Job application forms – you have to answer the questions asked!

I was working with the management students on Friday. The day was spent looking at recruitment and selection and we spent quite some time discussing the essential and desirable skills and experience of jobs that the students would typically have in their organisations.  This in turn led us to look at how to structure a job application form and this made me think.

The previous day I was speaking with a colleague and she mentioned that she was scoring the application forms she had received for a recently advertised post.  She was bemused by how many people either don’t answer the question asked on the form and if they do how they answer it with irrelevant information. She explained the points sorting process which went something like

3 points for everything asked for

1 for some of what was asked for

0 for no mention or clarity on what was asked for!

The criteria for inviting to interview was supported by the scores. A simple and effective way of sorting out a handful of candidates from hundreds of applications.

We did discuss why someone would go through the process at all if they didn’t have all of the “essential” requirements. I have to admit that I have encouraged clients to include the best fit of their experience to meet that requirement – and leave the judgement up to the recruiter.  But you must always always always  – answer the question.

A couple of years ago I applied for the Business Manager role in a local school. I had never seen such a huge list of essential and desirable skills and realised that it was unlikely that any one person would have equal experience in them all so made my experience fit with what was being asked as far as I could. I did not start any section though with ” I have no experience in this..” but I really worked hard at applying what I did know to each section appropriately. I got an interview and clearly my answers there satisfied the interviewers as I got the job.

My lawyer colleagues used to talk about something “being silent” in a document – ie it was not mentioned so decisions had to be made in absence of the information ( please  – if you have a better explanation let me know!). But staying silent on an application form makes no sense.  As they would say in Eurovison – nul points!

So here’s some advice that might stop your application end up at the bottom of the pile

• Be systematic – have the job and person specifications beside you as you work.
• Answer all of the questions
•  Use the key words they use in your answers .
•  And use the “any other information” wisely to highlight what else you would like the recruiter to know about you.

And get the suit to the cleaners and the shoes to the cobblers so that you are ready …