Speculative job applications.

[Moon bunny]

What are your views and experiences? Do you make them? Receive them? Ever had any success from either point of view? Or are you just the one who feeds them into the shredder/clicks on the wastebin icon?

 

[LarryDuff]

I got my first job by sending my cv off to about 30 companies. I got 2 interviews and 1 job offer.

 

[potsy]

No experience as yet but will be doing this in the new year when I will be looking for a new job, I know a couple of lads where I work have had success recently doing it.
Got to be worth a try I would have thought?

 

[Doseone]

I receive them. Always give a reply and if they look any good keep on file. Did go back to one about 6 months later to see whether they were still looking, but she had found another job.

 

[User33236]

I guess it all depends on the employer and the type of work you are seeking. In my line of work it is seen as bad form making an approach about a job unless a vacancy has been advertised.

 

[ayceejay]

I like the cut of your jib Captain Sparrow and my timbers would be shivered if I could serve with you on the high seas aargh!
If you know what makes the company special and you are confident that you are a good fit then go for it.

 

[mattobrien]

When employing people I was always looking for good people, so never minded if a good one got in touch out of the blue.

 

[Pale Rider]

I wrote to about 70 prospective employers in my game 20 years ago.

Initially, I had several expressions of interest/keep you on file.

One of the latter wrote two months later offering an interview, I got the job and still have it.

After that job offer, another of the original ones wrote to ask if I was still looking.

 

[Sandra6]

I once sent out a load of cv's -as instructed to by the job centre - heard nothing back, even though I found out the same week two of the companies were actually recruiting. So I would say they don't work.
Nobody who has handed a CV in where I work has ever got an interview, and application forms that come in when we're not actually recruiting don't ever seem to see the light of day either.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I once offered a job to a guy who sent in a cv like this...my team needed a new advisor and his cv just so happened to be in my in box on the morning I was drafting an advert ...and he had all the right qualifications and experience etc. Bloke turned out to be a knob though in the end...but hey.

I have sent in speculative CV's myself and had no luck. I even sent one to the same outfit 3 times, once after each rejection. Then they commended me for my tenacity and spirit but asked me to foff and leave them alone from now on

Its a numbers game...I think most employers are very busy and to them a cv is about as important in thier day as junk mail from the pizza take out....but catch them at the right time when they have a need and you have as much if not more chance than anybody else.

One thing I do feel is that regardless of what many say, or what the law is, there is still a LOT of predjudice out there on all kinds of levels,. The standard letter of rejection doesnt have to give a reason really, just some waffle about being unsuccessful on this occassion and good luck in the future. I wonder if compelling these letters to contain a reason would help reduce preducice?? Dunno.

 

[swee'pea99]

Having been on the receiving end a fair few times, a few tips: One, if at all possible, find out the name of the person you're applying to, and address a brief covering note to them by name. ('Dear Sir/Madam' just says 'I'm so keen to work for you I can't even be bothered to find out who you are.') Two, the key word there is 'brief'. Three, spell their name correctly. Oh, and for a fourth that, along with the others, will put you ahead of 90% of other applicants, run a spell check on your brief note and CV, following up with a careful look for errors the checker won't spot (their/there/they're and the like).

 

[MontyVeda]

send about 30 out since i was made redundant in September... not heard a single thing back.

 

[gbb]

It seems a natural and proper thing to do if youre unemployed and looking for a job, why wouldn't you?
When made redundant two years ago, I researched all the companies in my industry within an hours drive of me and sent them all my CV.
I got a few thankyou's and we'll put you info on file, two no thankyou's, and one out of the blue phone call asking me to 'come and havea a chat'...which turned eventually into a job offer. Result for everyone. The company were going to be looking for someone in 6 months time to cover a forthcoming retirement, but couldnt pass the oportunity toget someone with exactly the right experience on specific machinery.

Anyway, doesnt it show drive and initiative ?

 

[srw]

I've never had one direct from a job-seeker, but recruitment agents bombard me with the things. They all go straight into the electronic bin.

 

[mcshroom]

I actually have my job through a speculative application. The company kept me on record and was invited to an interview over a year later.