Application form example word

High rates of consumer spending and economic growth are a few benefits of employment in business. That is, according to the Houston Chronicle. And when your company needs new employees, don’t just hire anyone without standards to fill an empty slot. Who knows? Hiring everyone could bring down your enterprise’s progress, profits, and competitiveness. Have patience in evaluating and finding the right people for the job instead. And the best way to evaluate is by providing a structured application form for applicants to fill out. How do you manage that? Continue reading the article below.

What Is an Application Form?

Application forms are commonly used in businesses, particularly when a set of candidates wish to apply for a job vacancy. And that form marks as an official document that every applicant fills out to disclose their personal information, job history, and other backgrounds. More so, application forms must be carefully structured and formatted to ensure the employer’s evaluation report for each applicant runs swiftly. Thanks to such sheets, the best candidates will be hired. That’s better than the many underqualified and unsuitable applicants that wouldn’t have benefited the company.

Did you know that about 155.76 million individuals were employed in the US back in 2018?

Also, Statista confirmed that there were around 40,876 EB-3 visa issuances or status adjustments to global immigrants in 2019.

On the other hand, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that approximately 56.6 million students attended from elementary to high school in America back in fall 2019.

Why are Application Forms Important?

An application form is vital since it outlines the applicant details from experiences, skills, and more. And that means it will be easy for managers to decide on who should be rejected or invited for an interview from a job application form. Also, well-thought-out job admission forms ask the proper information from candidates, instead of asking details that have nothing to do with employment. With that, admissions run across quickly and hassle-free.

On another note, application forms are relevant to other functions, not just for job applications. Do you want a loan? Or perhaps, apply for a scholarship in a particular school? Application forms are at play there too. So instead of getting into a job, application forms also serve as an entry for specific services. And every corporation’s task is to label and format the application sheet according to its particular purpose.

Apply Now: Examples of Application Forms

Before telling people to apply to your company now, it is essential to figure out the different examples of application forms. Also, what makes these examples similar and different from each other? In this section, we outlined some of the common types of application forms:

Employee Application: Statista reported that nearly 155.76 million Americans were employed in 2018. And with that number, it is no surprise that an employee or job application form is the most typical example out of the many application forms. People apply to work. And employers often find interest from applicants with impressive skills, educational background, and work experience.Scholarship Application: About 56.6 million pupils attended from elementary to high school in the US back in 2019. But, not everyone is wealthy enough to pay for their school tuition. Others rely on scholarships to experience education with savings and special rewards. And to qualify, students have to take a scholarship application. Qualifications include the student’s academic performance and proof that the student’s family is struggling financially.College Application: It is no surprise that a student who wishes to enroll in college should write a college application letter too. Aside from resumes, application forms also help schools recognize the student’s dedication to studying, and if he or she had passing grades in high school.Loan Application: Some people may need backup funds to settle for payments. So, a loan application form grants them that opportunity. However, personal details are not the only concern for loan applications. They usually require an applicant’s credit history or credit score. That way, it will be easy for lenders to distinguish who can be trusted in loaning.Visa Application: There are plenty of individuals who seek international opportunities. And that means applying for a passport and visa. A common group that requires this is global immigrants. Statista’s research survey said that about 40,876 EB-3 visa issuances or status adjustments happened to immigrants in 2019. Also, there are strict rules applicable to the admission, and applicants better comply with those accordingly.Membership Application: Various benefits and exclusive rewards are offered in specific groups and clubs out there. And to become a member, applicants should fill in the blanks of a membership application form. Although memberships often ask a few personal details only, some may require payments. And if there is any fee involved, note it in the document.Rental Application: In case you plan to rent out your property, always introduce your future tenants to rental application forms. That way, legal formalities will be complied with, and you already have enough information required from your tenants. And what makes a rental application for apartments and similar properties different is it must ask for the rental history of tenants.Internship Application: Sometimes, the best employees come from interns. If your business needs new interns, then give an internship application sheet for those who are interested in applying. Also, the form must ask which school or organization the interns come from as a quick background.Vendor Application: You might see a lot of vendors in the streets or parks. But it is not good when such vendors are illegally setting up their kiosks there. So to officially acknowledge them, these vendors should fill out vendor application forms first. And be sure to check these applicants’ IDs as well to confirm if they are legally working or not.Volunteer Application: Many kind-hearted and generous people want to volunteer for particular nonprofit organizations. And they should complete taking volunteer application forms first. This way, it will be easy to identify who the volunteers are and how much they are willing to donate or serve.

The Anatomy of an Application Form

An application form should be straightforward. And that means it should ask the relevant details from applicants right away. However, it is wrong to ask one by one without any form of organization. So to keep these forms organized, divide the details according to categories. And the four main categories, aka the anatomy of an application form, are the following:

Personal Info

The personal info is self-explanatory. This section asks the applicant’s background for identification purposes. The name, age, birth date, ethnicity, religion, and the like are its common examples.

Educational Background

Companies also want to know which school the applicant is from. Hence, candidates can list down the names and addresses of their schools in the educational background category. And some application forms, particularly college admissions, require academic grades, so those can be asked here.

Employment History

Employers can ask about which businesses these applicants belong to before. And that includes their internships or vacation work. That way, it will be easy to track how experienced the candidates are. Also, it will clear if such candidates worked with businesses of a similar field or not.

Activities or Interests

Sometimes you get interested in applicants who have other talents or tricks up their sleeve. Does a candidate have special skills, activities, and interests that might help the company? If yes, then having that person around is beneficial for business. Some people can leave you with surprising answers, so don’t skip this category.

How to Make Excellent Application Forms

Since you already know the application form’s definition, examples, and structure, you are now ready to create the application form itself. Don’t fret because it is not as difficult as you might think. But, there are strict considerations you must follow to ensure your next applicants can depend on the professionally-made forms you create. And without further ado, here are the steps on how to make excellent application forms:

Step 1: State the Purpose

With the many examples of application forms discussed earlier, what is your form’s specific purpose? Is it a job application or a college application form? Whatever it is, input the title in the document. A brief introductory statement may help define the title even further. And to do that, think carefully about what the form is for and be in your applicant’s shoes while writing. If the message is clear, then your applicants understand what they are applying for.

Step 2: Base from the Application Form’s Anatomy

The next step involves asking the right questions. You would ask for the applicant’s name, contact number, educational details, and so forth. And don’t forget what we discussed about the application form’s anatomy—there are four categories. Hence, organize your questions by grouping them in categories, from the personal information down to the interests. But always remember, only relevant questions must be asked to keep the evaluation smooth afterward.

Step 3: Maintain a Professional Design

Design matters. And since your company offers those application forms to potential candidates, then make an impression that your brand is reputable. How do you do that? Observe impressive branding to the form’s design. That means the business name and logo should be there. Also, keep the format professional but simple. There is no need to complicate the presentation as that example will only confuse applicants. And what better way to know what professional designs look like than to check the many application form sample templates ready for download here?

Step 4: Certify the Form with Signature Blocks

Have you reviewed the spelling, grammar, and legibility of texts in the document? Errors will lessen the effectiveness of your application form, so omit those. And once you are confident that the form’s content is good enough, end the sheet with signature blocks. Certification finalizes the application form. And it takes effect once candidates sign the sheet with their printed name. Afterwhich, you may now print the form for the candidates to complete.

FAQs

According to Stanley Randall, “The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.” With that said, employers may realize how successful a candidate is from the impressive answers written in the form alone. But, some answers can be quite boastful or unrealistic already. Hence, application forms are not a hundred percent accurate in knowing a person. They are more of a guide in knowing people instead. And if that form asks the crucial things to know about applicants, as instructed before, then evaluating all the candidates will be hassle-free.