Written Applications: A Rant

Earlier this week I recieved a letter from a firm offering me an interview on Friday. Enclosed with the letter was an application form they desired me to fill out. An 8 page written application form

What is it with written application forms? Shouldn't they have been phased out in favour of technology? They are inferior in so many ways and in this case are being used to reiterrate information I have already given the firm, via technology. In case you are puzzled as to why I am quite so strongly opposed to them here are a few pointers.

1. They are time consuming - okay not a big issue for the firm here, but an irritation for the applicant. It takes so long to write everything out, which brings me neatly to point 2
2. You have to write EVERYTHING out - If you apply on a computer then a certain amount of copy and paste is likely. You will have you grades in your C.V and its a simple minute procedure to add them to the form. Similarly with work experience and personal information.
3. They have LITTLE boxes - What is it with firms who ask for information and they leave you a five centimetre box to write your answer in. Yes, you can always turn the page over and write on the other side, or write outside the box but this looks messy, instead you try to make handwriting as tiny as possible till its barely readable. Its entirely reasonable to limit the amount people can write but you can do that on a computer too!
4. Handwriting - Handwriting varies, some people have big loopy handwriting, some people have tiny crabbed handwriting. The one thing they have in common, typed script is easier to read.
5. Its on paper - So the firm gets the application. You cant database paper applications, well you can but its wastefully inefficient. Instead you may as well type it up.. and look your having to type up something that could have just been given to you anyway in that format!
6. What a waste of paper - Most applications are x pages long. The longest I have completed was 14 sheets. If every interested candidate has to fill that out the amount of paper wastage is impressive. On that note some pages are pointless to some candidates, I have had no previous employment thus left the page entirely blank. This the alternative of pressing "next" just with extra wastage. Why not put it on a computer, thus saving the environment and the world in the process. Its that easy!

7. A counter argument - Some people may suggest that technology scared people feel safer with paper. A fair point you might say. If the job did not largely involve sitting on a computer all day! Not to mention there really are no place for the kind of person who views a computer as a suspicious object best left well alone in any modern office!

Ultimately there are technologies and developments that make others obsolete. DVDs replaced Videos, CDS replaced Cassettes because they were better then their predecessor. Why then do we still have to put up with old fashioned, inferior paper applications? I am at a loss to see why paper applications are still used.

Answers to me on a stamp addressed envelope at...