Not all graduate jobs are advertised - to find these hidden roles you'll need to write a speculative application to a company you're interested in working for. Being proactive in this way can give you access to a much wider variety of roles and increase your chances of success in the competitive job market.
What is a speculative application?
Making a speculative application simply means getting in touch with an organisation to ask whether they have a suitable job for you, despite the fact that they aren't advertising a particular vacancy. It usually involves sending a cover letter and a CV.
Of course, major graduate schemes and roles at large companies will usually be advertised and you can apply in the normal way.
But if you rely solely on responding to job adverts you may miss out on a range of opportunities, especially in the charity, design, environmental and media sectors where applying 'on spec' is common practice.
Speculative applications provide a direct route into the company and making contact with recruiters can lead to:
- temporary or permanent work
- internships or work shadowing opportunities
- increased business connections
Even if it turns out there isn't a job available, your positive approach may impress the employer sufficiently that they'll bear you in mind for future vacancies that arise.
Search for employers
To be successful with a speculative application you need to be organised from the start. Start by drawing up a shortlist of employers to target by focusing on the sectors and companies that interest you.
Tailor your approach
Your cover letter and CV must be tailored to each company.
Set out in simple terms what you are looking for and why you have chosen them, then highlight your relevant skills and experiences.
The emphasis should be on what you can bring to the company, not on what they can do for you.
Make sure you send your application to a named contact.
If you can't find the relevant contact information on the company website, try searching LinkedIn or make a phone call to ask who is in charge of recruitment.
Always be polite in your dealings with the employer.
Follow up your application
About one or two weeks after sending, follow up your application with a phone call.
This gives your contact time to read your email - while it's good to be persistent, pestering the company will not show you in a good light.
If no opportunities are available, ask the company to keep your details on file for future.
They may be able to give you advice on how they go about recruiting graduates and when vacancies are likely to arise.
Explore the Prospects careers website to learn more about how to find a job and create opportunities for yourself.
Watch how you can access the hidden job market