Job Application Form (Employment Application)
A printable employment application form for applicants to fill in by hand: personal details, the position, education, work history, references and a signed declaration.
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Red highlights mark what is still blank. Click anything on the page to change it. Your draft is kept on this device as you work.
Please complete every section in ink. Attach extra sheets if you need more space.
Personal information
| Full name | |
| Address | |
| Phone | |
| Are you legally permitted to work in [country]? | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
| Are you at least 18 years old? | ☐ Yes ☐ No |
Position
| Position applied for | |
| Date you can start | |
| Pay expected | |
| Type of work wanted | ☐ Full-time ☐ Part-time ☐ Temporary |
Education
| School, college or university | Course or qualification | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
Employment history (most recent first)
| Employer and town | Job title | From | To | Reason for leaving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
May we contact your present employer? ☐ Yes ☐ No
References
| Name | How they know you | Phone or email |
|---|---|---|
Declaration
I confirm that the information in this application is true and complete. I understand that false or misleading information may lead to my application being rejected or, if I am employed, to dismissal.
What is a Job Application Form?
A job application form asks every applicant the same questions in the same order: contact details, the position, availability, education, work history, references and a signed statement that the answers are true. It lets an employer compare candidates on the same facts, including the exact dates and reasons for leaving that a resume can skip. Without one, each applicant tells a different story in a different format, and gaps are easy to miss. The form on this page prints a blank employment application with your business name and address at the top.
Restaurants, stores, warehouses, cleaning and landscaping companies, farms, clinics and nonprofits use a paper application when many applicants have no resume, or when people walk in and ask about work. It is handed out at the counter, at job fairs and at open interviews, and filled in by hand in ink. Employers who accept resumes often ask for an application as well, so that every candidate answers the same questions and signs the same declaration. Print a batch for a single opening with the position filled in, or leave the position blank and keep one stack for every vacancy.
What an employer may ask depends on federal, state and local law. Federal anti-discrimination laws, enforced by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, make questions about age, race, religion, sex, national origin or disability risky or unlawful, and many states and cities protect more traits, such as marital status. Some states and cities also bar questions about salary history, or about criminal records on the first application, often called ‘ban the box’. These rules differ by place and change over time, so check federal, state and local law, or ask your state labor department, before adding any questions.
The form collects information; it is not a contract or a job offer, and it verifies nothing. A ‘yes’ to the work-eligibility question does not replace Form I-9, which US employers complete with every new hire. A background check through a screening company needs its own written disclosure and the applicant’s authorization under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, and some states add rules. The form also carries no at-will or equal opportunity statement; if you want one, take advice on the wording for your state.
What to put in a Job Application Form
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Business name | For example: Barton Supply Co. |
| Your address | For example: Unit 7, Barton Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Position (leave blank for a blank form) optional | For example: Warehouse Associate |
| Country for the work-eligibility question | For example: the United States |
| Include a references section? | Free text |
How to make a job application form
Add your business name and address
Enter the name applicants know you by and the address where completed forms should be returned. They print at the top of the form, above the title Application for Employment, so a filled-in form can always be matched to the right employer, even after it leaves your counter. If you hire for several locations, print a separate batch for each one, so you know which site each applicant wants to work at.
Name the position or leave it blank
Type a job title, such as ‘Warehouse Associate’, to print forms for one opening, or leave it blank and applicants will write in the job they want. The position section also asks when they can start, the pay they expect and whether they want full-time, part-time or temporary work. It asks about expected pay rather than past pay, because some states and cities ban questions about salary history.
Set the work-eligibility question
Enter the country where the job is based. The form then asks, ‘Are you legally permitted to work in the United States?’ with yes and no boxes, and it asks whether the applicant is at least 18 rather than asking for a date of birth. Treat both answers as a first screen only. Eligibility to work is verified on Form I-9 once the person is hired, not on the application.
Decide whether to include references
Choose Yes to add a references section with space for two people: their name, how they know the applicant, and a phone number or email. Choose No if you would rather ask only shortlisted candidates for references later. Either way, the form asks, ‘May we contact your present employer?’ If an applicant ticks No, ask them before you contact their current employer at any stage of the process.
Print, collect and store the forms
Print enough copies and give every applicant the same form. When a form comes back, check that each section is complete and the declaration is signed and dated, and attach any resume to it. Judge every applicant against the same job requirements. Completed forms hold personal information, so keep them locked away, and retain them for as long as federal and state record-keeping rules require before shredding them.
Job application form sample
What the printed form asks, followed by a sample of how an applicant might fill in the position, work history and references for Northgate Logistics in Columbus, Ohio.
What the printed form contains
Application for Employment
Please complete every section in ink. Attach extra sheets if you need more space.
Personal information
Full name · Address · Phone · Email
Are you legally permitted to work in the United States? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Are you at least 18 years old? ☐ Yes ☐ No
Position
Position applied for · Date you can start · Pay expected
Type of work wanted: ☐ Full-time ☐ Part-time ☐ Temporary
Education
School, college or university · Course or qualification · From · To
Employment history (most recent first)
Employer and town · Job title · From · To · Reason for leaving
May we contact your present employer? ☐ Yes ☐ No
References
Name · How they know you · Phone or email
Declaration
A signed and dated statement that the information is true and complete
Sample answers from an applicant
Northgate Logistics, Columbus, OH · Application for Employment
Position
Position applied for: Warehouse Associate
Date you can start: November 2, 2026 · Pay expected: $19.50 an hour · ☒ Full-time
Employment history (most recent first)
Maple Street Market, Columbus · Stock associate · 06/2023 · Present · Looking for full-time hours
Brightwater Car Wash, Grove City · Attendant · 05/2021 · 05/2023 · Moved closer to home
May we contact your present employer? ☐ Yes ☒ No
References
Dana Whitfield · Former supervisor at Brightwater Car Wash · (555) 010-2287
Emily Hayes · Volunteer coordinator, Westside Food Pantry · (555) 010-7714
Signed: Marcus Bell · Date: October 19, 2026
Common mistakes
- Adding your own questions about age, marital status, religion, health or plans for children, which can be used as evidence of discrimination and may break federal, state or local law.
- Asking about salary history or criminal records on the first application in a state or city that bans it, which can lead to complaints and penalties even if the answers are never used.
- Treating the ‘legally permitted to work’ box as proof of eligibility and skipping Form I-9, which leaves you without the record that federal law requires for every new hire.
- Calling an applicant’s current employer after they ticked ‘No’ to that question, which can cost them their present job and will cost you their trust.
- Leaving completed applications in an open tray or recycling them unshredded, which exposes applicants’ addresses, phone numbers and work histories to anyone who picks them up.
Frequently asked questions
What is a job application form?
A job application form, or employment application, is a standard set of questions an employer asks every applicant to answer: contact details, the position wanted, availability, education, work history and references, followed by a signed declaration that the answers are true. Because everyone answers the same questions, employers can compare applicants fairly and check details, such as dates and reasons for leaving, that resumes often leave out.
What questions can an employer ask on a job application?
An employer can ask questions related to the job: contact details, the position wanted, availability and start date, expected pay, education, work history, relevant licenses or skills, references, whether the applicant is legally permitted to work, and whether they meet a lawful minimum age. Questions that touch protected traits, such as age, race, religion, national origin, disability or marital status, are restricted by federal, state or local law, so check those laws before adding anything.
What questions should not be on a job application?
Examples to leave off include date of birth, race, religion, national origin, disability or health, pregnancy or plans for children, and marital status. Depending on your state or city, questions about salary history or criminal records may also be banned on the application. This is not a complete list, and the rules are not the same everywhere, so check federal law, your state’s fair employment law and any city rules before you print.
What is ‘ban the box’ on job applications?
‘Ban the box’ is the name for laws and policies that stop employers from asking about criminal records on the initial job application, where a tick box once asked whether the applicant had a conviction. Many of these rules move the question to later in hiring, such as after an interview or a conditional offer. They are set by states and cities, and a federal law covers federal agencies and contractors, so coverage and timing differ by place.
Does a job application need to be signed?
Most employers ask for a signature under a declaration that the information is true and complete, as this form does, with a line for the date. The signature confirms that the applicant has read and stands by their answers, and the declaration warns that false or misleading information may lead to rejection or, after hiring, dismissal. Signing does not make the application a contract or create any promise of a job.
How long should an employer keep job applications?
For at least as long as the record-keeping rules that apply to you require. Federal rules enforced by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission set a minimum period for application records, federal contractors can have longer duties, and some states set their own. Check the EEOC’s record-keeping guidance and your state labor department, keep the forms secure in the meantime, and shred them when the period ends.
Do applicants need to fill out an application if they have a resume?
Many employers ask for both. A resume shows what the applicant chooses to highlight; the application asks everyone the same questions, including exact dates, reasons for leaving and permission to contact a present employer, and it carries a signed declaration. If you accept resumes, attach each one to a completed form, so that you compare candidates on the same facts and have a signed record for every applicant.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.