Applications forms give all candidates the same opportunity to provide some specific information about them. Most forms ask for some biographical details, e.g.
- name
- address
- educational history
- work experience
Some may also ask about
- leisure interests
- career aims
Some of the more detailed forms may ask questions asking you to describe occasions when you demonstrated particular skills which are relevant for the job: e.g. Describe an occasion when you worked as part of a team. What did you contribute to the group? What was the outcome?
Some application forms may include sections that ask you about your motivation, your competence or your preferred style of behaving at work in a short questionnaire format.
The level of detail required on application forms varies enormously, from a basic biographical information checklist, to very precise questions wanting long written or typed answers.
It’s worth checking how each form is supposed to be filled in.
- Most forms require you to write in dark ink for ease of photocopying.
- Many request that you type or write in capitals to make them easier to read.
- Some forms will be computer scanned, in which case you must fill in circles or boxes carefully.