How to submit an unsolicited application
Get started with an unsolicited application with these 3 good reasons – the road to your first job may well go through the "invisible" positions.
An unsolicited application can be your way in
The road to your first job may very well be through an unsolicited inquiry. As can be seen by the figures below, the majority of companies use unsolicited inquiries to hire new employees, and yet 1/5 of companies never receive unsolicited inquiries.
Let this be a clear sign for you to send out unsolicited inquiries. It might be the ticket to jumping to the front of the line as a new graduate.
3 good reasons to apply unsolicited
- Many jobs are filled through networks and unsolicited inquiries
- You increase your motivation because you take initiative and aren’t just waiting for good job ads to show up
- When you contact companies, you show drive and initiative which most companies view as good qualities
“Taking charge yourself shows drive, commitment and initiative. Companies like it if you spend time on just them; that you don’t just send a random application. It shows that you’re genuinely interested in them, because you’ve chosen them yourself, prepared and show an interest in them,” says Sanne Mattebjerg, IDA career counsellor.
Example of an unsolicited inquiry
The starting point for any unsolicited inquiry must be your prepared material. In the example below, you can see an example of an inquiry f0llowing a phone call with the leader of the company. Click the image to see and download the example for inspiration.
What is unsolicited job search?
In fact, unsolicited inquiries are not a job application.
You are doing structured and qualitative research to find out which companies have tasks and a way of working that could match what you want. This is also a way to find inspiration for all the different opportunities to carve your path on the labour market. And it is an invitation to discuss future opportunities with the company in question.
How to find companies for your unsolicited application
Systematise your unsolicited job search
First, you must find a good number of potential companies. Use your network and LinkedIn to find inspiration for where “people like you” or “people who do what you want to do” work – and have worked.
Enter the companies into an Excel spreadsheet and add names and telephone numbers of managers in departments that could be relevant for you to explore. If you know anyone who has worked in one of the companies, then contact them to find out about the working environment and other more informal parts of a job.
Advice from IDA’s career counsellors
- Call the companies to find out whether you can and want to handle the responsibilities of the position, and then use that information to tailor your CV.
- Write a brief email with 3-4 bullet points detailing how you’d carry out some of the tasks, based on the talk you had with the company – and only enclose your CV.
- Follow up with an email. This is your need – not theirs (yet).
Prepare your company contact
Ask the right questions
Unsolicited job search is about finding out whether you can and want to handle the responsibilities of working in the relevant company – either now or in the future. Only one person can answer that: the manager with the authority to employ you.
So you need to get hold of that person – perhaps by calling the main number of the company – and tell them that you’re a new graduate and you’re trying to find out which companies could be relevant for you to keep an eye on, and that you have some questions about how you work specifically as x in that department.
And when you get the manager on the phone, be ready to ask well prepared questions.
Possible questions
When the call is a success
The conversation is a success when you have received knowledge to clarify whether or not this could be a job for you.
If you think it could be relevant, the next success criteria is to agree with the manager that you’ll update your CV based on the new knowledge you’ve received and send it to the manager. Initially to find out whether the manager considers your profile relevant for the company.
What to do after the call
Enclose your CV in an email in which you briefly describe which tasks you see yourself doing for them based on the knowledge you received in the telephone call.
End the email by writing that you’ll contact them in a few days to further discuss any opportunities.
The golden rule: Follow up
Make sure to follow up on your inquiry and call about 3-4 days later. Ask whether the person has had a chance to look at your CV and consider your opportunities. Show them that you do not expect them to have a job available right away.
Your goal is to become known to them and show that you are interested in the company – and to tell them that you hope they’ll contact you if any opportunities arise. If the person has not had time to look at your email, ask if you can call again next Wednesday or if it’s better to wait a little longer, depending on how busy the person is.
Never leave the initiative to the company, then you’ll lose control and end up in a waiting position.
“If you can tell that the company is interested in your profile, you can tentatively suggest stopping by for an informal meeting on possibilities in the long term. And if this isn’t possible, ask whether you can call them again in a few months,” says Sanne Mattebjerg.
Use LinkedIn in your company research
