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The Art of Application Forms
When a job application requires a form to be completed there is always a temptation to fill in the basics and then attach a CV - don’t! Widely used by public sector bodies and large organisations an application form provides an excellent filter for a busy recruiter. The chances are that if you are short of one essential qualification your application may be rejected at the first hurdle, depending on the volume and quality of applications. Any shortfalls should be more than compensated for with experience if you are to reach the interview stage.
Generally speaking, application forms are accompanied by a full job description and a job specification, giving you a clear idea of what the role entails and what is expected of the successful candidate. If, on reading both these documents, you don’t fully understand what is expected of you then go no further. Rest assured, you should save your efforts for the day when something more suitable arises, allowing you to impress with a scorching application!
General Structure
A section on employment usually follows the basics (name, address, qualifications, etc.) and this is likely to be your first challenge. Each period of employment usually requires further details beyond dates and job title. It is important to reconcile your responsibilities for each with the job information you have been given, particularly if the specification is ‘weighted’. (By this we mean the role has been broken down on a quantitative basis so applicants are able to see how much time has been allocated to each area of responsibility.)
Supporting Information
The next key section you are likely to encounter is the ‘anything else you might like to add in support of your application’. This is, generally, the equivalent space of A4 where you can convey any key achievements and skills from your CV which you have been unable to build into the form so far. This is one of the major factors which determines whether or not you are invited for interview. If every application were to have the same education and qualifications, along with close work experiences, then ‘information in support of’ will most certainly be an influencing factor in who is invited to attend.
Again, referring to the specification and description, continue adding to the skills and experience you have already detailed in the employment section. This will enable the reader to build up a more informative picture of you and encourage them to want to find out more. Avoid repetition of anything previously mentioned and make sure everything is reworded. It is imperative to keep the reader’s interest by making each section seem fresh and different.
Make use of ‘buzz words’, sound grammatical writing and high impact phrases - ‘achieved substantial year-on-year growth’, ‘implemented successful advertising campaign’, ‘introduced new operational procedures’ etc. Substantiate these with examples and be prepared to elaborate on what you actually did to gain these achievements.
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