The speculative approach of locating vacancies is often overlooked because is appears to be the least productive, however, looks can be deceiving.

The speculative approach is where the job applicant makes applications to companies who are not currently advertising a vacancy. In many ways this is similar to cold calling and like cold calling you can expect a similar number of rejections. Please, please, please realise that this does not mean that the speculative approach is not working, in fact you will find it is working just fine.

Month after month the statistics demanded of Jobclubs by Employment Services showed that more of our members found employment using the speculative approach than by any other method.

Is that surprising?

It shouldn't be when you look at the efficient method we used when employing the speculative approach. Our Jobclub members had a target of 10 job leads a day. They typically looked for advertised vacancies first as these took the longest to prepare for. The bulk of the remaining applications came from the speculative approach.

Job leads for the speculative approach come from locating companies that employ people in your chosen field by using publications such as:-

Local Newspaper
National Newspaper
Specialist Trade Publications
Personal Contacts
Business Contacts
Phone Directory
Business Directories
Local library
Internet

One key piece of information that you should take time to locate is the name of the Human Resources Manager or if it is a small company the business owner (CEO or Director) or a Manager in the Department you are applying for a job in.

How do you get that information?

The quickest was is by phone. Call the company, you will normally get a receptionist or switchboard operator answering. So ask them! Simply say something like...

"I have a letter for the person that deals with job applications but I can't find their name, can you tell me who's name I should put on the letter?"

How simple is that? Now I know some of you probably don't enjoy calling people you don't know by telephone, but does the minor discomfort really matter compared to the potential results? It's a sixty second call, easy.

Now if you can find out a little bit more about the company, then you can make sure that you fine tune your approach to them.

But having located the potential vacancy what should the covering letter look like?

Before I show you an example, please understand that you should always write in your own style, but certain phrases within the example are key to the success of the approach, in particular, the one's that suggest why you are writing and the closing statement that prompts the employer to take action.

Have a close look at the example below, we can discuss it afterwards (please ignore "." characters used for spacing):-
-----------------------------------------------------------

.......................................123 Some Street
.......................................Mytown
.......................................Whatever County
.......................................Postal Code

Named Person
Company Name
Street
Town
County
Postal Code............................DATE

Dear Named Person,

It was with interest that I recently found details of
your company in a local publication and it occurred to
me that my previous experience may be a close match for
any positions you may have available now or in the near
future.

As you can see from my enclosed resume, my experience
with COMPANY NAME as a JOB TITLE would be suited to a
similar position within your company. Previous employers
have found my skills coupled with my ability to work as
part of a team or on my own initiative to be a useful
combination.

Should you have any suitable vacancies now or in the
near future, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss
my suitability with you.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours sincerely

Signature

Your Name

-----------------------------------------------------------
Right, lets take a look at the structure. First off, this is a business letter and so the layout should reflect that in the address and date layout.

Next lets look at the opening paragraph;

It was with interest that I recently found details of your company in a local publication and it occurred to me that my previous experience may be a close match for any positions you may have available now or in the near future.

By using language like "with interest that I recently found details of your company" is a subtle compliment and leads them into the letter. The rest of the paragraph is a polite way of say "any jobs going?" :-)

The second paragraph is the real key paragraph;

"As you can see from my enclosed resume" is an invitation to read the resume, in fact the reader should at this point stop reading the letter and start looking at the resume, but just in case they don't, it continues to build a desire to read the resume....

"my experience with COMPANY NAME as a JOB TITLE would be suited to a similar position within your company." At this point they should be trying to find those key skills in your resume.

Now we come to something called third party credibility. That is to say, we want to suggest that other people think you are good at your job;

"Previous employers have found my skills coupled with my ability to work as part of a team or on my own initiative to be a useful combination."

The wording here is critical, if you say "I am an expert at xyz" then you are blowing your own trumpet, bragging etc, but that does not help anyone believe that it is so. If you imply that someone else thinks you are good at your job then they are much more likely to believe it.

This is a commonly used technique in advertising, for a quick example look at sales pages on the internet, most have "testimonials" because you are more likely to believe the product or service is good if someone else says it is so.

We should never be afraid of using these techniques because they actually work.

The covering letter and resume should be a combination that work together to sell your skills and abilities, they are your sales copy with the sole purpose of getting you to an interview.

Therefore to be professional in your approach you need to sell the features and benefits that you have to offer the company. Horrible idea you are thinking. I agree! But we have to get the job done in the best way possible and that means selling your skills.

Next;

"Should you have any suitable vacancies now or in the near future, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my suitability with you."

Is a polite request that you be considered for any up-coming vacancies, if you are lucky they are about to start a recruitment campaign and you can save them the trouble and cost. If you are unlucky you may be put on file for a 2 or 3 months, that is not a bad thing in the short term.

Finally;

"I look forward to hearing from you in the near future." Is a straight forward request for them to contact you. You could substitute it with:-

"Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me."

And of course if you are actually looking for a job in sales then you have to prove you are a sales person:-

"I look forward to hearing from you in the near future and will call to discuss any forthcoming vacancies with you in a few days time."

How pushy is that? Please don't use that if you are not applying for a sales post. But if you are looking for a sales job it is a good line so long as you follow it up with a phone call to prove you are good at your job.

For most people the traditional ending is plenty good enough.

So, take some time to run through this again tomorrow after you have had time to think about it, write out a similar letter in your own words and see if you are happier with your own words. But what ever you decide, take action and use the speculative approach. It really is a very effective tool in the job search toolbox.

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The Job Interview

The second step in getting a job is having an interview with a potential employer. The first step was sending your application and after careful review by the company, you are seen as candidate for the vacant position.

The employer got this information through an ad that was placed in the paper, referred by someone in the company or a headhunter, or by a person who simply submitted an application via the company's website.

The first impression employers always look at is your resume. Given the many that apply, this usually takes about 30 seconds and so with the limited words, one must be sure that the resume is well written and grammatically correct.

During the interview, most employers want to know more about person since the resume only gives certain information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number, social security number, past and current employment.

The employer will likely ask about the experiences, lessons and accomplishments one has done and learned working for another employer. This will usually include how the person handled a situation in the company, the challenges of the job and the relationship with coworkers.

Another question will be the relationship between the applicant and family members. This shows character with how the person interacts with people who are close and those that know the person for a long time.

The employer will usually ask why the person applied in the company and where you would like to be in 5 to 10 years. Long term questions such as this will show if there is dedication for the job at hand and if the company can provide something beneficial for both the applicant and the employer.

Companies follow a certain budget in hiring qualified personnel which is why the interviewer will ask how much one desires to get for the job. If what is being asked is too high, the employer will usually ask if the salary is open to negotiation.

After the employer asks questions, room is usually given for the applicant to ask questions in return. This is the best time to know a little bit more the company one might be working in and to get a feel of the potential company.

If there are no more questions, the interviewer will then end the meeting and call the applicant back if the person has passed the initial interview so that the next phase of the application process can begin.

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Finding a job has become much more of a challenge in recent years. Using the Internet as an additional resource will increase your options to find many great job opportunities, which are not always advertised in the newspaper. Many employers will place an online advertisement in conjunction with or in place of an ad in the local newspaper. Job boards, as they are called, allow you to search online among many jobs in your category of choice. They allow you to narrow down prospects, and many will even provide a direct link to a company's Web site, fax and e-mail address. Through job boards, the submission of resumes is almost exclusively done in the form of e-mail correspondence. This offers benefits to jobseekers as well as to the employers. Sending resumes by e-mail saves time and money. You don't need to buy envelopes and stamps and go to the post office, then wait for a few days until the company receives and reviews your resume. When employers receive the resume through an e-mail they will be able to respond much quicker to those whom they think might have potential. Use of a home computer is the easiest way to manage your job-seeking strategies. However, if you don't have a home PC, you have other options available to you. Many libraries, cafes (some are exclusively set up for the purpose of providing Internet connection), employment offices and copy centers have computers available either for free or a nominal charge. You can browse the Internet, print up resumes for interviews and e-mail your resume to employers easily. If you don't have an e-mail account you can also set up a free e-mail account through any number of services like Yahoo or HotMail.

Here are some of her most important pointers:

-- Follow directions: Always follow the specific instructions for applying for a job included in the employment posting. For example, some companies write "To apply please e-mail your resume with salary history to...." You should then e-mail your resume and not forget the salary history. When companies instruct you to go to a specific Web site and apply in this fashion, do not just e-mail your resume instead. Pay attention to the details in the employment description and follow exactly the steps an employer requests. There are often reasons why a company wants specific information, and job seekers should pay attention to those details. Otherwise, you may never make it to the interview. Employers may feel that if you can't pay attention to their simple requests, you might not be able to pay attention to details in the position you are hired for.

-- Resume tips: Your resume and cover letter are the first items that will reach an employer's desk. Therefore, you want them to best reflect you as an applicant. Be careful when composing a resume. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and the like will quickly put your resume in the trashcan. Before finalizing your resume always use the spell check in the word processing software you are using. Highlight the skills that will be applied to this new position, and showcase your strengths. Remember, an employer will only spend a few minutes looking over your resume, so make sure it will stand out from the others. Never send your resume without a cover letter. Some company's recruit for many positions at the same time so always mention the position you are applying for.

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A carefully prepared job search market plan guarantees your job hunting success. It's one of the most important alternative or non-traditional strategies for the 21st Century job marketplace.

Why is a job search market plan so important? Because since 9/11 and Katrina everything's changed. There have been significant advances in hiring practices. Employers have new and different expectations of a job candidate. And all this has required new and alternative ways of thinking about finding a job.

You can't expect to make your way successfully through these new practices without a roadmap . . . or a job search market plan. That's because the successful job candidate these days must learn to run a job search like a small business.

We discovered many years ago that the principles that guide the business market are the same for the employment market. And no successful business make it today without a job search market plan.

To make sure you put it to work for you, it's important to write it down. Prepare a plan that you can use as an honest and realistic guide. Here are the components of a succesful plan:

1. Identify and list your work-style values, ethics and philosophy that guide your everyday employment activities. This list must go way beyond a ritual recital of your accomplishments or work history. Employers today are much more interested in the kind of person you are rather than what you used to do for someone else.
2. Target companies and organizations that hold an interest for you. Make your written list expansive. Do not eliminate employers because you think they wouldn't hire you.

3. Identify the hiring decision-makers in those organizations. In other words, who would your next boss be?

4. Build a list of contacts who can assist you in your search. On this list are the names of any individuals who could help by introducing you to hiring decision-makers, or to someone who could open the door for you through a referral. Do not pre-judge who could or could not help you. Remember people are always anxious to give you advice even if they can't refer you.

5. As a last step, put together a resume to use as a "business card" to leave behind for your contacts.

6. Begin contacting everyone on your list in person to ask them for their advice as to how they can assist you in your job search.

Putting together a job search market plan with this information gives you a real head start. From here you're ready to explore the unique opportunities that may be waiting for you in today's amazing marketplace.

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Online Job Hunting

There was a time when a person who wanted to find work had to buy newspaper and look through the classified ads section. The advent of the internet has changed that by creating opportunities for people to work either in a different state or in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place rendering it accessible for anyone with a computer to search for a job and apply to it.

There are many sites that offer such services. All the person has to do is open an account, fill up the necessary fields then submit your resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Additional information that will be requested is educational background. Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned which includes the job description and highlights that one has experienced during that person's career. A section in the account will also ask the preferred industry of work, if the person is willing to do field work or open to relocation and the expected salary should one be accepted for the job.

With all the information provided, these sites will then match your qualifications with the jobs available. This service is free and matches can be seen when the person logs on the account or gets a notice via email.

Some sites offer a service with a fee that will place the resume over other applicants giving that person more priority but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.

Online job hunting is not just for professionals. It caters to anyone who wants to work either full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. You can also check the websites of companies that usually have a section on careers to see what openings are available. You simply have to go through the process of giving certain information and uploading your resume.

There are many jobs available in the market. The internet has made it easier for companies to make people aware that there are vacancies available. It has also made it convenient for applicants to apply online instead of walking to an office and dropping of a resume. With everything that is just a mouse click away, all it takes is a little effort on one's part to sit down in front of a computer and looking for a job.

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