HOW TO FILL OUT JOB APPLICATION FORMS

Part 1 of 2: Preparing for the Application Process

1. Write out a detailed employment history. For each job you've held, include:

  • Company name, address, age and contact information
  • Supervisor and contact information
  • Your job title, responsibilities, and accomplishments
  • Dates you started and ended employment at the company, the reason you stopped working there, and your final pay rate.

2. Prepare answers for typical questions about felonies and being dismissed. Many applications will want to know if you've been convicted of a felony, if you've been convicted of driving offenses, and if you've ever been fired, forced to resigned, or resigned in order to avoid being fired before.

3. Gather other essential information such as your driver’s license and other forms to document your identity. In the United States, you need a Social Security number.

4. Prepare a list of references with each person's name, their job title or relation to you, and their contact information. Most applications will want three references, and some companies will only want professional references. Keep a list that is a mix of professional and personal references so you can easily pick and choose who to list on each application. At minimum, you should have a list of six references: three personal references and three professional references.

5. Write a formal resume. When filling out an application in person, including a professional-looking resume can help you stand out. When applying online, you'll frequently be prompted to upload or include a resume while also filling out an application that includes much of the same information.

  • If the position you're applying for requires a photograph, give the most recent photograph available. Don't just cut your face from a group photo and just that. Get a professional photo taken, especially if you are applying for a job in an image-minded industry.

6. If you'll be filling out applications in person, bring a couple black pens, all the information you've prepared and some blank paper.

7. Dress in appropriate attire when asking for applications and when turning them in. You may end up getting an on-the-spot interview, so you wand to look how you would when going in for a scheduled interview.

  • No matter what job you are applying for, dress your best. Managers are more likely to hire a person who looks successful, even in the fast food industry.

Part 2 of 2: Filling Out the Application

1. Read the application fully, including any special instructions. Employers sometimes include specific instructions on applications to see if applicants can follow directions appropriately.

2. Fill out a test application. This can help you to make the best use of available space.

  • If you're applying in person, ask for a couple copies of the application. Have all your prepared information with you and plan out how you'll fill out the application so that the one you turn in looks clean and legible. If you're unable to get an extra copy of the application, write the information down on a blank sheet of paper in the order you'll be transferring it.
  • If you're applying online, scan the application to make sure you have all the information that is being asked for. Optionally, you can print out the application, write in your information, and use that as a reference for filling it out electronically.

3. Transfer the information from the test application to the application you will submit, or input all of your information in the online form.

4. Complete every space on the application. If something is not applicable to you, make sure that you mark it as “Not Applicable” or “N/A.”

5. Proofread everything that you have written. You don't want a hiring manager to think of you as someone who makes errors that should be easily avoided.

  • For checking bodies of text, reading backwards can catch spelling errors you'd miss by reading it normally.
  • Ask someone else to read your application. A person other than the one who filled out the form can spot mistakes more easily.
  • If you're filling out an online application, print yourself a copy before submitting it.

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