Top tips for successful speculative job searching

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Top tips for successful speculative job searching

In a previous blog I suggested that the job market is like one mother of an iceberg

of it being out of site under the waterline. Depending on the job sector that you want to

access, anything up to 70% of available jobs

aren’t going to be advertised where most of us would

recruitment agencies or the job pages of a national newspaper.

One of the best ways of accessing this ‘hidden’ job market

under the waterline – is to bypass the competition a

note of caution, taking a speculative

organisations that have a defined structure for their application process.

Here are a few tips to hopefully

1. Locate your employer

• If you are looking for graduate

place to start is www.prospects.ac.uk

employers in a specific industry or sector, eg. Charities, engineering, market research

etc.

• Local and national newspapers

• Specialist business and trade publications

• Magazines belonging to professional associations

• Online business directories such as

• Use your local knowledge of local businesses, try walking around a business park or

trading estate to identify potential employers

• Careers fairs and recruitment events are

follow. However, don’t waste your time applying speculatively

has a formal graduate programme

harles Humphreys



Tel: 07503 177126 [email protected]

op tips for successful speculative job searching

In a previous blog I suggested that the job market is like one mother of an iceberg

out of site under the waterline. Depending on the job sector that you want to

access, anything up to 70% of available jobs are going to be hidden ‘under

aren’t going to be advertised where most of us would normally start looking

recruitment agencies or the job pages of a national newspaper.

One of the best ways of accessing this ‘hidden’ job market – the large bit

is to bypass the competition and approach companies directly. A

note of caution, taking a speculative approach may not be so effective with larger and


hopefully make your speculative job hunt fruitful!

Locate your employer

graduate jobs within a specific industry or profession

www.prospects.ac.uk. This site is a must for tracking down graduate


ocal and national newspapers

pecialist business and trade publications – also available at libraries

professional associations

nline business directories such as yell.com, Kompass UK and Kellysearch

Use your local knowledge of local businesses, try walking around a business park or

trading estate to identify potential employers

and recruitment events are an excellent way to select employers to

don’t waste your time applying speculatively if the company already

has a formal graduate programme



[email protected]

op tips for successful speculative job searching

In a previous blog I suggested that the job market is like one mother of an iceberg – most

out of site under the waterline. Depending on the job sector that you want to

are going to be hidden ‘under water’ and

start looking – such as in

the large bit of the job market

nd approach companies directly. A

approach may not be so effective with larger and


specific industry or profession a good

. This site is a must for tracking down graduate


also available at libraries

yell.com, Kompass UK and Kellysearch

Use your local knowledge of local businesses, try walking around a business park or

y to select employers to

f the company already


2. When in Rome….

The more you discover about a particular organisation and use the same language / jargon

as they do, the more chance you will have of speaking and communicating at their wave

length. If this you are able to do this then it will give you a head start when looking for a job

with particular organisations.

First of all, once you have identified an employer, make sure that you do a thorough

company research. Try to get a real feel about what they do and look at their current

vacancies – if advertised on line. From this research you can make an educated guess

about their values, the types of roles, areas or work and skills used within the organisation.

Each company will have its own ‘culture’, so make a serious effort to understand what this

looks like from what they say on their website and the key words they use to express

themselves. Within reason, replicate these words and traits within your CV or application.

If they feel you would fit into their organisation – especially if it’s small – then it will

increase the chances of a job offer.

3. It’s all about who you know…

There can be no doubt that some people get lucky due to favours and preferential

attention given to them from those in influence. This certainly applies to searching for a

job!

Your speculative job search will be made a whole lot easier if you know someone within

the organisation to which you’re applying. Whatever you do, avoid addressing your letter

without a specific name: to HR manager or General Manager. As a minimum, call the

organisation and discover the name of the person to address you letter. In a smaller

organisation, you can write directly to the owner / director, whereas in larger organisation

you will need to find out a relevant person in HR. Make sure you get the correct spelling of

the person’s name.

Ideally, what you need to do is to discover someone you can trust within the organisation

to which you’re applying to be your insider, who could put in a positive word for you and

could place your CV at the top of the pile! Remember, work the system intelligently and

with cunning so that it goes in your favour.

Ideas for developing insiders:

• Attend local events laid on by:

o Chambers of Commerce

o Federation of Small Businesses

o Employment fairs e.g. local council, graduate fairs etc.

• Use online networking communities such as Meetup.com and Business Biscoti

• Check your own personal contacts from Facebook, Linked In, church, gym, or other

organisation membership


• Is there a local pub / bar or restaurant that employees visit either a lunch or after

work? If so, try and rub shoulders with them, start a conversation and see where it

goes.

4. Keep your options open

When approaching companies speculatively it’s important to keep one eye on your long-

term goal and another eye on your immediate and current situation. Ideally, you may want

to find a permanent full-time job, however, don’t disregard part-time or contract work as it

may offer an eventual route to your long-term goal.

A good way to approach a company is necessarily to ask for a job but, rather, to ask to

meet up for a brief chat (or on the phone) so that they can give you some advice on how to

access a job in their industry. That way, they won’t necessarily feel under pressure but

could even be flattered at being asked to give advice. Once you been able to meet up you

will have hopefully been able to make a positive impression and have placed yourself

firmly on their ‘radar’ for future jobs.

You could even enquire about opportunities to complete some voluntary work – which you

could view as an extended job interview. All these options could give you a springboard to

you eventually getting to your ultimate prize if a permanent job is yet available.

5. Tailor your covering letter and CV

Make sure that the CV and the covering letter that you leave with a named person within

the organisation is either tailored to a specific job or where this is not possible then it is

tailored to the sort of job that you’re looking for, e.g. a website designer.

It’s essential that your speculative covering letter is concise and that it emphasises what

you can do for the employer rather than what you want from them. This is your chance to

let yourself ‘shine’ and highlight your qualities, including relevant skills, experience and

qualifications. A CV is the place where you give the facts about yourself, whereas the

covering letter is where you can show your enthusiasm (don’t go over the top!) for working

for their company – stating specific reasons why. Flattery, if done well, can have a positive

effect.

Don’t forget, it’s all about selling yourself and presenting yourself as a potential asset to

their organisation.

6. Make sure to follow up with a call

You can never underestimate the value of communication – make sure you take the

initiative in calling back the employer for feedback. Give them approximately a week to

review your CV and covering letter and find out a convenient time to have a chat. Even if


the employer cannot offer you a job, if you suitably impress them they will hopefully keep

you on file and /or recommend you to a contact in another organisation.

A speculative approach won’t work every time, but you only need for it to work once, and

you’ve got a job!



www.want2geton.co.uk Tel: 07503 177126 [email protected]

Top tips for successful speculative job searching

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