Unsolicited applications workshop show
•Download as PPSX, PDF•
1 like•1,385 views
This document provides information and guidance for small and medium companies on applying for unsolicited jobs. It discusses researching companies to identify potential job openings, developing a marketing strategy, writing a concise job application, and following up after applying. Tips are provided on profiling the ideal candidate for a role, locating relevant companies to apply to, and utilizing networks and online resources to research companies and find job postings not otherwise advertised. The benefits and challenges of unsolicited or "cold" applications are reviewed.
More Related Content
Similar to Unsolicited applications workshop show
Similar to Unsolicited applications workshop show (20)
More from AU Career
More from AU Career (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Unsolicited applications workshop show
- 1. Unsolicited Applications Small and Medium Sized Companies
- 2. Agenda Your own experiences Why apply for unsolicited jobs? Find your Marketing Strategi Writing a Job Application Follow Up
- 3. Locating the jobs 500 companies with 1000 employees 5.000 companies with 100 employees 50.000 companies with 10 employees
- 4. Recruitment Analysis by Ballisager
- 5. Recruitment Process Profiling Job tasks/responsibility Educational background Years of experience Skills Personality traits Job Ad Selecting candidates
- 6. Unsolicited job search Pros: Bigger chance of finding a job Bigger responsibility and variety in job content The only international employee Gain a lot of experience and get involved in the decision-making Cons: Bigger research before applying Little to maybe no experience with your academic background The only international employee Not your dream job or organization
- 7. Marketing Strategy • Set your intention/your goal • Find your strengths, personality traits, experiences etc. • Set up a strategy to sell yourself • Start your research
- 8. Research-ResearchResearch Internet - Databases (job and company) - LinkedIn - News/articles - Company website Network - Personal/professional - Call for info/set up a meeting - A kasse (unemployment insurance)
- 9. Job Application – max 1 page Attention (1 line) - Engaging headline, capture the essence of you Interest (app. 2 lines) - What is your motivation for applying? Catch the readers interest Desire (app. 3 lines) - What’s in it for the Company if they employ you? - Mutual benefits from your corporation Section with specific examples to emphasize your skills/experiences/personality – why employ you? Action (app. 2-3 lines) - conclude on a positive note, why you are the perfect match - keep it short and to the point
- 10. Example - unsolicited job application Attention Interest Desire Body text Action
- 11. Follow up • Call the Company after days/a week • Reconnect after a couple of months • If rejected - ask if the Company knows about other Companies, who can benefit from skills/expertise
- 12. Merete Bach-Larsen - meretebl@gmail.com- + 45 61 27 37 76 Lene Lodberg Michaelsen - lene@lodberg-michaelsen.dk - + 45 26 79 77 39
- 13. Strengths Test tools: • www.viasurvey.org (Free of Charge) • www.strengthsfinder.com (Gallup test + book) • www.realise2.org (CAPPEU – Standard ￡16 + VAT) Websites: • • • • • www.cappeu.com www.tmbc.com www.authentichappiness.com www.dependablestrengths.org Google
- 14. Danish News in English
- 15. Searching for Company information www.proff.dk http://borsen.dk/konferencer/gazeller/database/vaekstvirksomheder.ht ml http://borsen.dk/konferencer/gazeller.html http://top1000.borsen.dk/virksomheder/gazeller www.cvr.dk www.linkedin.com www.facebook.com www.jobindex.dk (job ads) www.jobindex.dk/cms/exportjob (in english) Company websites eg. www.mjolner.dk; www.hartmanns.dk
Editor's Notes
- Welcome and short introduction to LLM og MBL
- Not a workshop but a presentation due to the amount of participants today and the time available. We will give you all the information you need so that when you leave today you will have received information that can help you get started with your unsolicited job search.Today we will go through the aspects of applying for unsolicited job – how to – what’s important when applying – how to show yourself in the best lightWe would love to answer all your questions but due to the short time we have available we would like to keep it to a minimum during the presentation. Of course if you have any clarifying questions along the way we will be happy to answer those – otherwise we will take questions at the end of the presentation.(Questions for participants on their own experiences):1) How many of you have tried to write and send an unsolicited application? Show of hands2) How many of you consider writing an unsolicited application? Or think it is a good idea?And then the last but actually very interesting question is:3) How many of you think your first job will be your dream job?
- Why apply for unsolicited jobs at small and medium sized companies?Well the figures speak for them selves but lets have a look anyway!Large companiesIf we have a look at the larger companies the amount of those is very small. Another thing you need to be aware of about the large companies are the fact that most og the larger companies are the companies with the best brands and most publicity – therefore they receive large amounts of unsolicited applications all the time. Of course that should not discourage you from applying if you think you can add something special to that particular companyWill in most cases have job adds for all jobsBig companies advertise when they need new employee. They often use computer systems for recruiting new employees and you will end up in the huge pile of applications they receive each day. Lots of routines and system to go through when applying for positions at a big company.Medium sized companiesThe shear numbers are getting bigger and therefore the chances of you is getting bigger. The lesser known companies don’t receive as many Medium sized – can have a HR department and an online recruitment system but they sometimes receives applications outside their systems as well. Small companiesWhen we look at the small companies – the potential of companies is as you can see of a totally different sizeWhen you apply to one of these companies you will most often be the only one to apply and sometimes the companies will set up an interview just to know how you found them And that is your chance to show them how you can contribute to the growth/surplus of the company+ it can give you valuable contacts and connections if you don’t get the job – because they know the business/industry and can point you in the direction of other connection. The small companies (10 employees) they rarely receive unsolicited application and can therefor be inclined to ask you for an interview if you send them an application.
- Ballisager is an Aarhus basedrecruitmentcompany.Everyyeartheymake an analysisrecruitment in Denmark and the tableyousee is from the latestanalysis, from september of thisyear.2005 companieswere given the chance to respond and 603 companies did. As youcansee job advertsare still a major recruitmentchannel but I think it is worth to take a note on howmuchotherchannelsareused as well!!As youcanseenetworking is a reallyimportant factor – so find a networking seminar eitherhere at Interresource or at work-in-denmark!! Networking is important!! (IncludingLinkedIn). Through networkingyoucangain so muchuseful information whensearching for job – either on job openings (whereyoucanthenapplayunsolicited) or company information (contact information, challengesect.) or the general industrythatyouwish to workwithin.And thentake a note on the unsolicitedapplications – all most a third of the companies have employedthroughunsolicitedapplications.Networking is always very important. A vast majority find their jobs through their network. They use their network to find the jobs that are not yet advertised. LinkedIn increase shows that this professional network is used more often by both individuals and companies – individuals to find contacts within the companies to get information about a particular company and the skills, experience, content of a specific position.You still have the option to use head hunters/recruiters to search for jobs for you as well. They give you the opportunity to become a part of their database. But as you can see you increase your chances if you use network, unsolicited and LinkedIn.
- MBLRecruiting new employees is a very time consuming and expensive process.Actually saving them a lot of money and time by sending an unsolicited job application.Setting up the profile for the job:- Job tasks / responsibility / manager, project manager etc.- Educational background- Years of experience- Skills- Personality traitsPeople involved in the first step – CEO (smaller companies), the manager of the department in question, colleagues, HR, other departments if the person has to work closely with other teams etc. (The first step will take about 1 week (replacement) up until 6 months (new position)Next step – writing the job ad. This is where the company has to sell themselves and the job to you. So they use time to set up and write the job ad – again time depends on whether it is a replacement or a new job. The job ad is posted online, newspapers other media (LinkedINetc). Selecting a candidate – reading all the applications and choose candidates for interviews. Imagine if you were a company and you were thinking about filling out either a new position or a replacement - if you receive an unsolicited application from a candidate, who more or less fits the profile would you then start the whole recruitment process or would you take an interview with the person who applied unsolicited?So look at it this way - you can actually save a company a lot of time and money by sending an unsolicited application and if you have done your research you will be able to target your application to the company. That is the catch though – preparing an unsolicited application takes a lot of research!!
- MBLPROS:Chances of finding a job within medium/smaller sized companies are higher since the majority of candidates apply for jobs within the big corporations/companies.Compared to the big corporations you can end up with a job where the job content and responsibility is a great deal wider when you look for a job within the medium sized/smaller companies. You will end up with a lot more experience and a variety of skills that you can add to your future CV and career.CONS:You don’t have a job advertisement to rely on – that includes all the important information about the job content and the skills needed for the position. You have to find that information yourself.Be realistic about getting your dream job at first attempt. You have a long career ahead of you so keep your focus on the long-term goal not how to get there. You have a lot of different options to get there, so you just have to have an open mind and be on the lookout for possibilities.
- MBLWhen applying for unsolicited jobs you need to make a thorough research before you can start writing your job application.What you have to do is to start out with some internal research:- set your intention/your future goal. Bare in mind that you have a long career ahead of you so you just have to take the first step towards your goal. - you need to come up with specific selling points about yourselfWhat is unique about yourself? What makes you you? Yes there are others with the same educational background maybe even the same skills and experiences but there is only one you. You have a unique combination of strengths, personality traits, experiences, skills – they way you approach and solve a certain job task or the way you think strategic is different from another person. So dig deep and figure out how to describe your way of being flexible, strategic, analytical etc. It takes time I know but it will give you the edge when you attend interviews because you will have to come up with specific examples to emphasize your statements. After you have done your internal research and you have come up with your selling points – you need to do some external research…..
- LENE - External researchVery very important – the cornerstone of your job search.It will shine through your application. The internet(You will be presented to a job-database afterwards by Zheni and Iulia afterwards)At the end of the printed slideshow you can find our suggestions on some of the web based possibilities for research.Company websiteYou can find valuable information on the company website. Companies like to tell about their successes so they will definitely post it on their websites as well as in the media.NetworkOnly one person can give you a job, that is you future manager/boss/leader. But use colleagues/employees to get information about the company and a specific job but most of all use them to get in contact with the manager.Use your network – both your personal and professional network. LinkedIn is a very good source when you want to find a person who works for a specific company you have in mind and you find interesting to work for. So if you don’t know somebody in your own network who works there try to find someone on Linked In who does. Approach with ease meaning don’t be too pushy but ask kindly if they would provide you with information or they would refer you to a person they know who could be interested in setting up a meeting either by phone or personal. You will find that most people will like to share their knowledge and experience from their own company. They might even have some information about a job opening within their company….So find a person who you can ask your questions to so you can get the information needed to apply for a position.
- MBLKennedy principle: don’t tell about yourself, tell the company what you can do for them/contribute to their business and what results you have made so far. The same goes for applying for a job whether it is unsolicited or advertised. A bit like dating you won’t get a date if you only focus on what’s in it for me, you also have to focus on what’s in it for us!!!AIDA principle – used in advertisingATTENTION:You start out with a headline that captures the reader and the essence of you related to a position, skills, task, company product/brand etc. INTEREST:Then you catch the reader’s interest. What’s your motivation for applying for a job at this particular company? The reader has to decide whether or not you have a relevant profile. DESIRE:Why do you find the company interesting and why do you think you can benefit from a mutual corporation….make the company feel special!! EMPHASIZE WITH EXAMPLES:Use some space to write about how you fulfill certain job criteria and what the company will gain from employing you. How does your personal profile match the company and the job in question.It is very important that you emphasize by using examples and not just use a lot of words. ACTION/CONCLUSION:End your application with a short and to the point conclusion - always conclude on a positive note. You can write that you will contact them within the next couple of days or week to make an appointment for a follow up. But if you do so make sure you do it if not, then don’t write it!!Remind them again why you are the perfect match!!
- MBLHere is an example of an unsolicited application from a Cand.merc.int. ATTENTION: Headline indicating he is analytical and strategic skills….even strong!!INTEREST:He is applying for a job within marketing and promotion of products in Thailand. This particular company is just starting to promote their products in Thailand. So he shows his interest by writing he has followed their development and he also writes his passion is marketing and promoting products. He is using the AIDA principle.DESIRE:He is writing what the can expect to get and how their mutual benefits could be.BODY TEXT:Examples of skills ACTION:This is a really good way to end an unsolicited application – you give the reader an indication of you are interested, you will get in contact with within the next week to set up a meeting – you are interested and they have some time to make up their mind if they can use a person with his skills…._______________________________________________________________________________________________(His educational background is to assist companies evaluate and assess international markets, so he will be able to work within eg. marketing, communication, organizational development.)
- MBLIt is really important to follow up on your application. Here in DK it is okay to have a great deal of polite tenacity. So call the person who you have addressed your application to. Ask if they have received your application and if they could be interested in setting up a meeting. If they tell you they don’t have the time or they don’t employ people at the moment, then ask if they should know about someone who can benefit from your skills.Another option is for you to talk to the company about the possibility to set up either an internship or a job with wage subsidies. It gives both you and the company an opportunity to see if you can benefit from a mutual corporation.
- MBL+ LLMWe will end this introduction to unsolicited applications with a metaphor.Our best advice for you is to find your own personal lighthouse that will show you the way to your goal. This lighthouse will be your beacon and will guide you through your life and help you to always be on track even though you might not be able to see the way due to flooding. Always remember there will be many different roads that can lead you to your lighthouse, it is all up to you to find the first stepping stone.Perhaps the first stepping stone for you will be to find the unsolicited job.Thank you for showing up here today. We wish you the best of luck.