Writing application forms

I'm writing this op from the perspective of at times having been both a prospective employee and as someone taking part in recruitment.

How you complete your application form is an essential element of applying for a job. No matter how brilliant or capable you are, you will never be given your chance to shine in an interview if you don't catch the attention of your potential new employer from the outset.

Back when I ...
...whichever job I was applying for there would probably be loads of other applicants, and probably several with more or better experience than me. How on earth would I have the chance to compete?

Having now seen the process from the other side, I know that the odds are probably not stacked against you as much as you may think. In my experience, sometimes as many as 75% of the applications for any one job can be absolute rubbish. Write ... more

I'm writing this op from the perspective of at times having been both a prospective employee and as someone taking part in recruitment.

How you complete your application form is an essential element of applying for a job. No matter how brilliant or capable you are, you will never be given your chance to shine in an interview if you don't catch the attention of your potential new employer from the outset.

Back when I was last jobhunting, it was particularly worrying to know that whichever job I was applying for there would probably be loads of other applicants, and probably several with more or better experience than me. How on earth would I have the chance to compete?

Having now seen the process from the other side, I know that the odds are probably not stacked against you as much as you may think. In my experience, sometimes as many as 75% of the applications for any one job can be absolute rubbish. Write yourself a half-decent application form, and you will almost be guaranteed that all important interview.

Although some employers are still happy with a CV and a covering letter, most will now require you to complete their own application form. This may or may not be accompanied by a request for a covering letter. Most of my suggested tips for application forms can also be applied to covering letters.

1. Make sure you are really in a position to apply for the job

There is absolutely no point in applying for a position if you do not have the qualifications and experience required. If you cannot demonstrate on the application form that you can do the job, it's unlikely anyone is going to bother interviewing you.

That said, if you don't have all the qualifications specified, you needn't necessarily let that put you off. Can you demonstrate that you have acquired the relevant skills and experience elsewhere? For example, you may have sat on a committee or worked as a voluntary treasurer for a local group or club. You may have undertaken voluntary work. You may have devoted years to bringing up children, and have gained all manner of skills and experience from that alone.

2. Demonstrate that you meet the criteria for the job

Having identified a job you feel you are in a position to apply for, you need to think carefully about how you are going to demonstrate that you can do the job. Most job application packs these days come with a job description and person specification. The job description should detail the duties you will be expected to undertake. The person specification should outline the qualities and experience the employer feels are required; often these are divided into "essential" and "desirable".

If you don't have *all* the essential items, don't panic - just make sure you have most of them, or you may not be in with much of a chance.

One of the biggest mistakes I see on application forms is that people don't make enough use of that lovely big space you get to sell yourself. It's usually headed something like "please give any other details supporting your application here", or something along those lines. A job application form is no place for modesty. This is where you get to demonstrate that you can do this job.

I've seen many application forms where people haven't bothered to write anything here at all. They go straight in the "no" pile. Sometimes people write something like "I think this job looks very interesting and I would really like an interview" or "I have all the skills and experience required for this position." Not good enough I'm afraid. More for the "no" pile. I had one once that said "I am applying for this position because the job centre told me to". At least the guy was honest. I was half tempted to invite him for an interview anyway, just to give him a shock, but ultimately that would have been a waste of my time. At least he made it easy for me to put him in the "no" pile.

When filling in this 'big space', you should have the job description and the person specification in front of you. Look at the list of skills and qualities required, and tick all the ones you have. Then, write a line or two on each one, backing up with examples that clearly demonstrate that you have this quality. Do the same with the duties listed on the job description, clearly giving examples of where and how you have undertaken similar tasks before.

For example, a task on the job description may be something like "recording money received and responsibility for banking". I expect that this would mean there were things on the person specification like "experience of handling money", "accuracy" and "trustworthy". You might write something like: "I have had previous experience of recording payments and banking money. In my current position I am responsible for receiving cheques in payment for invoices, recording them and banking them. Although I have no work experience of handling cash payments, I did act as Treasurer for my local Community Association for some time, and dealt with cash payments there".

If you are applying with a CV and a covering letter, the covering letter is the place to put all this information.

By the time you're done, your prospective employer should be able to see that you meet a high proportion of the criteria required, and the chances are, you will be invited in for interview. Simple really.

3. Other hints and tips

Fill in your application form neatly. There is nothing more frustrating when you've got a pile of application forms to get through than finding yourself struggling to read them. Word process them if possible - even if it's just the nice big bit you get to sell yourself on. In one person's application form recently, she had written under "hobbies and interests" that she "enjoyed collecting different beans". I pondered this for sometime. Did she have a display cabinet full of dried pulses? No, it was just her handwriting. She collected bears. (Of the soft toy variety I hope!)

Please check your spelling and grammar. This is particularly important if you are applying for an administrative position, or one where you will be working to produce your own documents. I had an application form for an administrative position that was word processed, but still had spelling mistakes. Like I'm going to employ that person to do typing. I don't think so.

Don't lie. OK, there is an art in completing application forms of twisting your experience a little so that it fits in with the employer's criteria, but try and do this *reasonably*. Outright fibs will get you nowhere.

Don't write todays date instead of your date of birth. (This happens so often!) This probably won't stop you getting an interview if the rest of your form's good, but it doesn't create a very good impression, does it?

If there is a space for "hobbies and interests" please be careful what you write. Stating you are a regular reader of the appropriate trade publication will just make you look like a sad muppet.

Keep it neat. Make yourself notes before you start. Avoid crossing out and tippex.

If you have had long gaps without work, try and explain what you were doing in those periods, or it may look suspicious. A prospective employer may think you are not telling them about a job you were sacked from, or something like that. Perhaps you were taking time off to bring up children, to study, to do voluntary work, or perhaps you have been looking for work.

If you are asked to declare criminal convictions, it is best that you do. Your potential employer may be in a position to dismiss you if they later find out something you didn't tell them. For most jobs you only need to declare "unspent" convictions, but for some positions (e.g. ones that involve working with vulnerable people) they are allowed to ask you about all criminal convictions - spent or unspent. Most employers will appreciate your honesty, but of course this cannot be said for all (in which case, it's probably best you didn't end up working for them anyway).

If you are asked NOT to send a CV as well as an application form, please don't send one anyway. It's terribly annoying. We just shred them. Many companies now operate equal opportunites policies which mean you can only consider the information on a candidates application form.

If you are sent an equal opportunities monitoring form, please take the time to fill it in. These forms are *not* considered as part of your application - as a prospective employer I don't even get to see them. But it is terribly annoying for the person trying to compile equal opportunities statistics if there are missing forms - especially if they're from someone you've interviewed or employed!

Don't beg. Saying something like "I look forward to the opportunity of an interview" is fine. Saying something like "please, please give me a chance" (I have seen this) simply makes the prospective employer wonder why you are so desperate.

If the form asks for two references, please put two references, not just one, or none at all. If you cannot put two previous employer references, think of someone else who could give you a reasonable character reference - preferably someone in a position of reasonable authority. For example, if you have undertaken voluntary work, you may have a supervisor who could act as a reference. If you have just left education, a former teacher or tutor would be appropriate. If you've been temping, you can always put the temping agency down, or ask individual clients you have temped for if they would mind acting as a referee. (It is polite to ask people first!).

From my experience, if you follow all these tips, and you are genuinely in a position where you have the qualities and experience required to undertake the job, you will be almost guaranteed an interview. Because it is surprising how few people take as much care over their applications as this! 

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