You know what you want and you know the company you want to work for but sometimes looking through advertised positions isn’t enough. This is where speculative applications are your new best friend.
Sending a speculative application simply means expressing your interest in a position that isn’t advertised and is usually made up of your CV and a great cover letter being sent to a key contact within an organisation.
5 Top Tips For Writing Speculative Applications
1. Be strategic
Research should be the first stage of your application process. Start by putting together a list of organisations that specialise in your field and match the kind of business you would like to be part of. These could be large or small, international or regional. Once you’ve got that,
focus some of that strategy on your CV. Sending off your standard resume with no thought put into the skills or experience needed for that role/company is the quickest way to get your application sent straight to the trash and a waste of all your precious research time.
2. Get the name of an individual
This is crucial. Sending an application to a general HR address is unlikely to yield great results, however a personalised note to the person directly involved with the position you are looking for is better. By
reaching out to a decision maker, you could be answering the need for their team they didn’t even realise they had or hadn’t had a chance to advertise yet. While there may not be a position available immediately, this personal approach
raises your profile with someone who will remember you the next time an opportunity comes around.
3. Be clear about what you are asking for
Are you looking for a full-time position where you can grow with the company? Would you like to work on a short-term project – i.e. an event the company is running that year – that you think your experience is a great fit for? The person reading your application should
know without a doubt what you are asking for and where you would fit within their team.
4. Prove you know what the company does and show what you offer
Remember you are approaching them so everything in your cover letter must
directly apply to their business and the position you are looking for. You may have some great skills but by making the connections with what you have done and what you offer crystal clear,
you present a much stronger case for the company hiring you.
5. Politely follow up
People are busy so don’t be disheartened if you don’t hear back immediately. About
a week or two after contacting them a polite follow up email or, better yet, phone call is a great way to make sure you stay top of the radar and get that all important answer you are looking for
without pestering them.
Check out our interview tips for when your speculative application pays off and secures that all important meeting >>>