We offer an application form checking service to help ensure your form is up to scratch, find out how to book an appointment

Job applications

Application forms are very important to employers as they are the first part of the recruitment process. Read our guide below to ensure you create a good first impression.

Research the job

When you’ve found a job or internship to apply for, it’s essential that you do your research. This is an area that you may be tempted to rush but lack of background knowledge is one of the main reasons why recruiters will reject an application.

  • Research the job. What is involved? Is it right for me? Am I right for it? Talk to contacts in your chosen area or try to track down an alumnus willing to help using The Exepert Scheme. Also don’t forget that you may have family or friends in that profession who may be able to give you an insight into the area you are interested in.
  • Research the company. You will find most up-to-date information on the company website. Try to meet Employers on campus, at careers fairs or see if they are holding any events. Companies will be looking for you to demonstrate knowledge of what the company does as a whole and your reasons for choosing them over their competitors. It is important therefore to really understand the company and its culture as much as possible as this also helps you decide if it is the right environment for you.
  • Research the sector. This is where you can develop your commercial awareness. What challenges might the sector be facing at present? Who has been in the news recently? Are there any recent trends or product developments that you should know about? Who is taking over whom? Who are the competitors?

Having done your research you will be in a better position to make a well informed application and sell your skills and qualities to match the job. The application stage is the biggest hurdle in the whole recruitment process and it is important to get it right. Recruiters are able to spot blanket applications a mile away so don’t be tempted to hope that submitting lots of generic applications will give you more chance of being successful. The more time and effort you put in to an application the better it is likely to be.

View our video on Commercial Awareness

How to apply

Job advertisements will state how they want you to apply – most large organisations now use an online application process and you will need just as much time and care to complete this as you will for a paper version.

Smaller companies may use application forms or ask for a CV and letter. In some sectors you will rarely see a job advertisement but there could well be openings – and these will go to those who are proactive and send a speculative CV and letter. One third of graduate vacancies are not advertised publicly so be proactive.

Remember to check the deadline for submitting application forms as you do not want to spend hours completing a form only to find out that you have missed the deadline. Some applications close as early as November/December whilst others can be ongoing until the vacancies are filled.

Application forms

A typical application form will ask for:

  • Name, address and contact details.
  • Details of your education and qualifications. Some employers require a full breakdown of all of your modules so try to ensure you have this information available when applying.
  • Details of your employment history.
  • Specific questions relating to the skills needed for the job – this section could include four or more questions in which they ask you about your experiences and the skills you have developed. These are central to the recruitment process and you should spend time and care working on this section. The STAR approach can be a useful tool to structure answers: Describe the Situation, the Tasks you needed to complete, the Actions you took and the Results.
  • Career choice – why are you applying to this organisation?
  • Health declaration – they may ask you whether you have any long-term health issues or disabilities, which could affect your employment. It is usually a good idea to be open about any problems here because a failure to disclose any issues will count against you if they subsequently arise when employed. If you want any advice about this contact the Disability Resource Centre or a Careers Consultant
  • Referees – usually you will be asked to supply contact details of two referees. An academic and a work-related person will be suitable. Don’t forget to get their permission before you use their names.

Don’t forget to print off a copy of your application form once it has been completed as it is likely you will need to refer to it again if you are invited to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Remember - Employers often do background checks on everything you put on your application form once an offer is made and they have the right to withdraw offers if certain information is not accurate. Always ensure you fill in the application form as accurately as possible and inform Employers as soon as possible if you notice an error.

Avoiding mistakes

Many application forms are rejected on the grounds of poor grammar, spelling and use of language. Even if you are completing your application online, you are not emailing or texting, so you need to adopt a professional manner.

Some companies have a 'three mistakes and you're out' policy with regard to applications. They believe it would not be acceptable to recruit trainees with poor written communication skills, as communication with clients must be of a high standard.

Common mistakes include:

  • confusion about the use of apostrophes and commas
  • poor sentence structure
  • lack of spell checking applications before submitting them
  • cut and pasting between application forms (complete with mistakes)
  • inappropriate style with exclamation marks, a chatty manner and bold text to emphasise points

Useful websites

Relevant resources

Relevant events

We regularly run the training session Effective application forms.

Application forms are very important to employers as they are the first part of the recruitment process. Employers will have very specific skills and criteria that they are looking for and they will build and design application forms around them. So it’s essential to figure out what they want and show evidence of how your skills and experience match their requirements.

Mark Armitage,
University of Exeter Careers Consultant

Application form checking service

We offer an application form checking service to help ensure your form is up to scratch. Before you book an appointment please ensure you have:

  • Read the guides above on Job applications and Avoiding mistakes 
  • Watch our training video CVs and applications (13 mins) (student login needed)  

When you have completed these steps you can Book an appointment