Getting Through The Door: 7 Do's & Don'ts for Applications

By Dena Harris

Chances are, when you apply for your next job, you'll need to complete an application, even if you've already submitted a resume. Applications are a quick way for employers to compare candidates and screen out those who don't immediately fit the company's requirements.

Be prepared! Whether you have an interview or you're simply stopping by to fill out an application, bring a binder with you containing several copies of your resume and your references, and one copy of an already completed application.

Why? While other people are trolling through their daytimers and the phone book for addresses and phone numbers of past companies and supervisors, you'll pull out your completed application and copy the spell-checked information onto a new form. You appear professional and organized, plus there's less stress involved.

It's okay to ask to take the application home with you. Ask for the name of the person you'll return it to, and slip in a nice cover letter when you drop it off or mail it in. Always ask when you can expect to hear back, and be sure to follow up.

Completing an application involves more than simply listing prior jobs. Pay attention to detail and don't run the risk of being flung into the "circular file."

7 Do's and Don'ts for Applications:

• DO dress up to fill out an application, even if you don't have an appointment. You never know when you'll be interviewed on the spot.
• DO read the application in its entirety, especially the instructions, before filling it out. There's nothing worse than sheepishly having to ask for a new applicatin after realizing halfway through you've been using a blue pen when the applications specifically said to use black.
• DO Bring a blue and a black pen with you.
• DON'T leave anything blank. Write "N/A" (not applicable) if the question doesn't apply to you.
• DO make sure what you write is easy to read/readable. Sloppy, incomplete applications are screened out 99% of the time.
• DON'T lie! Employees are routinely fired years after working for a company if it's discovered they lied on their initial applicaiton.
• DO date and sign the application.

Tricky Application Questions

Here, the challenge is to explain away difficult scenarios in a space the size of a child's thumbnail.

• Reason for Leaving: Instead of "Fired," which has a strong negative connotation, try, "Will discuss at interview," or "Involuntarily Dismissed."
• Criminal Record: Employers may ask about convictions, but not arrests. If your conviction was a minor one, briefly explain how you have moved on. Misdemeanor convictions won't necessarily put you out of the running.
• Salary Requirements: You don't want to write a low number when the company may be willng to pay more, but you don't want to high bid yourself out of an interview. Try writing "Open," "Negotiable," "Comparable to Industry Standards," or give a range.
• When can you being work?If you're currently employed the correct answer is "two-weeks notice." Answering "tomorrow," tells the employer you're willing to leave your current company in the lurch. How do they know you won't someday do the same to them?

Remember, most employers use applications not to find people they want, but to weed out the peole they don't want. Don't give employers a reason to throw your application away. Be neat, precise, and thorough, and you'll stand a strong chance of moving on the the next phase of pre-employment: the interview.