How To Fill Out A Job Application The Right Way-5 Easy Steps To Success

While it may not seem as important as a resume, most people don't realize that a badly filled out job application can be much more costly than a bad resume. A recruiter will see hundreds of application forms, so any that are filled in badly will stand out for all the wrong reasons. These tips should help you avoid problems like that and show you exactly how to fill out a job application the right way!

Read through the application before you begin filling it in, and follow any instructions to the letter. While most applications will ask for similar information, they will not all do it in the same way, so it's a good idea to make sure you are following the guidance given. If you make a mistake here, the potential employer will likely think "This candidate doesn't know how to fill out a job application correctly, why should I trust them with anything else?" And there go your hopes of getting an interview!

ONLINE APPLICATION

Do a practice run- Photocopy the form and have a practice run at filling it out. This will help you get an idea of how many words you can fit into the boxes etc, and will definitely improve the way the finished article reads.

Be consistent. One of the things that people often overlook when learning how to fill out a job application is the consistency of their data. Make sure the form is filled out with information that matches with your resume. If you "stretched" the dates on your resume because one of your jobs ended prematurely, you will need to make sure your application information covers exactly the same dates. A smart recruiter is well aware of such tricks, and finding you out to be dishonest at this early stage can only be a problem.

Check it. How to fill out a job application 101-Make sure there are no mistakes! Read through it once immediately after you finish it, and then if possible you should leave it a day or two and re-check it. It's much easier to spot mistakes and other errors when the document is not fresh in your mind, and for this reason it's a good idea to give yourself some "edit time" between filling it out and sending it away.

Never volunteer negative information. The object of filling out an application is to get yourself in for an interview, and giving out negative information will only hamper this goal. Try and give all your answers as positive a spin as possible, and leave the lengthy answers for the interview. There are many different schools of thought on how to fill out a job application, but one thing is for sure, it's very hard to use the small space on an application form to explain away any negative information that you have volunteered.

As you've seen, the methods of how to fill out a job application can be every bit as tricky as writing a resume, so just make sure you stick to those guidelines and you should be a winner every time!

How To Fill Out A Job Application The Right Way-5 Easy Steps To Success

ONLINE APPLICATION

Key Steps to Web Application Success

KND has been designing and building web applications and 'software' style websites for almost ten years now and we've experienced both spectacular success and epic failure of projects for a variety reasons. In the words of Woody Allen, "If you are not failing every now and then, you are not doing anything very innovative", and in the world of web application development, this is so very true.

application squeegee

Every 6 to 12 months there are new and exciting ways to improve user experience, provide a more efficient process or add the 'wow' factor. So, what guarantees success? In our experience there are five key steps that will get you closer to the successful delivery of your application:

APPLICATION

Planning and Documentation Constant open communication Flexibility A balanced team Implementing and managing change

Over the next few weeks we will be posting an article on each step. This article covers Step 1.

Step 1 - Planning and Documentation

He who fails to plan, plans to fail
The two most common questions we are asked by clients are 'How much will it cost?' and 'When can we have it?'. Agreed, they are very important questions, but unless the software is completely planned, modelled and documented, we can only give very broad estimates based on past projects. It is absolutely critical that a healthy amount of time is invested in planning and documenting so we know how your application is going to work.

Focus on planning more than the deadline.

If you don't plan, you won't know where the finish line is. A good plan consist of:

A specification document that defines all aspects of the software. Users and levels of security. Persona modelling (putting personality to each of your user groups) Visual wire-frames of screens and functions Function descriptions of each element - how does it work, who can access it, what triggers it and what it triggers Data models Definition of 'what's in and what's out' where possible Hosting and security requirements including expected load Finished designed mock-ups of critical components Both client and developers should understand the plan completely It should be the project's backbone and keep everyone focused on common goals If an element is difficult to document, then it is going to be difficult to code and difficult for your users to understand. Minimal complexity combined with design clarity The plan must be approved and signed off by the key stakeholders

Think twice, cut once!

Be aware that rushing this part of the project can easily lead to project failure, as the more complex the application the more time it takes for those designing it to consider all the different 'scenarios ' or 'exceptions' to standard use. In fact, in our experience you will never completely catch all, but if you can document 90-95% of cases then you are well on your way to a good plan. Planning will identify and solve problems creatively, will save time and bring clarity to your project.

Key Steps to Web Application Success

APPLICATION