Anyone who has tried to write an unsolicited job application knows that it can be a challenge, mainly because you do not have a specific job advert to work from. Therefore, unsolicited job applications often require more research and creativity. This article offers three tips for writing the perfect unsolicited job application.
The article focuses mostly on the preparatory work as well as the actual content of the application. However, you must always proofread your application before sending it. No matter what sort of job you are applying for, misspellings and incoherent language signal sloppiness, and the recipient may think that you do not care about the job. If you have trouble spelling or explaining yourself in writing, and none of your family or friends can help, consider using a company that offers professional copy-editing services. This way, you can make sure that you are not be turned down because of your language skills.
Why should I consider sending an unsolicited job application?
Before going through the three tips, you’ll probably want to know why you should even consider sending an unsolicited job application in the first place.
Well, one major reason is that you can decide which company you’d like to work for. Furthermore, you can create your own job by convincing the organisation that they need someone with your specific profile for a specific job. Also, the company may have needed someone with your profile for a specific job for a while, and your application is what makes them realise it. In such cases, you won’t have to compete with any other candidates – which is another big advantage of an unsolicited job application.
Finally, you can decide which of your competences to emphasise, since there is no advert listing the different skills you need for the job.
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Research is essential
The first thing you should do when writing an unsolicited job application is to research, research, research. This means really getting to know the company you want to work for.
Check out their website and social media pages to see how they represent themselves as a business. But also check up on their industry in general to see if they are facing any current challenges, like, for example new legislation.
Finally, read what the media has written about them. For example, if the company has been praised for their inspiring working environment, you could highlight it as one of the reasons why you want to work for them. Conversely, if the media has written about a recent crisis that the organisation has gone through, it is important that you know about it. You could, for example, explain how you can help the company recover from that crisis.
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Start with a declaration of love
Now you might think, what does love have to do with a job application? But, actually, you can use the same approach as you would when writing a good old-fashioned love letter. For a love letter, you would never focus on yourself. Instead, you might start by declaring why you are sending the letter and what you love about the person.
Likewise, you should start an unsolicited job application by explaining why you want to work for that particular company. You could describe why you find their values inspiring, what good things about them you have heard from others, what you like about their product line and services, and so on. This shows the organisation that you have taken the time and effort to do your research and that you would be a good representative of the business.
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Focus on how you could help the company to grow
Next, when writing a job application – regardless of whether it is unsolicited or not – highlight what you can do for the company. Many applicants fall into the trap of writing mainly about themselves and their skills without explaining how these skills could benefit the company.
Therefore, use what you have learned from your research to identify potential challenges or problems within the organisation and describe how you can help to solve them. But never criticise the business or its people. No one likes to hear what they have done wrong. So, instead of listing what the company may have done wrong in your eyes, focus on how you can help them to grow.