Completing the Job Application Form: Be Prepared

Completing the Job Application Form: Be Prepared
By Carla Vaughan

The Job Application Form differs from your resume in that it requires you to include much more detailed information about certain things, such as your former employer's address and telephone number. Your resume does not provide this and employers will want this information if they want to contact your former employer(s) and/or if they do a background check.

Be prepared when you go to your next interview.

On a separate sheet of paper, list all of the specifics about each of your former employers, the schools you attended and other important details that your resume omits. If you follow the link at the bottom of this page, you will be taken to a list of information that is most often required in order to complete a job application form.

Most forms are easy to fill out, but they are time consuming and tedious. You will be asked to complete anywhere from 2-6 pages of information about your current situation as well as your history. Don't be intimated by it, just fill each section out as completely and accurately as possible.

One of the reasons these forms are used is that the Human Resources department needs a variety of information to complete all of the necessary forms for insurance purposes, social security records, payroll data and so on. To make it easy on them, write as neatly as possible on the form and follow the instructions carefully.

Sometimes you will come across a section that does not apply to you, such as military service or volunteer work. If that is the case, write "Not Applicable" or "N/A" in the blank(s) provided. That way, it will be obvious that you didn't skip over the section, but that it simply didn't apply to you.

Whether you are asked to complete the employment application form before you are offered a job or afterward, be sure that the information you include on the form is directed specifically toward (tailored) to the position you are seeking. Just as the resume is aimed at a certain position, so too the application form should be similarly targeted to a specific job.

In addition to the form or forms you are required to complete, you may be requested to provide other items as well. Take your social security card, driver's license, a list of personal and professional references, extra copies of your resume and copies of any certifications or licenses that you have with you. Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.

Completing the forms that a prospective employer requires does not have to be difficult. Just spend a little time preparing for the situation prior to your arrival.

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Does Your Resume Throw Up Red Flags

There are many reasons that resumes go in the trash can. Is your resume passing the recruiter's first scan or is it ending up in the "round file" before it ever gets thoroughly read?

This can happen if your resume is throwing up red flags, or glaring errors. During the first initial scan of a resume, the employer is looking for ANYTHING that will eliminate you from being further considered. If you have more than one typo, your resume is at risk for being eliminated.

If you have been sending out a lot of resumes, but not receiving any phone calls for interviews, there is a good reason for it. Most likely there is something wrong with your resume. The question becomes one of determining what is disqualifying you from making the desired impact you are trying to make on prospective employers.

Review your resume thoroughly. Are there any misspelled words? Is the format you are using easy to follow? Can the most important information be found easily?

Here is a list of things you must review:

1. not enough verifiable information
2. typos and spelling errors
3. too much information
4. resume is not targeted
5. inappropriate information
6. to many details
7. grammatical errors
8. credentials do not match the job opening

As you can see, there are many things that can land your resume in the "no" pile. Make sure that your resume avoids these mistakes and you will be much more likely to make a positive impression on the employer.

A hiring manager does not have a lot of time to review resumes. Most resumes initially do not get more than a cursory glance. Proofread and revise your resume as much as necessary to ensure that it presents your qualifications in the best possible way.

Avoid those unfortunate red flags and get that interview!

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