Should I send the form as PDF or Word?

PDF unless they ask otherwise — it looks the same on their screen as it does on yours. PDFpad exports Word too if the advert insists on it.

Fill in a job application form online

A job application form is a standard document an employer asks every candidate to complete, instead of or as well as a CV. It collects personal details, employment history, education, references and a supporting statement in the same layout for everyone, so applications can be compared against the requirements of the job.

Plenty of employers still use a PDF application form rather than a portal — councils, schools, the NHS, small firms and anyone hiring for a role where a CV alone is not enough.

A neatly typed form reads better than a photographed handwritten one, and takes less time.

Open your copy of the form

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Filling it in, section by section

Personal details: Name, address, phone and email, and often a question about your right to work. Use an email address you check every day.
Employment history: Usually most recent first, with employer, job title, dates and main duties. Give dates as month and year, and explain any gaps in a short line.
Education and qualifications: Qualification, subject, grade, place of study and year. Check the person specification and make sure every qualification it lists as essential appears here.
Supporting statement: On many forms this is the section that decides the shortlist. Work through the person specification point by point, with a short example for each, and keep to any word limit.
References: Typically two, often including your current or most recent employer. Ask your referees first, and give contact details they actually use.
Criminal convictions: Some forms ask about convictions. GOV.UK says applicants do not have to tell an employer about convictions that are spent, though some areas of employment, such as schools, are exempt. GOV.UK’s criminal record guidance explains whether yours needs to be disclosed.
Equality monitoring and date of birth: GOV.UK guidance for employers says date of birth should only be asked on the application form if the job has an age requirement; otherwise it can go on a separate equality monitoring form that the people selecting candidates should not see. If a monitoring form is included, keep it as its own page.
Declaration and signature: By signing, you typically confirm that the information is accurate and complete. On a flat PDF, PDFpad lets you place an electronic signature on the line and save a flattened copy so your answers cannot be changed.

Filling it in neatly

Keep every answer in the same font size; inconsistency is the thing that makes a filled PDF look messy.
For long answers, drop the size to 9 or 10 point rather than spilling outside the box.
Check the declaration section — most application forms have one, and it needs a date as well as a signature.
Save as PDF, not Word, unless the advert asks for Word.

Common mistakes

Writing “see CV” in the employment history section when the form asks you to fill it in.
Leaving gaps between jobs with no explanation.
Pasting a general cover letter into the supporting statement instead of answering the person specification.
Naming a referee who has not agreed, or whose contact details are out of date.
Going over the word limit, or letting text run outside the box.

Also searched as: employment application, application form PDF. Used in the UK and the US.

Questions

Should I send the form as PDF or Word?: PDF unless they ask otherwise — it looks the same on their screen as it does on yours. PDFpad exports Word too if the advert insists on it.