Preparing to Fill Out a Job Application
Why do I Need to Prepare for a Job Application?
Below is an embarrassing scenario that might happen to you, if
you're not prepared to fill out a job application on the spot.
You survive everything that your interviewers throw at you
and breeze through the first round of interviews without
breaking stride; piece of cake!
The last interviewer then asks you to fill out a job application
form. You take it as a sign that the company is interested in
hiring you, so you eagerly comply. You know that you've got this
job in your pocket, if all else goes well.
But, when you get to the part of the job application that
wants the addresses and phone numbers of your past and present
employers, you realize that the extra resumes you thoughtfully
brought with you don't include that information, as resumes typically
don't.
Until you started filling out the job application, you hadn't
even thought about the addresses of your former residences in
the past ten years; so, you can't recall them on the spot.
Then it gets worse: The job application wants full contact
information for four of your work-related references. You know
the importance of providing references, but you've never known
the home phone number and address of even one of your coworkers
and bosses, much less four.
So, you sheepishly ask if you can take the job application
home, like some school kid who didn't do his homework.
Employers are usually in a hurry to fill job vacancies, because
the longer it takes, the more it costs them. If one is interested
in hiring you, the HR department will likely want to get the ball
rolling right away, because they'll have to first complete paperwork
and time-consuming background and reference checks.
Your resume is only your calling
card, to get your foot in the door. It's not a formal legal document,
as is a job application. Subsequently, employers who are interested
in hiring you will likely ask you to fill out a job application
on the day of your first round of interviews, because that's what
they need to get the ball rolling.
So, one of the worst things that you can do, is to turn in an
incomplete job application or delay the hiring process by asking
to take it home. What's likely to happen if an equally-qualified,
but better-prepared job applicant turns in his or her completed
job application before you do?
If you've forgotten just how probingly detailed a job application
can be or if you've never filled one out, not to worry; TechnicalJobSearch.com
is at your service!
|
About
