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Recruiting template

Job Application Form Template

A job application form collects the same information from every applicant: contact details, right to work, availability, work history, education, references and a signed declaration. Pick the version below that fits the role, fill in your details, then copy it into a document to print or into your online form builder.

Job Application Form Template

Fill in your details

Every version below updates as you type. A field left empty stays as a [placeholder] in the text you copy.

Your company and sender details are remembered, so the next template starts with them filled in.

Note

What an application form may ask differs by country and state, for example on criminal records, pay history, health and disability, and the privacy information applicants must be given. Check the form against local rules before you use it. This template is not legal advice.

General job application form

When to use it: A printable or blank application form for any role, when you want every applicant to give the same information in the same order.

[Company name] Application for employment Position applied for: [Job title] Job reference: [Job reference] Place of work: [Place of work] Please complete every section. If a question does not apply to you, write "n/a". Send the completed form to [Where to send the form] by [Closing date]. If you have questions, contact [Contact for questions]. 1. Your details Full name: ______________________________ Preferred name, if different: ______________________________ Address: ______________________________ Phone: ______________________________ Email: ______________________________ How should we contact you? Phone [ ] Email [ ] 2. Right to work Are you legally entitled to work in [Country of work]? Yes [ ] No [ ] Will you need a visa or sponsorship to work for us, now or in the future? Yes [ ] No [ ] 3. Availability When could you start? ______________________________ Notice period in your current job: ______________________________ Are you looking for: Full-time [ ] Part-time [ ] Either [ ] 4. Employment history Start with your current or most recent job. Add more if you need to, and tell us about any gaps you would like us to know about. Employer: ______________________________ Job title: ______________________________ Dates (from and to): ______________________________ Main duties: ______________________________ Reason for leaving: ______________________________ Employer: ______________________________ Job title: ______________________________ Dates (from and to): ______________________________ Main duties: ______________________________ Reason for leaving: ______________________________ 5. Education and qualifications School, college or university: ______________________________ Qualification and subject: ______________________________ Year completed: ______________________________ Professional qualifications, licences or certificates relevant to this role: ______________________________ 6. Why you are a good fit Using the job description for [Job title], tell us how your skills and experience match the role. Examples from work, study or volunteering all count. ______________________________ 7. References Please give two referees, one of them your most recent employer if possible. We will not contact them without asking you first. Referee 1. Name: ____________ Relationship to you: ____________ Email or phone: ____________ Referee 2. Name: ____________ Relationship to you: ____________ Email or phone: ____________ 8. Adjustments Our process includes an interview. Will you need any adjustments for it? If so, tell us what would help. ______________________________ 9. Declaration I confirm that the information in this form is true and complete. I understand that false or misleading information may lead to my application being rejected or, if I am employed, to my employment ending. Signed: ____________________ Date: ____________ How we use your information: [Privacy notice link]

Short online application form

When to use it: An online form in your careers page, applicant tracking system or form builder, where a CV covers the work history and you only need the essentials.

Apply for [Job title] at [Company name] Job reference: [Job reference] Place of work: [Place of work] Closing date: [Closing date] Full name (required): ______________________________ Email (required): ______________________________ Phone: ______________________________ Town or city you live in: ______________________________ CV (required): [Upload] LinkedIn profile or portfolio link: ______________________________ Are you legally entitled to work in [Country of work]? (required) Yes [ ] No [ ] When could you start? ______________________________ [Role-specific question] ______________________________ Is there anything we can do to make the interview easier for you? (optional) ______________________________ How did you hear about this job? Our website [ ] Job board [ ] Referral [ ] Social media [ ] Other [ ] [ ] I have read how [Company name] uses my information: [Privacy notice link] [Submit application]

Hourly and shift-work application form

When to use it: Retail, hospitality, warehouse, care or other shift-based roles, where availability matters more than a long work history.

[Company name] Application for employment: [Job title] Place of work: [Place of work] Job reference: [Job reference] Return this form to [Where to send the form] by [Closing date], or hand it in at [Place of work]. 1. Your details Full name: ______________________________ Phone: ______________________________ Email: ______________________________ Are you 18 or over? (Some roles here have a minimum age.) Yes [ ] No [ ] Are you legally entitled to work in [Country of work]? Yes [ ] No [ ] 2. When you can work Tick every time you are available. Morning Afternoon Evening Night Monday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Tuesday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Wednesday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Thursday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Friday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Saturday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Sunday [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] How many hours a week would you like to work? ______________________________ Are you available on public holidays? Yes [ ] No [ ] Some [ ] When could you start? ______________________________ Can you get to [Place of work] for early or late shifts? Yes [ ] No [ ] Not sure [ ] 3. Experience Have you done similar work before? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, where, and what did you do? ______________________________ No experience is fine for this role: [Training you provide]. Tell us about anything that shows how you work with people, such as a part-time job, volunteering or a team you were part of. ______________________________ 4. References Name and phone or email of one person we can ask about you, such as a previous manager, teacher or volunteer leader: ______________________________ 5. Adjustments Will you need any adjustments for the interview? ______________________________ 6. Declaration I confirm that the information in this form is true. Signed: ____________________ Date: ____________ How we use your information: [Privacy notice link]

Graduate or internship application form

When to use it: Internships, graduate schemes and campus hiring, where applicants have little work history and education and projects carry more weight.

[Company name] Application form: [Job title] Programme dates: [Internship or programme dates] Place of work: [Place of work] Send this form to [Where to send the form] by [Closing date]. Questions? Contact [Contact for questions]. 1. Your details Full name: ______________________________ Email: ______________________________ Phone: ______________________________ Are you legally entitled to work in [Country of work] for the programme dates? Yes [ ] No [ ] Are you available for the full programme, [Internship or programme dates]? Yes [ ] No [ ] If no, which dates? ____________ 2. Education College or university: ______________________________ Degree and subject or specialisation: ______________________________ Year of study now: ______________________________ Expected or actual year of graduation: ______________________________ Grade, CGPA or percentage so far (optional): ______________________________ 3. Projects and experience Tell us about a project, from your course or your own time, that you are proud of. What was your part in it, and what did you learn? ______________________________ List any internships, part-time jobs, volunteering or society roles: ______________________________ Link to a portfolio, GitHub or other work you want us to see (optional): ______________________________ 4. Why this role What do you want to learn during this programme, and why at [Company name]? ______________________________ 5. References One academic or work referee. Name: ____________ Relationship to you: ____________ Email: ____________ 6. Adjustments Will you need any adjustments for the interview or assessment? ______________________________ 7. Declaration I confirm that the information in this form is true and complete. Signed: ____________________ Date: ____________ How we use your information: [Privacy notice link]

Internal job application form

When to use it: An existing employee applying for a vacancy in another team or a more senior role.

[Company name] Internal application: [Job title] Job reference: [Job reference] Closing date: [Closing date] Send this form to [Where to send the form]. Questions? Contact [Contact for questions]. 1. About you Full name: ______________________________ Current job title: ______________________________ Current team and manager: ______________________________ Time in your current role: ______________________________ 2. Your manager Have you told your manager you are applying? Yes [ ] No [ ] We will speak to your current manager before any offer. If you have not told them yet, we will talk to you first. 3. Why this role Why do you want to move to this role, and what would you bring to it? ______________________________ 4. Evidence Give two examples from your current or past roles at [Company name] that show you can do the main parts of the job described in the advert. Example 1: ______________________________ Example 2: ______________________________ 5. Development What would you need to learn in the first months in the role, and how would you go about it? ______________________________ 6. Notice If you are offered the role, when could you move? Any handover your current team would need: ______________________________ 7. Declaration I confirm that the information in this form is true and complete. Signed: ____________________ Date: ____________

How to use this template

  • 1Pick the version that fits the role: the general form for most jobs, the short online form if you collect CVs, the hourly form for shift work, the graduate form for internships and campus hiring, or the internal form for current employees.
  • 2Fill in the fields above, then copy the form into a document to print, or rebuild it in your form builder or applicant tracking system.
  • 3Delete any question you will not use to make a decision. Every extra question makes some applicants give up.
  • 4Collect equal opportunity monitoring data, if you collect it, on a separate optional form that the people deciding on applications do not see.
  • 5Link your privacy notice on the form, and check the questions against the rules where you hire before you publish it.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Asking for date of birth, marital status, children, a photo or other personal details that have nothing to do with the job.
  • Asking about health or disability before an offer. Ask instead whether the applicant needs adjustments for the interview or tests.
  • Including a criminal record question on the first application where local "ban the box" rules stop you asking it at that stage.
  • Asking for current or past pay where pay history questions are banned. Share the pay range for the role instead.
  • Asking for the work history in full when you also ask for a CV, so applicants type the same thing twice.
  • Leaving out the closing date, where to send the form or who to ask, so applicants cannot tell whether their form arrived in time.

Questions

What should a job application form include?

The role and reference, contact details, right to work, availability and start date, employment history, education and qualifications, a question about fit for the role, references, a way to ask for adjustments, a signed declaration and a link to your privacy notice.

Is there a printable or blank job application form?

Yes. The general job application form above works as a blank, printable form for any role. Leave the fields empty to keep it generic, or fill in your company and role first, then copy it into a document and print it.

Can I get this job application form as a PDF or Word document?

Copy the version you want, paste it into Word or Google Docs, add your logo and adjust the spacing, then save it as a .docx or export it as a PDF.

Is a job application form the same as an employment application form?

Yes. Job application form, employment application form and application for employment are names for the same thing: a standard form every applicant for a role fills in.

What questions should not be on a job application form?

Leave out anything unrelated to the job, such as age, marital status, religion or family plans. Rules differ by place: in the US, disability questions before an offer are prohibited under the ADA, and in the UK health questions are restricted during recruitment. Many US states and cities also restrict criminal record and pay history questions.

Do I need an application form if candidates send a CV?

Not always. A form helps when you want to compare applicants on the same questions, hire for shift work, or hire people with little work history. If you take CVs, use the short online form to collect only what the CV does not show.

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