'Speculative' job applications

pineapple

Jobseekers are sometimes encouraged to use their initiative and be proactive in approaching employers. But has anyone had any success with sending off cvs etc to employers just on the off chance?
I'm looking mainly in the statutory and voluntary social care sector - but my experience is that they are far too 'pc' to consider anyone unless a job has actually been advertised.
Cheers

laurel7172

It's going back a long time, but I sent off a dozen speculative letters during the summer of my second year at university, and went back for my third year with the best of two job offers already accepted. It was rather nice to be able to sit out the milk round with my job already sorted.

So I'd say go for it. It will only cost you the price of a few stamps, and it might land you a job. If they do go straight in the bin, nobody is going to remember or hold it against you when a position is advertised.

Depending on your current circumstances, however, if you can afford to do so, I wonder if a speculative request for work experience might be more likely to get you through the door?

jessbob

pineapple wrote: »

Jobseekers are sometimes encouraged to use their initiative and be proactive in approaching employers. But has anyone had any success with sending off cvs etc to employers just on the off chance?
I'm looking mainly in the statutory and voluntary social care sector - but my experience is that they are far too 'pc' to consider anyone unless a job has actually been advertised.
Cheers

Definitely a good approach. Undoubtedly, a lot of your spec. cvs will end up filed in the bin, but I have had a few interviews from sending out my cv when there were no jobs advertised. I was even called to see if I was interested in vacancies they had which were outside the field my cv was based on. I am presently in a job from sending out a spec cv

wontfallforit

pineapple wrote: »

Jobseekers are sometimes encouraged to use their initiative and be proactive in approaching employers. But has anyone had any success with sending off cvs etc to employers just on the off chance?
I'm looking mainly in the statutory and voluntary social care sector - but my experience is that they are far too 'pc' to consider anyone unless a job has actually been advertised.
Cheers

Pinapple, please give it a go, if you're looking for work in that sector!!

I've never tried it myself, but when my mum graduated (when she was middle aged!), she was dead-set on working in that particular sector, so she search high and low for jobs, only to find that there weren't many advertised.

Anyway, what she did was send out an application to literally EVERY employer within 20 miles that fell into her sector. The results were phenomenal. After contacting around 20 employers, she received at least 15 replies. A few were only to say that she'd be kept on file (and they were true to their word, the job offers still come thick and fast to this day), but others were more promising.

Within literally a couple of weeks, the following chain of events happened:

1) Mum started some temporary work with organisation 1, to cover maternity leave

2) A month later, organisation 2 contact her and inform her of long-term temp. work in the company

3) Mum informs organisation 1 that organisation 2 have given her this offer, and since it's closer to home, she's going to take it

4) organisation 1 decide to counter organisation 2's offer, and make my mum's temp job permanent

5) organisation 2 do the same, and offer mum a permanent job, which she accepts.

6) A few months down the line, organisation 3 knock on my mum's door to offer her a job. The guy in charge of recruitment had long since lost her CV, but he remembered that mum lived next door to a former friend of his, and tried his luck

Scenario 6 happened another 3-4 times over the next year, with various organisations contacting mum, based solely on her speculative letters all that time ago. Some offers she accepted (boosting her experience with ad-hoc shifts elsewhere), and some she had to decline because she had jobs coming out of her ears. The general feedback was that these organisations would sooner act on spec. CVs than go to the time and expense of interviewing, which may lead to nowhere.

I should point out again that my mum's profession is not corporate, but rather based in the charity/voluntary sector (though she does receive a good salary). So they might be more open to spec. CVs than other sectors, but I'm guessing many employers - especially small ones - will look for similar ways to save pennies in the current climate. Organisation 1 who gave my mum that initial break are quite literally one of the best-known organisations of its type in the world, having a presence in over 100 countries globally. She had no former experience in the sector, rather they hired her purely on the basis that she'd gone to the time and effort to express her interest in working there.

She's worked in 3-4 world-renowned organisations of this type, as well as smaller local outfits. She's a bit of a butterfly when it comes to jobs, yet she always leaves on fantastic terms (and has been known to return to work the odd ad-hoc shift for former employers, too).

Whereabouts in the world are you, pineapple? PM me with a general overview of your education, experience, etc. and I'll see if my mum knows of anything suitable (lots of the organisations she's worked in are, as I said, national/global). She's pretty well connected in her field now. My mum got her jobs on the back of her having a relevant degree, but she's also worked alongside colleagues who don't have a degree.

Hope that helps, good luck x

book12

It sometimes help and sometimes it doesn't. However, statistics said that a lot of jobs are not advertised, so sending a speculative CV can work.

For me, it didn't work (so far). I either receive the following letters stating something like this:

• no vacancies available. We will keep your CV on file incase something comes up. Please check with us in the future.
• don't accept speclative CVs. Only accept CVs when jobs actually are available, or apply through our website.

DCFC79

Why not give it a try, yes you may get rejetions or no thanks, id also consider widening your search to other areas of work

TEDDYRUKSPIN

Fact of life! With the ever easy system called the internet - TINTERNET to some! I suggest you have nothing to lose!

In life you can get only to answers - "YES" or "NO"!

Now, if you don't try - you will always get the NO - 100% of the time!

So what would you do?

skintbint_2

in the present climate Employers dont always have to advertise as they have so many spec approaches and if they do advertise they are inundated with people who really have no interest in the specific job -they just want a job, and have to spend valuable time sifting the applications so definitely send out your CV - also why not try some voluntary work with the organisations you are interested in working for that way you have contacts, upto date C.V. and basically you have a foot in the door for when a vacancy does arise

TR4

You have to accept that using speculative letter writing is a long shot. You are likely to get many more rejections than interest shown, and this can be extremely disappointing.

But it can be successful and you might strike lucky.

I would suggest that you don't send the same letter to everyone, try to personalise it to the prosective employer. Always get the name and position of who is the decision maker. Try to ring them after a week to confirm that they have had your letter and bring the conversation around to any specific job vacancies.

It is also a good thing because it keeps your mind occupied constructively rather than moping around and watching Jeremy Kyle

Bunnie1982

I'm going to give it a try after my Jobcentre Advisor suggested it, in fact she was very supportive and gave me some helpful tips.

I am sure I have read about a member of this forum who got their job by speculative applications but cannot for the life of me remember who it was. Hopefully they will see this thread and pop in to advise.

Zozo1985

I would just like to thank everyone for there advice in this post.

I have always thought about sending a speculative CV but have never actually sent one due to thinking the companies will just think I am a pest hassling them when they haven't actually got any vacancies.

I am at a point where I really want to get stuck into a career I enjoy and have been looking at going into being an Assistant Dietician. Having done the uni thing and deciding on taking another career path I can't afford to study again to be a fully qualified Dieticain at the moment so I would like to get my foot in the door as an assistant.

Having read this post I am now motivated to go home tonight look at companys in my area and write my covering letters and get them sent!! So thanks for the kick up the bottom!!

If they say No or don't reply at least I will know I have tried! Fingers crossed I hear something positive though!

Cheers MSE Posters