What to Write in "Additional Information" on a Job Application

The "Additional Information" box on a job application is optional, and the honest answer is: most of the time, leave it blank. Use it only when you have something genuinely useful that doesn't fit anywhere else on the form. A blank box never costs you the job, but the wrong thing in it can.

When to leave it blank (which is often)

This field exists as a catch-all, not a test. Recruiters expect plenty of them to be empty, and nobody is docking points for a blank optional box. If everything important is already in your resume, your answers to the screening questions, and your cover letter, you're done.

Don't treat the empty box as a problem to solve. Filling it with generic enthusiasm ("I'm a hard worker passionate about excellence") reads as padding and quietly works against you. When in doubt, skip it.

When it's actually worth filling

There are a handful of moments where this box earns its keep. Use it when you have a short, concrete fact that a recruiter would want to know and that has no other home on the form:

• A gap or transition that needs one line of context. "Took a 10-month career break in 2024 to care for a family member; fully available now."
• Logistics that affect the offer. Availability date, a planned relocation, or that you're open to remote/hybrid if the form didn't ask.
• A relevant credential or detail the form had no field for. A second language, a security clearance, a portfolio link, a publication.
• A genuine connection to the role or company. A referral's name, or a specific reason you're targeting this team (kept to a sentence).
• A request the system needs. Accommodation needs for the interview, or a note that your legal name differs from the name on your references.

If your point doesn't fit one of these, it probably belongs in your cover letter or nowhere.

What to never put here

Some things actively hurt you in this box. Keep these out:

Copy-ready examples

Steal and adapt these. Keep your version to two to four sentences.

Explaining a gap:

I was out of the workforce from early 2024 to late 2024 to relocate and settle my family. I stayed current through freelance design projects and am fully available to start immediately.

Flagging relocation or availability:

I'm based in Denver but relocating to Austin in August and am available for in-person interviews there from July onward. Happy to start as early as needed.

Adding a relevant detail with no field:

I'm fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, which I noticed your customer base spans. Portfolio of recent work: yourname.dev.

Naming a referral or a real reason for interest:

Maria Chen on your data team suggested I apply. I've followed your work on real-time pipelines and would love to contribute to that roadmap.

Requesting an accommodation:

I'd appreciate captioning for video interviews. Please let me know the best way to arrange this.

Notice what these have in common: each adds one new, specific, useful fact. None of them repeat the resume or beg for the job.

A quick decision rule

Before you type anything, ask: Does this give the recruiter information they don't already have, and would it help them say yes? If yes, write two to four plain sentences. If no, leave it blank and move on.

The same logic applies to the trickier fields around it. If a relocation note belongs here, you'll also want to nail the "willing to relocate" question consistently across the form, and if work eligibility is in play, answer the authorization question straight rather than hinting at it in this box.

Keep it consistent across the whole form

Whatever you put here has to match the rest of your application. If you note an August start date in Additional Information but list "available immediately" elsewhere, that contradiction is what a recruiter remembers. Read your form back as one document, not a pile of separate boxes.

This is the kind of consistency that gets tedious when you're applying to your tenth role of the week. JobRizzer is a Chrome extension that autofills the repetitive parts of an application from your resume so your name, dates, and details stay identical across every form, and on Pro it tailors your resume to each posting. You still review every field, including this one, and submit yourself. The Additional Information box is one place you'll almost always want to make the call by hand: it's optional, it's personal, and a thoughtful blank beats a thoughtless paragraph.