Now, in the UK, the majority of jobs are advertised online and you are expected to apply for them online.
There are sites such as Monster and Jobsite where all kinds of jobs are advertised in different regions of the country. Alternatively if you wish to apply to a specific company, then you should visit their website as they often have a section indicating what kind of people they are recruiting and how to apply.
If you are applying to one of the big supermarkets or retail outlets, or to a public sector company (the National Health Service, the local Council, the Police etc) then they usually have a form that they expect you to fill in on their website, rather than sending your own CV.
In addition to expecting you to provide information about your qualifications and experience in a structured way, the form usually provides you with a space where you can provide any supporting evidence that might help you to show why you are suitable for the job. This replaces the ‘covering letter’ when you are applying for a job by post or by email.
So, how should you approach filling in one of these forms?
First, make sure you have all the information that you think you will need to hand. If you’ve already prepared a CV then this should provide you with most of the information you will need to input.
But also be aware that they will probably ask you why you want this particular job; why you think you are suitable for the role and what interests you about it. They may also ask questions about what you think your greatest achievement has been to date and how you have dealt with any difficulties in your previous job/s. Obviously, the more senior the job, the more demanding the questions will be.
So, never simply fill in the form online and press ‘send’. Instead, go through it first and plan your answers – if necessary on paper. So that when you come to fill in the boxes on the form you know you are providing sensible, well-thought-out and grammatically correct answers.
Many online applications will ‘time you out’ if you spend too long filling them in. So, this is another reason for working out your answers first. In fact, you could even type-up your answers and save them on your computer so that you can check them and then ‘cut and paste’ them into the form when you are happy with them.
And now the final three – VERY IMPORTANT – points. First, even though you have checked your answers before entering them on the form, do it again! It’s easy to miss errors and they don’t give a good impression. Next, make sure you have answered ALL the questions. And finally,always read the instructions you have been given and follow them to the letter. If you don’t you’re just wasting your time, and when you’re searching for a new job time is precious and opportunities don’t usually come around twice. Happy job hunting!
Author: Diana Nadin
