to successfully complete application forms

Before you start - some do's and don'ts
DO research the company, the career area and the actual job for which you are applying. Make sure you can offer the qualifications, experience and personal skills that the employer is seeking
DO make sure you are using the right form - some employers have different forms for different job functions. DON'T use a Standard Application Form or CV where the employer specifies that you should use their own application form.
DON'T start to write on the form itself until you are perfectly certain of what you are going to say. Do your first draft on a photocopy of the form, to make sure that you can fit everything you want to include into the space available.
DO find a quiet place to fill out the form - the library, your room or wherever suits you. Keep coffee cups, chocolate bars and small children at a safe distance.
DO read the form through and follow all instructions. DO use black ink - your form will probably be photocopied and this makes it easier to read.

During my prakticals I adapted resonably to all praktical proceses and seemed to exel in turning and grinding ....

DO keep your own photocopy of each application form. When it comes to the interview stage, it is immeasurably useful to remember what you have told the employer!
For on-line applications see www.kent.ac.uk/careers/onlineapps.htm
Presentation
The form should be neat and tidy with no crossings-out or large splodges of correcting fluid.
Usually, a hand-written application form is perfectly acceptable. If your handwriting is very untidy, it is usually OK to complete the form in block capitals.
Try to fill all the space provided for your answers - too much blank space makes an application look half-hearted.
If you have the opposite problem - not enough space to say all that you need to - use a covering letter to highlight the most important points and to say more about them. It is usually OK to add an extra sheet if, for example, the form gives two centimetres of space for "A-levels or equivalent" and you have a BTEC or Baccalaureate which involved a wide range of subjects.
Include a covering letter with your form: this can be used to highlight your main skills and selling points


How not to do it: real application forms
Application for finance job: I was closely involved in every aspect of my former company, right up to its bankruptcy
Hi, I want 2 get a job with U
Finished eighth in my class of ten
I enclose a tea-bag so you can enjoy a cuppa while perusing my form
I loathe filling in application forms so much that I'll give you details at the interview
Place of birth? - A hospital
Size of employer: about 5’ 10”
My health good, that of my parents not so good.
I do not have any major achievements that I would consider to be of interest to this application.
Working on a farm has improved my communication skills which are especially important when working with large livestock.
Biscuit company application: my life-long love of chocolate biscuits, is the main reason for my interest in the company
It's best for employers that I not work with people
Application for a job needing good people skills - My hobbies include watching television, computer chess, stamp collecting and walking my 2 spaniels.
Reason for leaving last job: my employers insisted that all employees get to work by 8.45 am and I could not work under those conditions.
Primary objective: active interface with fellow homo sapiens
I am seeking challenges that test my mind and body, since the two are usually inseparable.
I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.
My goal is to be a meteorologist, but since I have no training I suppose I should try stockbroking instead.

The Questions
General points:
Be informative, detailed but concise in your answers: give the employer the essential detail but leave them wanting to meet you to find out more!
Keep in mind the qualities that the employer is looking for, and answer the questions in ways that will show that you have these qualities.
Don't dismiss anything as irrelevant without careful thought. Students often assume that their vacation work as a waiter, shop assistant or fruit-picker can be of no possible interest to a graduate employer. This is not so - employers can learn a great deal about your motivation and skills from jobs such as these - so do include them
Don't make lists: "reading, cinema, sport" under "Interests" will not tell the employer anything useful about you. Give details of the extent of these interests and any clubs, societies or achievements related to them.

For example, which of the following makes more impact?:

Wine, women and song

Founder of University Wine-Tasting Society; negotiated discounts with local wine merchants and organised several Society visits to Calais .
Volunteer worker at local Women's Resource Centre
Member of University choir

Competency-based questions
These are the hardest part of the form for most applicants: questions usually begin "Describe a time when you …" or "Give an example of ..." and asking for examples of specific skills such as teamwork, leadership, persuasiveness, etc

Describe how your personal planning and organisation resulted in the successful achievement of a personal or group task.
Give an example of where others have disagreed with your views. How did you deal with this?
Remember that these skills will be the ones that are essential for success with that employer – these questions are the most important on the form. They also now crop up in most graduate interviews and the best way to prepare for these interviews is to complete a few application forms with demanding competency-based (also called situational) questions. These examples could come from vacation or part-time work; university clubs and societies; voluntary work; study at school or university; holidays and travel or personal and family experiences. Planning and organising a week’s independent travel in Scotland is as valid an example as a trek through the Himalayas. Compose a paragraph or so for each situation, outlining what happened, how you approached it and what the outcome was. The focus should be on you – even if the situation involved a group, interviewers will want to know what was your specific role in achieving the desired result.

One way of answering these questions is via the STAR approach - Situation, Task, Action and Result. It's a bit like a mini essay. The Situation and Task are usually combined and form the introduction, The Action you took, should form the main body of your answer, and the Result should be your conclusion - try here to be specific if you can: "We won the cup"; "Membership of the society increased by 40%"; "We raised £400 for charity". If you failed to achieve your objective say what you learned and what you would do differently next time.