Job Application Template

Why It Is Advantageous to Use a Job Application Form

It’s hard to underestimate the advantages of job application forms. They help a company to standardize the application process and easily compare the job applicants. It’s especially relevant for companies with a large-scale hiring. On the other hand, job application forms serve as nice means for job candidates to prepare themselves for the hiring process and not forget to mention any crucial personal or experience details.

Employer’s Perspective

A job application form has a specific format helping to organize the information consistently. By creating such a pattern for every applicant, the employer standardizes the hiring process and can easily compare them. While a resume or CV can contain some praising of the applicant, a job application consists only of facts. Moreover, an application form requires an employee to verify all information with a signature. A job application form often includes contact references, which allows a hiring manager to address a candidate’s former or current employer and verify employment experience or request recommendations. However, such a possibility should always be authorized by the applicant because sometimes the current employer may not know about the employee’s job hunting.

Employee’s Perspective

A job application form can be useful for an employee as well. It creates the same standardization of the process and helps to structure the information. The form saves the candidate’s time on looking for the appropriate application format to use. Job applications also make it easier for applicants to prepare for the hiring process and not miss any important information. Job employment forms may demand consent to taking a drug test, so the applicant has time to decide whether he or she can do it or not. Even with all the job application advantages, applicants are always encouraged to provide the employer with their cover letter. It will make them stand out from the other applicants and prove the motivation to work specifically in this or that company.

What Information Should a Job Application Cover

A job application form can vary depending on the circumstances and hiring company. However, a standard job application form template usually include such sections as:

• Personal information of the applicant. This section provides applicants’ information such as full name, phone number(s), email(s), mailing address. Often, a company requests to add a social security number. Here, you can also include your LinkedIn profile (if relevant).
• Education details. You are expected to describe your education information, including names of schools, colleges, business schools, or universities you studied at. You should also name the subjects of study.
• Work experience details. This section describes your current employment status and previous jobs, including names of companies, their address, employment dates, responsibilities and duties, skills that you used or learned, and promotions (if any) while working at the company. You should name every job title and indicate whether you worked as a freelancer. It’s possible to include each supervisor’s name and email for references. However, this information is usually stated separately.
• Contact information for references. New employees are better have some recommendations. Therefore, you should always add your current or former employment contact information, such as an email or phone number. Make sure that they are ready to give positive references.
• Military service. A job application usually includes the question about membership in the Armed Forces or the National Guard.

Sometimes, job application forms include additional questions about desired days or hours available for work, desired pay range, consent to taking a drug test (if relevant), consent to the background check (to check the criminal history or a withheld judgment to a felony). The company may also request information about the driver’s license, any accidents, or moving violations during the past years.

Filling Out the Job Application Form

Our job application form template includes general information and is fully customizable. If your potential employer provides you with certain questions, you have to provide the answers and add them to the template. Sometimes, hiring managers request the applicants to fill in the companies’ templates. Nevertheless, you are recommended to follow the next guidelines when preparing your form.

Step 1. Define personal information

As with CVs or resumes, the first thing you should do is to provide your potential employer with your contact information. Here, you are required to include your full name, phone number, email address, and mailing address. Sometimes, it’s necessary to indicate your age and social security number.

Step 2. Indicate the application details

In this section of applications, you are expected to indicate what job position you are applying for, your available start date, desired days or hours for work, and desired salary. If the position is connected with transportation, you may need to answer about the driver’s license and any moving violations during the past years. Here, it’s also relevant to indicate your goals related to the position.

Step 3. Describe educational credentials

You should indicate the school and university you studied at and what degrees you earned. It will help the employer understand your background and how your expertise is relevant to the position. Sometimes, it’s possible to include training, qualification courses, or even volunteering work.

Step 4. Provide the employment history

The next important thing is to provide your work experience, including all the field’s relevant experience. Here, you should identify the companies’ names, addresses, and dates of each employment, name the supervisors, indicate the job titles, qualifications, and contributions, duties, and skills you learned, promotions if you had any. You are expected to provide a quality job description. You can also include the salaries you had and reasons for leaving. Make sure that you are very specific about employment details and provide only the information relevant to the industry.

Step 5. Identify the reference options

You should indicate the references your potential employer can address for recommendations. This information can be included in the previous section or stated separately. Anyway, make sure that you allow your potential employer to contact your former or current employer for references. Sometimes, job hunting can lead to dismissal.

Step 6. Verify the information

All job application forms require verification with the applicant’s signature. Signing the form, a job candidate confirms that all information in the document is true. In certain cases, you may also be requested to verify the consent to taking a drug test (if relevant) or background check. If you want to refuse these options, you should warn your potential employer and explain the reason. In some cases, you will have to write a waiver.