Job Applications!

OH THOSE JOB APPLICATIONS

You thought you’d never hate filling anything out more than a Federal tax form didn’t you? But there it is, another one of those awful job applications and you just can’t bear the thought of completing yet another one. You’re not alone. Some job hunters get so frustrated at this cruel ritual that they refuse to fill them out. They shove their resumes at the employer and tell them to use that for the interview (of course they get ruled out on the spot).

Traditionally the job application was completed by applicants at the time of the interview. But increasingly companies are forwarding them via websites or email to prospective employees, to be used as an additional screening tool before the in-person interview. Either way, they are the first concrete step to getting hired at almost every company you’ll apply at. They’re long, boring, intrusive, and ask you to repeat virtually everything that’s already on your resume.

It is, however, the centerpiece of your permanent record with the company and will stay in your employment file long after you leave. In many cases it will determine whether or not you even get a job interview.

In the process of evaluating you for the job an employer will use the application to determine a host of critical factors: how you write, how you spell, how thorough you are, and if you tend to take short cuts can all be gleaned from this three or four-paged document. Your aptitude at the King’s English, even basic communication skills can be quickly assessed from a look at the application. Complete them with caution because like a tax form, they follow you for a long time.

Resumes provoke questions while an application answers them. It doesn’t matter whether this is the first or the four-hundredth employer you’ve contacted, they still need a fully completed application. Don’t blow a great opportunity because you can’t stand the thought of filling out yet another application: the company doesn’t care, they need to get more information out of you to determine whether or not you’ll be a good addition to their team.

Some things to remember as you’re sitting in those corporate lobbies getting writer’s cramp:

*Use a black or blue pen, never red.
*PRINT neatly, in upper and lower case letters.
*Don’t write the year of your high school graduation (it reveals your age!)
*Leave no blank spaces, if something doesn’t apply to you (e.g. military
experience) write N/A.
*If you aren’t sure how to spell a word, don’t use it.
*Where it says, “salary desired” write, “open” or “negotiable”.
*Have the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all past employers and
references on the application.
*Read the small print at the bottom and sign it.

A neat and thoroughly completed job application gives the employer another reason to choose you as their new employee. It sends a clear message to them: I’m a hard-working person who’d make a great addition to your team, and you better hire me before one of your competitors does. Happy hunting.

Job Guy is a Career Consultant based in Jacksonville, Florida