Job Applications

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Is it me or is filling in job application forms after you've applied for a job accompanied by your CV a complete waste of time ?

i applied for a job yesterday and today i got an email with 4 or 5 attachments with various documents than need signing. Along with this is a pdf job application form which is 7 or 8 pages long. for starters to edit the pdf you would need adobe acrobat which i dout most people have, which means printing it off and sending it back in the mail. when i read through the questions about 99% of what they were asking either they already knew or was on my CV. i dont see why i should fill out paper work because they have admin staff that are too lazy to do it them selves

surely all this should be done after you've got the job. i can't be the only one that thinks by the time i've filled this in i could have applied for 10 other jobs and a better use of my time ?

Grim

 

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I agree, some application forms are far too long, like you only ever need to fill in one..... after a few weeks of job hunting it starts to get a bit repetitive. Copy and paste is your friend!

 

I understand see where you're coming from as I too don't like filling out long job application forms. The thing is that most companies it's a policy by the HR that it's mandatory to fill out a job application form and in most cases you can add your CV as a supplement.

I also see filling out a job application form as a benefit as most people put this in the bin and don't further their application. The rest am sure you know is history, take heart and fill the job application as it could be well worth it in the end.

Hold on a minute you just started a new job not too long ago? I believe you landed the job through an IT recruitment agency too

 

i am by no means lazy i just feel its not a necessity and a complete waste of everyones time. at the end of the day they'll only keep the ones they hire so why get all the applicants to fill them in. it must really affect the amount of applicants they get, as it wouldnt be the first time i've not replied to the email like this.

Grim

 

I agree, and I stopped applying for jobs that required you to fill out application forms as time could be better spent doing something else. I used to keep a copy of completed application forms so I could copy+paste but it was still a big hassle. Luckily there are still companies out there willing to at least look at people on the strength of their CV and covering letter if applicable.

 

ive found its not the agencies its mostly public companies that get you to fill in application forms such as schools etc.

that job didnt work out but to be fair i'm glad it didnt coz i worked my arse off, long hours and few breaks and they never appreciated any of it.

Grim

 

I have found that if you do not apply in exactly the way they want your application will be binned. If it says apply by 5pm Friday and fill in with a no 2 red pen that is what had better happen. 5:01pm No Good, Blue pen, No Good. It is used to whittle down numbers for interview and is seen as a good test of reading comprehension. This is particularly true for popular jobs with lots of applicants

 

Sorry to hear the job didn't work out, as most companies nowadays are not what they cough out to be when you're being interviewed.

I have started asking questions like, what resulted in the reason for recruiting for this role and what staff morale levels are like. There usually is a pause and then the slight grin

Just do a good research on the company and possibly ring the IT service desk and this usually gives you a rough idea of the company in question.

Huh! well staff that are being treated fairly would sound friendly and helpful on the other end of the phone and the opposite then you'd get the gist.

It's a gamble but I personally have been on the receiving end too often am now always playing safe. Best wishes in your quest for suitable employment as something would turn up soon that's suitable.

 

Very likely it's to avoid some lawsuit or another.

Alternatively, it's a good way to figure out if you can follow directions... ;)

 

the company i worked for before didnt deliver anything they promised, i think the employers bullsh*t more than the employees do. it almost seems like we need to question them as much as they question you.

Grim

 

This is very true, always remember an interview is a 2 way process, I would not like to work for company that was unethical for example

 

its the same with the agencies, i could quite easily name and shame the agent and agencies ive dealt with in the past

Grim

 

They like to be able to compare applicants directly, side by side. Hence the standard forms.

Comparing your CV to mine would be like comparing apples to oranges, because there isn't a single standard CV that everyone adheres to.

Hiring a new person can be very time consuming, and this saves the interviews precious time.

It is a pain in the ass though.

 

Well. I've been applying for the last 2 months now and find it's a very mixed market.

In the main it has been Public sector that insist on an application form rather than a CV and I have been advised by someone working for an NHS Trust that it's so they can filter immediately if you don't have the required qualifications that they have listed on the job spec.

If you do, then the read the rest of the application and look at experience etc.

Haven't been asked to complete a form for anyone else (yet) but I have been advised by agencies not to worry too much about a 2 page CV as they tend to break it all up when they put it on their database.

 

IT recruitment agencies are sales people only interested in the right candidate for the job which would equate a commission for them period.

To be fair and honest to IT recruitment agencies they are doing a job to earn a living and placing the right candidate by any means is how they do this, no loyalty. I treat IT recruitment agencies with firmness, tact and honesty.

This can be done by speaking to them over the phone and sourcing them whether they're time wasters or genuine.

The genuine one's would talk about the role you applied for and ask if they can send you a job spec and you decide if your CV can be put forward.

The one's that call and start asking what sort of role you're looking for, guess what - the phone gets hanged up on them. If we all as IT professionals use the above tact there would be less slandering of IT recruitment sales consultants.

 

I've just applied for a job with a police force and it was an application form. I think they work as they ask for evidence of what they feel are essential and desirable qualities, and this ended up being 2 pages typed.

All the rest of the information they could have simply lifted from a CV, contact details, schooling, qualifications etc. I spent a good hour or two filling out the rest of the form, none of it was really necessary to whether I could do the job or not!

 

Whilst you have made a valid point above it helps to reduce competition as most people bin a job application form as soon as they open the envelope.

This is the reason why there are less form sent back to the company and hence giving you a better chance of being short listed for an interview.

To be honest I have had quite more interviewed when I filled out a job application form, this does not necessarily apply to everyone one though considering job spec essentials and the experience level of the candidate.