Targeting a company with a speculative CV



Many jobseekers are reactive when it comes to job hunting. When I say this I mean is that they rely on recruitment agencies or job board and sit back and wait for the interviews to roll in. Great if it is working (there are some great job boards in Ireland) but what if you are not experiencing positive results. You have a number of options;

1. Keep doing the same thing – BUT you will keep getting the same results!!
2. Try a different approach when dealing with agencies or search the job boards.
3. Try a proactive approach.

What is proactive job hunting?

There are a number of possible strategies available including speculative CV’s. Here are some tips if you are following this strategy.

Take a focused approach –target an industry sector or a geography region. Approaching this strategy in an ad hoc manner can prove fruitless.

Bypass HR – Sending a speculative CV to Human Resources can prove a waste of time. Although recruitment is managed by the department they may not be completely aware of what is happening in departments. For example the Finance Manager may know that an accountant has just handed in notice or that it has been agreed with the Directors to increase headcount and this information has not reached HR.

Focused cover letter – A generic cover letter will lose impact. Find out the name of the department manager and address it to him/her directly.

Follow Up – Follow up with the person you have sent the CV to. Prepare short sales pitch for the call.

This article was provide by Paul Mullan a CV expert in Ireland.

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3 Responses to “Targeting a company with a speculative CV”

  1. Treasury Jobs in Ireland - IFSC Dublin | Careers and Jobs Says:

    [...] If you are struggling to find a job and want to work in the IFSC why not approach these companies directly. Need help with this then check out this blog. [...]

  2. Mr CV Says:

    A targeted CV, with indexed skills and demonstrated abilities, well written and presented will communicate more than the usual desirable or essential criteria on a job description and have great IMPACT. Consider getting your resume (or CV) professioanally compiled.

    Rejection is of course a problem when job searching as this can be taken personally, you need really thick skin to get through the “Wall of Nos”. Where approapriate, effective Job Search Counseling should be applied. Reading anything by Tom Jackson or Max Eggert should pay dividends to those self marketing, job hunting or just writing a CV or resume.

  3. Irish Jobs - How to find a job in Ireland | Careers and Jobs Says:

    [...] This approach is all about getting your hands dirty and sending CV’s off on spec. Jobseekers do not like it because it is inevitable that you will get a lot more dead-ends and rejections. And lets face it we do not like rejection. The secret to speculative applications is to start off quite specific like a target defined location or industry. This post will help you with speculative CV’s. [...]

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