This is a key concern for many job hunters, especially in the current job market. Here are some practical tips:
Increasingly advertising a job costs time and money, and is potentially risky when you don’t know who you’re going to get. This is why a large number of employers would rather recruit someone that they already know, without the hassle and expense of advertising the job. Statistics quoted by various respected sources suggest that as many as 80% of jobs are never advertised.
How can you make sure that potential employers already know you at the time when they need to recruit someone? One answer is to write carefully targeted speculative applications. Most job seekers tend to apply only for advertised jobs. So you will have less competition if you approach organisations directly with a speculative application. You will also demonstrate initiative, an essential quality which most employers seek. Here are some tips on how to write a speculative application that will stand out.
1. Be clear about the specific type of job that you are looking for. This shows that you know what skills and experience you have to offer; have done your research on what is involved; and are focused on the type of job you want. Don’t approach an organisation suggesting that you could ‘do anything’, as you will appear unfocused and possibly a bit desperate. If you are unsure what you do want to do, consider talking to a career coach who can help you to get clear about your ideal type of job.
2. You want your letter to have the maximum chance of landing on the desk of someone who is likely to be recruiting for your type of position. Do some research to find the best target companies.
3. Do not apply speculatively for jobs that legally have to be advertised – most jobs in the public sector, for example, must be advertised. Do your homework with appropriate job sites to check which types of jobs are normally advertised.
4. Make sure your letter is well prepared.
5. Send it to a named contact.
6. Capture their attention. One way of doing this is to show that you know about the company. Request an information pack or surf their website to research information. Professional journals or business newspapers (often available in your local library) may have relevant news items.
7. Give evidence of your skills and ability.If you say you have good copywriting skills, give a specific example of an achievement that demonstrated your copywriting ability.
8. Don’t say ‘I’ll work for nothing’. Whilst this might be true if part of your strategy is to get some relevant experience or knowledge, it can create the impression that you don’t value your skills and experience – so why should they? Instead, say you’d like to discuss ‘potential opportunities’, and leave the discussion as to whether these would be paid or unpaid until you’ve had a conversation about what you could do for them.
9. State in the letter that you will phone them to follow up, and when – then make sure you do follow up with a phone call to arrange a meeting.
10. Do enclose a well written CV (no more than 2 sides of A4) which is targeted to that organisation and the type of role that you would like to perform within it.