Sending in a spontaneous application—that is to say, transmitting your CV without a job offer—is not like replying to a regular job offer. How do you adapt your CV to ensure that your application does not sink to the bottom of the pile of spontaneous candidates?
1. Target the right businesses
Applying spontaneously or not, personalization is the key. Avoid sending a mass of applications to everyone; it is preferable to know the sectors in which you want to work. Once you have made the choice, target four or five business, that you like, in each sector that are developing projects related to your skills. Then, find out about them, follow news concerning them, and charge forward!
Don’t forget to take small and medium-sized businesses into consideration. They are more susceptible to being open to spontaneous candidates because they can have a hard time attracting candidates sometimes.
2. Reinforce your cover letter
Usually, your cover letter is addressed to the business’ Director of Human Resources. However, don’t just stop at there, if you know someone inside the business who is more susceptible to being interested in your application, they can lead you there.
Another general method is to avoid sending generic letters to dozens of potential candidates. The first sentence is the deciding factor! There are many strategies to hook an employer: you can emphasize your business related assets like—for example—a rare skill, or you can directly speak to a contact while mentioning how you can contribute to a project or issue that the business is facing.
Have you already met during a meeting? Have you read their last book, interview, or business report? This is the perfect opportunity to drop your name.
Three elements needed to develop your letter: what you do, what part of the business interests you, and what can you bring to each other.
3. An appropriate CV title
For a spontaneous candidate, specifying a title—that is to say, the desired job—in your CV is the most important. You should then directly explain key, related skills. You should also bring out all the targeted business’ elements. For the rest, respect the same regular CV writing guidelines.
4. Plan your counterattack
Once you have sent your spontaneous CV to a business, there is no shame in resending it. If, for example, you did not receive a confirmation of your candidacy, the subject is a good excuse to follow up. The second email could attract the recruiter’s attention.
5. Take advantage of an opportunity
If you come across a job offer unrelated to the job you want, you can still use it to send your spontaneous application. It has more of a chance of being consulted by a recruiter looking for candidates. Nevertheless, always be reasonable: if the advertisement is really unrelated to what you are searching for, the recruiter might find this tactic absurd.
Many factors can influence your chances such as the business type, the number of resources affecting applicant analysis, the number of applicants, and more. Finally, remember, spontaneous candidates don’t necessarily produce spontaneous results… In fact, a reply could appear suddenly months after you sent an application.