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Application Forms

How to Write Interview Winning Application Forms

Great news, when you fill in an application form you're speaking to an engaged audience who are checking your answers to make sure that you meet clearly set criteria. This means that you have a greater control and ability to showcase your skills, qualities and personality to help secure an interview.

This article explores some of the winning techniques you can employ when completing application forms. It will also let you know what really lies behind some of those probing questions.

Before completing your application form

As with any application process you should have given thought to and researched the position you are applying for. So you should:

Know your goals - Employers want to see your motivations for applying and understand your drive.
Know why you're in your current career - be aware an employer will be looking to see if you're a leader or a follower.
Know why you want to work for an employer - this is very important to an employer and the answer should tie in with your career goals.
Understand what the employer is looking for - What do they want and need from a successful applicant.
Research the company you're applying to - Get a feel for the culture, their performance and the opportunities they offer.

By doing this preliminary thinking you will be in a better position to construct a successful application form.

Some more helpful preparation work

There are many situations in both your professional career and personal life that you can use when constructing your answers. Before reading any questions - come up with some examples where you:

Contributed As A Team Member - Business is a team sport. Few positions are truly independent and therefore working in a team is a very common trait that is assessed.
Solved a problem - this is often a valued quality in a candidate and many employer questions will boil down to your problem solving ability.
Demonstrated communication skills - work often requires the ability to communicate with colleagues and customers. An example maybe when you persuaded an individual/ group to pursue a course of action.

Team work, problem solving and communication skills are the most commonly assessed skills in application forms so having some examples prepared will help you tackle a number of application forms. Remember; draw on any experiences to prove your points, including ones from outside of work.

Think First Before Answering Questions

Most questions on an application form will be straightforward such as your personal details, education summary and so on. Some questions will probe you more intensively to understand your skills, approach and personality more fully.

An application form enables an employer to compare applicants on a like-with-like basis in terms of their approach to and completion of a standard form. It is therefore a competitive process and you have to be convinced your form is the best it could be, so think and spend some time on preparing your answers.

Application forms are mostly online but often paper versions still exist. Either way keep a copy. By making a copy of the application form, either to a separate space on your computer or a photocopy if it is a paper form, you will be able to write and rewrite your answers. In addition you can print this off and get your friends and peers to give their opinion. Once you're happy with your answers you can complete the original form neatly and with confidence.

Take Your Time

Read the questions, do not rush, it is amazing how many people answer a different question to the one set.

Example questions might be:

Describe a challenging objective you set for yourself?
Describe a time when you overcame personal differences to ensure you worked effectively with another person?
What are you most proud of achieving and why?
Give an example of a situation when you gathered and analysed information to help you solve a problem. What conclusion did you reach and why? What would you do differently next time?

Do some thinking and write down what you think your answers would be. Then also consult with someone who knows you well to help generate more ideas. Soon you will find that you have some valuable content to help with writing a good response.

This is useful not only for helping with application forms but in doing this exercise you will be well prepared at interviews when you will have no thinking time.

When constructing your response do not be misled into thinking that more is better. Often writing your answer in brief, simple and clear terms is the best response. Waffling on will distract the reader from your more salient points. Make every sentence count!

Remember application forms provide you with time to prepare a good answer and to have it checked by those close to you. Make sure you take advantage of this.

Constructing your answers

Situation - describe the situation/circumstances
Task - what did you have to do
Action - what steps did you take to complete the task
Result - what was the outcome

Sell Yourself at Every Opportunity

Especially on the 'difficult questions' realise they are looking to judge how you would be working for them. To assess this they will ask questions about how you reacted or would react in a certain situation. So focus on your achievements and what your personal contribution was to every situation you have been in. You can also write about what you learnt and how you progressed from each experience.

Think Of What the Employer Is Testing

This is true of all questions but particularly if you get a question of the nature, 'In such a scenario in the new position, how would you react?' Think about what they are looking to establish. If you have done your homework and understand what the company wants, you should then talk about the aspects of your skills that match those requirements.

Finally Follow Up Don't Wait

Make sure your form was received if not acknowledged. Ideally ring the respondent and make it an opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the position. This in itself might not get you the interview but you will certainly have gone up in their estimations because keenness is always one of the attributes sought. Displaying keenness is so much more powerful than just writing it.

Good Luck!