Tips on completing job application forms

Application forms come in two formats: paper and online.

Before you start to complete the application form, there are a couple of things you should do.

Learn about the job
Learn all you can about the company and job you are applying for. Read their brochures, check out their website, talk to people who work there, if you can. Analyse the job advertisement and job description. Find out what they offer and what they are looking for in their staff.

Learn about the application form
Familiarise yourself with the form to be completed. What information will you need to supply or attach? What questions are they asking? Some questions may need some thought and preparation.

• Have all the materials and information you may need to hand before you start, eg, dates, names and addresses.
• Follow instructions. Take care to enter the correct information in the correct place.
• Tailor your application information to the company and the job.
• Show the recruiter why you make an ideal candidate for the job (your research into the company and job will help here).
• Use key words, buzz words, and industry terms, and use the language in the job ad, or job description, as your guide (employers may search online applications on key words when they're looking for people to fill specific positions).
• Take your time over interview type questions (eg, 'Why do you want to work for us?', 'Describe a time you have contributed to a team's success') on the form. Your answers need to show that you have the motivation, skills, qualifications and experience to do the job and fit into the company. Give evidence and examples, not your opinions.
• Include specifics — numbers and statistics that demonstrate your achievements or responsibilities. For example, say "Supervised 5 part time staff", "Organised music event which involved coordinating with 10 performance groups", "Personally fundraised $2000".
• Don't assume the employer will look at your CV. Some managers may only look at your application form. This means ensuring that you do not leave essential information out from your application form.
• Don't disregard any questions. The employer has included the question because the answer is important to them.
• Check your application for spelling and grammar — ask a native English speaker to help. This is the employer's first impression of you and you want it to be good!
• Keep your CV format simple. Whether you attach a CV electronically or on paper, employers may scan it and keep it on their database. Fancy layouts and fonts don't scan well.
• Use your CV to highlight areas not covered in the application form. For example, some forms do not ask about language skills, technical skills, volunteer work, and professional organization involvement.
• Make or download a copy of your form so you can remember what you said!

• Make a few copies of the form so you can draft your answers in preparation.
• Aim to neatly fill the boxes provided for you on the form.
• Ask someone to check your spelling and grammar before you complete the final version of the form.

• If you get stuck, look for a 'Help' or 'Frequently asked questions' section on the form or website.
• Some applications will allow you to save your form so you can go back and amend it later before submitting it. This allows you to preview the whole form before completing it. If this is not possible, it is a good idea to download the form and handwrite a draft, or you can complete the form online with 'fake' data, going back later to fill in another form with 'real' data.
• When attaching a CV, check the format and file size requirements.
• Large employers may use software to help them shortlist candidates. The software scans the CV or form for keywords and ranks applications by number of 'hits'. The job ad and job description will give you clues about keywords to use in your CV and application.
• Attached documents may not always arrive intact at the other end. It's a good idea to create a text based CV and paste it into the body of the email or the assigned field on the application form.
• When you first apply for a vacancy online you may need to register your profile. This provides the recruiter with a database of applicants to draw from when other vacancies arise. Be selective about where you post your information. Check that you can amend or delete your profile when you wish to (eg, when you wish to look for a different type of job, when you have found a job, or when you have new details to add) and that your details will not be passed on to multiple other recruiters
• The Riley Guide gives good guidelines on staying 'cyber safe'. Visit the Riley Guide website

University Careers Services runs workshops in your faculty to help you with your job seach and applications.

• See the workshops schedule

You can also talk to a Careers Consultant about career related issues.

• For locations and hours, see How University Careers Services can help you.