• What do I need to do?
• How are forms structured?
• More about skills and motivation
• Personal statements – do’s and don’ts
• And lastly

Recruiters will automatically discard poorly or carelessly written application forms, regardless of how perfectly your skills and experience match the role.

What do I need to do?

Completing an application form needs

• Time – each application form needs to be crafted meticulously to the job in question – don’t just copy and paste from one form to another
• Research – review the job description and look up more information about the company
• Reflection – you need to map each element of the person specification onto concrete examples of your skills and experience
• And above all, attention to detail – Check your spelling and grammar, check for consistency in any dates you’ve provided...
• If possible, use a word processor. If filling a form in by hand, make a photocopy and work with that before filling in the real thing.

How are forms structured?

Application forms are typically divided into several sections

• Personal information, qualifications and work history – Be honest, and be prepared to explain any gaps at interview. “Travelling” is generally acceptable – if it’s true!
• Questions about skills or motivation – These require specific evidence about the competencies required for the job or your future commitment to the role
• Personal statement – try to keep this to the space allocated. Some employers will discard forms that disregard instructions
• References – Use previous employers or your tutors from university. Family friends should be a last resort and should have some credible professional status

More about skills and motivation

• “Why do you want this job?” – The most common mistake is for candidates to frame their answer in terms of what they expect to get out of the job
• Put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. Employers want to see you demonstrate long-term interest in the field and to show what they will get out of hiring you
• Read the whole application form carefully so that you know exactly which skills are being assessed
• Provide evidence by referring to relevant courses or work experience and what you’ve learned about this type of work
• Review our article on identifying your skills before dealing with questions like “Provide an example where you achieved a goal through working as part of a team”

Personal statements – do’s and don’ts

• Do frame your statement using the person specification and job description. Most specifications are numbered lists of competencies. Make the employer’s life easier by directly referencing them.
• Do embed concrete examples of the skills and experiences required
• Don’t go on and on – if the form says ‘No more than one page’, write one page only!
• Don’t use tiny fonts - if your statement is hard to read, it will only risk alienating the employer

And lastly

The key is to demonstrate simply that you want the job and that, given half a chance, you can do the job. If you don’t get the job, ask the employer for feedback – there may have been something quite simple that you can easily correct on your next form.