How to write a speculative application

What do you do when you fall in love with a company but they aren't hiring at the moment? Well, you can show your interest using speculative applications. In this guide, we take a look at what they are and how they can help you get a job.

What is a speculative application?

Sounds fancy, but simply put, a speculative application is when you apply for a job that hasn’t been advertised. This usually involves sending a cover letter and your CV/resume to an employer for a role at their company directly. Although this seems like a long shot, it can be an effective way to join a talent pool, secure valuable experience, and make connections.

Many jobs in fields like design, environmental work, media, and charity work aren’t advertised. Speculative applications can be effective when done right, as a lot of these positions go to those who show some initiative. If you get your name and CV/resume in front of the right person, you might be just the candidate they’re looking for. Alternatively, if the company doesn’t have any permanent roles for you at that time, they might be able to offer some valuable work experience or forward your details onto someone else.

Our top tips for writing a speculative application

Unfortunately, this process isn’t as simple as sending your CV over to any company that catches your eye. Without a targeted approach, your letter or email will likely go unnoticed. Here’s how to go about writing a speculative application:

1. Do your research

If you haven't yet, make a list potential companies you think you’d be a good fit for. Whether it’s a company that interests you or a local brand that you’re familiar with, think about what position you could fill there. Use Unifrog's University and Employer library to find employers who are looking to recruit young people, or join Talent Pool to help get your name in front of them.

Make sure the companies on your list don't have live vacancies for the role you want to apply for though! It'll make it seem like you haven't done enough research!

Read up about the company. Think about the organisation’s background, company ethos, how it operates, and whether there are any publicised plans for expansion.

Figure out how you can add value. Consider how your set of skills can benefit very particular aspects of the company. Remember – you need to show a potential employer how you can help them. Make sure you keep this in mind when researching companies and roles you think you’re suited to.

2. Tailor your application

Once you have your shortlist of companies, your application to each one should be unique. You’ll need to send a cover letter/email and attach your CV/resume. Both the letter and the CV should be tailored to the company and job you’re applying for: you should have a master CV that you can use like your own personal library. That way, for each application, you can pull out the skills and experiences that match the job you're applying for without losing your work. Update your master CV regularly. Add new skills, projects, and experiences as they happen so you don’t forget any details when applying.

In your cover letter/email, introduce yourself and let them know why you’re contacting them. Tell them your name and current stage of education or employment.

Let the person know why you’re writing to them specifically: have you noticed something interesting about the work they do? Do you like their values? Did they come to your school/college and say something that piqued your interest? This is where your research comes in. Give some examples of the things you found interesting online. Don't copy and paste chunks of the website though; make your reference and explain why it's interesting to you or why it makes the company sound appealing to you. Be sure to let them know what you can bring to the company. Perhaps you have very highly-sought after skills, or you may want to be part of the company’s journey to make a difference.

End by explaining that you’d be delighted to discuss any potential opportunities. Add something like, ‘If there are currently no suitable vacancies, I’d be grateful if you could keep my CV on file for future opportunities’. Then use a professional sign off like ‘I look forward to hearing back from you', ‘Many thanks’, ’Kind regards'. You also need to remain professional using proper spelling and punctuation, a formal address for the receiver (e.g. Sir, Madam, Unifrog Team, etc.), and sign-offs. As tempting as it is to use your email address from primary school, make sure the email address you use is simple and professional even if that means creating a new account.

3. Follow up your application

You might not hear back straight away, and that’s perfectly normal! After a couple of weeks of sending through your application, you may want to follow it up with an email. This will give the person you’ve directed it to time to read through your CV and cover letter. However, you shouldn’t be overbearing here: you want to be persistent but not pestering. 

Hopefully, your contact will want to either discuss things with you further or even invite you in for an interview. Although this is a great opportunity to do some networking, keep in mind that they may not offer you a job there and then. In many instances, they might ask you to do some work experience, an unpaid internship, or apply for a similar role to the one you’re interested in.

If they do offer you a role, you don’t have to make a decision right away. Take your time to think things over. No matter what the outcome is, thank them for taking the time to talk to you/meet with you. Remember to be polite and professional at all times.

You can find more on how to write a winning cover letter here, and how to write a great CV here. 

A word on using AI in your applications

It can be really tempting to use AI to embellish your examples, or even to write your applications for you. Don't do this!

Many recruitment platforms have built-in AI detection. If you use AI to write your answers, you’ll likely be flagged and auto-rejected.

It's more effort, but you should write your whole application yourself. Firstly, you're trying to show a potential employer who you are, not who an AI service is presenting you as. And secondly, you want to show your potential future employer that you're prepared to work hard in the role; letting AI do the work before you've even started won't give the right impression!

Your final version must be in your own voice, but if it helps, you could use AI like this:

• Use it as a proofreader to check for typos or grammatical errors
• Use it to brainstorm ideas
• Use it to help structure your thoughts

Don't be tempted to copy and paste any alternative ideas it gives you!

For more advice on applying for a job in the world of AI, we have a guide coming very soon! Watch this space…