled in all the boxes that are relevant to you. If you leave an empty box the employer might think your form is incomplete. If a box isn’t relevant, put ‘N/A’ (not applicable) in the space provided
- photocopy or print out the finished form, so that you have a record of what you’ve written. You’ll need to be able to refer back to it at the interview stage
- take note of the closing date and send your application form to arrive in good time
- keep a copy of your application for your own reference.