Lesson 16 — Activity 3: Employment Application Forms



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When you have a Social Insurance Number, you can start working! One of the important skills you will need to have to look for a job is the ability to fill out employment application forms correctly and completely. The form must attract the attention of the employer. In this lesson, you will review the information you need to know to complete an employment application form effectively.

Application forms can tell employers a lot about the people who are looking for jobs. If you fill out an application form with incorrect information, or do a very sloppy job, the employers might think you would treat your work the same way. They would be much less likely to hire you than if you filled out the form neatly and correctly. It might be a good idea to take two copies of an application form; that way, you can practise on the first one and complete the second one when you are sure you have all of the correct information you need.

Click here to see an example of a job application form. In the next assignment, you will practise filling out a job application form.




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What kind of information might employers want to know about you as a possible employee? Here are several types of information that you might need to provide on an application form:
  • what education you have
  • what work experience you have
  • what volunteer experience you have
  • what special skills you have
  • what special training you have
  • when you are available to work
  • who the employer can contact to learn more about your work history (i.e., your references)

Another point to keep in mind when completing an application form is that you only need to provide information that relates to your ability to do the job and a number that the employer may use to contact you.

According to the Canadian Human Rights Act, answers to the following questions are not required of you when applying for a job.
  • How old are you?
  • Do you have a physical or mental disability?
  • What is your race, colour, ethnic, or national origin?
  • What is your religion?
  • What political party do you support?
  • What sex are you? Are you pregnant? What is your sexual orientation?
  • Are you married? Do you have children?
  • What bank do you deal with?

If you think that a question included on a job application form is not appropriate, you may want to consider whether you want to work for a company that would violate the Human Rights Act by asking that question.



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Application forms may seem intimidating when you see all of the blank spaces to be filled in. Keep in mind that being prepared to fill out a job application can avoid many of problems later on.