Filling out a job application requires you to gather various pieces of information about yourself and to answer an assortment of questions about your professional life.
Each step of the process is broken down and explained in an easy to follow manner.
Getting Started
- Honesty is the best policy: Be honest with every question that you answer, no matter what is being asked of you. Not being truthful on an application will start you off on the wrong foot with a potential employer. Most of the time the company will be able to discover facts about you whether you tell them or not.
- Prepare your information: Gather any information that you may need before filling out any forms. You may find that having details about a previous employer or references can be extremely helpful.
- Know your facts: make sure that you have all of your contacts' details that you are interacting with during the application process. If you have questions about the company to which you are applying, a business card from the HR representative can go along way.
- Dig up your documentation: Keep personal documents such as a driver's license or a birth certificate handy because you will need these at some point. Get answers to questions about social media and your employment search.
As you sit down, getting ready to answer the questions on the form, there are a few details of which to take note.
- Read thoroughly: Don't skim through the application, read it completely even if you believe you already know what it says. Not following directions or skipping items can make you appear lazy or unable to follow instructions.
- Practice makes perfect: For a paper version practice filling out the actual paper by obtaining an extra copy and completing it as a test run. After you correctly finalize the test copy neatly fill out the final version by legibly copying the information from the test copy to the real one. A similar method can be used for an online form by first writing your answers on a piece of paper. Then, when you are sure they are satisfactory, enter them into the form fields.
- Proofread: Go over your work several times to be sure that it's perfect. Don't leave a single space blank unless the form tells you to do so. When in doubt, or if you don't know an answer, write "N/A" to verify to the employer that you have addressed the question.
Along with the physical application, there are a few other pages the employer may request from you.
- Keep an extra everything: Be sure to have extra copies of your resume and cover letter available during this time as these documents are often required. Additionally, you may wish to draft a personal statement if necessary. Though this document is not required for most jobs.
- If you need help you can read about how to write a resume and how to write a cover letter.
- You are also welcome to use our Free Resume Creator and our Free Cover Letter Creator. If, and when, you get an interview, you can read over the job interview help pages that we have available.
