The Application Form

One of the most important pieces of the QP training jigsaw is the QP application form.  This and the Sponsor's form provide the professional body with documented evidence of the candidate's experience and is the first part of the assessment process.  The aim of the application form is to show the assessors that you have covered all the relevant knowledge & experience you need to act as a QP.  The assessors will compare your application form to the study guide to ensure all the requirements have been met.


The QP application form is analogous to a job application.  The application form is used to show you have the required skills and experience for the job and is primarily used to get you an interview.  The QP application should be treated in the same way - it is your ticket to being called for the viva.  Therefore it should be thoroughly checked for omissions and errors before submitting.  Your sponsor will play an important role here as they will need to countersign your application form.   Guidance for completing the application form for both applicants & sponsors can be found here and is definitely worth a read before making a start on your form. 

Tips for completing your QP application form 

     1.  Start early

Ideally you should start competing your application form as soon as possible.  Large sections of the application form cover personal details & employment history.  Most of these data can be lifted straight from your CV.  Even something as simple as this can take a lot of time so be prepared and plan your time effectively.  You can then build your application form over time as you gain experience from work, visits or training courses.

My sponsor left his application form till the end of his training thinking it would not take long to complete.  In the end it took him over 2 months to finish the application form!  At this stage of your training you want to be spending all your effort on revising not completing your application form     

     2.  GAP analysis

When populating your application form have the latest version of the study guide open.  Perform a gap analysis of your current application form content verses the content required by the study guide.  Your sponsor should be willing and able to do this for you.  Once you know the areas that require further work you can tailor your training program to meet these objectives.
 

After my initial gap analysis I typed out all the missing sections in red.  Once each section was completed I simply changed the font to black and moved on to the next section.  Using a different colour font helped me to prioritise those sections of the study guide.


     3.  Be specific

After a while you can lose the will to live whilst completing the endless sections of the application form.  It therefore becomes easy to write generic statements in an attempt to rush the process.  The assessors reading your application form will be looking for details of what you actually did.

For example: which statement would best demonstrate to the assessor your knowledge on supplier audits? 
 - Perform supplier audits
 - Performing a supplier audit on a media manufacturer who supplies my organisation.  The audit included a  review of the supplier's ISO9001 certified QMS, media manufacturing processes & facilities.

     4.  Know your dosage form

The contents of your application form will dictate some of the lines of questioning from the assessors.  This will be particularly important when it comes to your specified dosage form.  You obviously wont be expected to know every dosage form but you'd better know all the ones you put down on your form - especially those other dosage forms on your MIA license. 

Summary

The application form is a critical part of your application process and will provide the assessor's a first impression of you and your potential to be a QP.  Completing the form takes time and I would highly recommend starting as soon as possible.

Thanks to my sponsor for help with this article and for reviewing my own application form!