Why do you have to fill out an application if you already...
WhoKnowsWhy
Snowy Owl
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 132
Location: Virginia, United States
submitted a resume?
I don't get it. Employers make me fill out my education and work experience info even after I already sent them a resume. Why is this? Now you may say "don't be lazy, you must not want the job that badly if you won't fill out the application." I'll address that point later, but for now, could someone just tell me why employers do this?
Mack27
Deinonychus
Joined: 7 Dec 2010
Age: 52
Gender: Male
Posts: 382
Location: near Boston Massachusetts USA
I agree with Mack27, they do want a standard form layout for easy access to the info. Also, on the application form, they ask for additional info that is not on the resume, like health info, criminal history, military service info, family info--for work insurance use, so they will know who will be on your work insurance with you. They often also ask about foreign languages and other skills that might be useful in your work. Much of this stuff may not be on your resume, so the form provides a place to plug it in.
Health info is important, as it can effect ones ability to work, or how well one can work. It also has an effect on workplace insurance.
Criminal history is obvious. They don't want thieves, embezzlers, druggies, and violent people on the payroll.
Military service info effects the work insurance because you may be using military insurance instead. Also, if you are in the Reserves, it can effect whether you get the job or not. Some jobs need the employee to be there every work day, except when sick. Other jobs have several people there who can do the work, so they can pick up the slack if you have to take off to go on military duty.
Work skills info helps, as it may show that you could be helpful in a number of jobs in the company, or especially helpful in one particular job there.
There may be other info besides all this that they want that is not on the resume. The application form allows for collecting it all together in one place, in a format that is easy to access when needed.
I know it's annoying, but it's part of the process, along with the interview.
_________________
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away.--Henry David Thoreau
Often, you can just write on the part where you go through every job on the application to "see resume" and include the resume. This will save a lot of writing and I find they usually let me do that (do ask). The other parts of the application I fill out because it might be questions like about schedules and such that the resume would not have.
WhoKnowsWhy
Snowy Owl
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 132
Location: Virginia, United States
Health info is important, as it can effect ones ability to work, or how well one can work. It also has an effect on workplace insurance.
Criminal history is obvious. They don't want thieves, embezzlers, druggies, and violent people on the payroll.
Military service info effects the work insurance because you may be using military insurance instead. Also, if you are in the Reserves, it can effect whether you get the job or not. Some jobs need the employee to be there every work day, except when sick. Other jobs have several people there who can do the work, so they can pick up the slack if you have to take off to go on military duty.
Work skills info helps, as it may show that you could be helpful in a number of jobs in the company, or especially helpful in one particular job there.
There may be other info besides all this that they want that is not on the resume. The application form allows for collecting it all together in one place, in a format that is easy to access when needed.
I'm not talking about that type of info...that doesn't bother me. I'm talking about having to type in education and work experience when I already submitted a resume with that info. Ugh.
I don't dread interviews (mainly because I hardly ever get them) nearly as much as I do filling out applications with the same s**t over and over again.
WhoKnowsWhy
Snowy Owl
Joined: 27 Jul 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Posts: 132
Location: Virginia, United States
This sounds very appealing to me personally, but I could see where that would get your application tossed in the trash. The employer would say you don't even have the job yet, and you're already not following directions.