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Introduction

Most hiring managers will require you to complete a job application form. This is usually completed online, although some employers still ask for a paper copy. Your application form will be a reflection of YOU and all the various relevant experiences you have had in your life. Recruiters are likely to select you or reject you on the basis of your application form and so it is worth making an effort to make your form as good as possible.

This unit covers the most important part of the application process until you get an interview. It will help you by giving you the information you need, and by offering you the chance to practise presenting yourself well in writing.

Tips for Completing Your Application Form

There are many different ways to complete an application form, and people hold different opinions about which way is the best.

However, it is possible to identify some universally accepted guidelines for success.

Discussion #1

Share the 2 most important tips you learnt in the previous unit which you can use to complete an application form well.

Open Discussions

GOOD AND BAD
ADVICE

Exercise #1

How Long to Spend on Your
Application Form

It will take you some time to complete the form, probably a lot longer than you expect. There are no firm guidelines, but spend as long as it takes for you to produce something you can be proud of. For some people and for some jobs, an hour or so might be enough.

However, if you are serious about wanting the job, it would be quite reasonable to set aside a day or two to produce a really excellent application, giving you enough time to draft and review it.

Correct Spelling

It is hard to overstate the importance of accurate spelling. If you make mistakes, it can suggest to an employer that either you are careless or lazy, or that you have not been taught to spell properly. It could imply that you completed your application in a hurry because you do not care enough about the job. You do not want to the employer to think any of these things, so it is worth trying to achieve 100% correct spelling.

Use the Spelling Checker

There are various things you can do. Firstly, use the spelling checker on your computer.

A spelling and grammar checking tool is available on most computers. In Microsoft Word, this is accessed by clicking Review, followed by Spelling and Grammar.

Thesaurus

A Thesaurus can also be useful, and will help you find synonyms for overused words.

A Thesaurus is a tool which finds you synonyms of words. You can use a Thesaurus on a computer, or you might have a hard copy of a Thesaurus. In Microsoft Word, you can access the Thesaurus by clicking Review and then Thesaurus. Type the word for which you are seeking a synonym into the Search box of the Thesaurus window. The alternative words are given in a list below that.

A Synonym is a word that means the same as another word. For example, large is a synonym of big. Other synonyms of big are vast, immense, giant, huge and enormous.

Tips for checking spelling

Even with a spelling checker, it is easy to miss your own spelling mistakes. You may find that you can spot some of your own mistakes if you leave your application for an hour or two and return to it later. Also, if you print off a hard copy, you are likely to find errors more easily than if you just look at a computer screen. After you have checked everything carefully, show your application to someone you know who is a good speller and has the time to proofread your work carefully for you. If you keep spelling the same words wrongly, make a list of them and try to learn them, in good time before you next apply for a job.

Exercise #2

Times When the Spelling Checker May Not Help

Your spelling checker can help you to avoid a number of errors. For example, it may be useful in helping you to type the correct number of double letters in words such as necessary and accommodation. However, there are some occasions when the spelling checker may not be able to help you. These could include the following: homonyms, words which are severely misspelled, proper names.

Exercise #3

Tips for Learning to Spell Correctly

As correct spelling is always likely to be important for you at work, it is worth thinking about techniques for ongoing learning. You will find some useful tips for spelling correctly on the next few slides.

Tip #1: Learn from free websites online

Tip #2: Use your computer’s spelling checker

If you did not know how to spell some words correctly, make a list of them, correctly spelled, in a notebook or on a document. Test yourself regularly to make sure you remember them.

Tip #3: Read widely and often

Frequent readers seem to be good spellers. Reading is a good way to revise spellings in an enjoyable and productive way. Especially, read things which are related to your work. That way, you will meet and regularly review the vocabulary you need the most.

Tip #4: Get into the habit of paying attention to the spellings of words

When you read, ask yourself whether you would have spelled them in the same way. If you would not have spelled them correctly, make a note of them and learn them.

Tip #5: Set yourself a daily target

For example, try to learn five new correct spellings every day. Keep a record of them and review them regularly. You could even write them on sticky notes and post them around your home! That way, you would be sure to review them frequently. You could also write some words on small pieces of card and carry them in your pocket and test yourself when you have a spare moment.

Formal Language for Application Forms

Your writing should be formal, and it needs to demonstrate the range of vocabulary an educated speaker would employ.

Formal language is the sort of language that people use with people they do not know well, or when they are trying to make a good impression. In contrast, informal language is what we use with our friends and family, when we are more relaxed.

When you apply for a job, use formal language to create the right impression. Avoid using informal words such as nice, really and great. Instead, you would be wise to replace these with more formal, less common words, such as pleasant, exceptionally, and excellent.

A verb is most often a word which tells you what someone does. Verbs may have a number of different endings but they tend to focus on an action. Examples are see, improve, studied.

A phrase is a group of words which work together to form one unit of meaning. Examples are clever student, successful applicant, far-reaching consequence.

Exercise #4

Exercise #5

Exercise #6

Writing Concisely

People who read job applications are generally busy people. They will not have much time to read yours. Therefore, your writing needs to be concise and direct.

There are various ways to achieve this. These will be described next.

Omitting the Definite and Indefinite Articles

The Definite Article is the word the. The Indefinite Article is the word a. The use of these two little words, the and a, seems easy to most native speakers. To learners of English, however, it can be very problematic!

You can often omit the words the and a from your written application and thereby reduce your word count. This will give you more space to write other, more important things.

If decide to omit the definite and indefinite articles, make sure you are consistent within each section of your application, so that it does not look as if you simply forgot to include the words a or the!

As a general rule

You can often omit the words a and the if you are writing bullet points or a summary of your profile. However, if you are writing in full sentences, you should include the words a and the according to the normal rules. Check in any good grammar book for those rules.

You will notice that in bullet points and summaries, the pronouns (I, we etc.) also tend to be omitted.

Pronouns are words which replace nouns. If you want to avoid repeating some words, you can replace them with pronouns. For example, instead of saying the word Manager too often, you can say either he or she. This will make your writing seem more natural.

Example #1

Firstly, read three examples of bullet points or summary statements. In these, the words a and the can be left out.

  1. "Creative and talented IT specialist interested in career in journalism." The word a is omitted before creative and career.
  2. "Ensured regular supplies of stationery for staff." The word the is omitted before staff.
  3. "Translated short story from Arabic into English." The word a is omitted before short story.

Example #2

Secondly, study three examples of full sentences, in which the words a and the need to be included, according to the normal grammar rules of English.

  1. "After graduation, I attended a two-month course in Photography." The word a is included.
  2. "I was particularly interested in the module on Crime and Justice in a Global Context." The words the and a are included.
  3. "I have won the ‘Best Player’ award three times during the current season." The word the is used twice.

Using Nouns and Noun Phrases

Nouns are the names of objects, abstract things, places and people. Examples are: team, progress, and ability. A Noun Phrase is a noun which is joined to other words to make a small group of words. Examples are: well-managed team, impressive progress and outstanding ability.

Examples of noun phrases for a job application

A carefully composed noun phrase can create a good impression, even though it may use only a small number of words.

‘Award-winning team’ is a noun phrase that sounds better than ‘team that has won an award’.

‘Unprecedented technological progress’ is a noun phrase which sounds better than ‘progress in technology which had never been achieved before’.

Exercise #7

Checking Your Word Count

As you complete your application form, keep checking the number of words you have typed.

You can do this in Microsoft Word by clicking Review and then Word Count.

Competency Based Questions

Application forms, as well as interviewers, may ask what are known as ‘competency’ based questions. It is much less common these days for an applicant to be asked, ‘What would you do if ……?’, as suchquestions can be rather theoretical. Nowadays, an employer is far more likely to ask a ‘competency based question’, such as, ‘Can you give me an example of when you have demonstrated your leadership skills?’ This type of question reveals far more about what a candidate has actually done and is therefore considered to be a more reliable indicator of future performance.

Examples

Here are some other examples of competency based questions you could be asked. Remember that the questions might focus on some of your failures in the past. Do not be alarmed by such questions. They are an opportunity for you to show how you recognised your mistake, rectified it and learnt a useful lesson.

  • Give an example to show how you demonstrated your networking skills.
  • What is the best example you can give to show your problem solving skills?
  • How have your presentation skills been of benefit to your organisation?
  • Have you been in any situations where you have needed to show particular resilience?
  • Tell me about a communication breakdown that happened at work and how you dealt with it.
  • Can you tell me of a time when you did not communicate well? What happened exactly?

Discussion #2

Choose a job you feel qualified to apply for. List the skills and qualifications you will need for this job and give evidence to show you have acquired these. List one or two skills you do not yet have and outline the steps you will take to achieve them. Ask for peer feedback.

Open Discussions

Review

In this unit, you have learnt how to complete a good application form. Not only have you learnt how to write concisely, accurately and appropriately, but you are now also prepared to answer competency based questions based on the STAR model.