How to Use Unsolicited Applications Effectively?
15 May 2012
Read by 2353 persons
A bottle thrown into the sea
With the increasing number of HR websites of large groups, submitting an unsolicited application is child's play. Three clicks (or almost) and your resume is in the database of the companies that seem most interesting to you. You increase their pool of profiles at a lower cost. But for you, is it worth the effort?
Some large companies may receive nearly 100 unsolicited applications per day through their website. These applications are stored in extremely formatted databases. By submitting yours, you have certainly noticed how difficult it is to highlight your skills by fitting them into the famous small boxes of the input fields... Drowned in the mass, your profile will not easily stand out. Moreover, very few companies use these databases efficiently, testifies Yannick Fondeur, researcher at the Centre d'Etudes de l'Emploi (CEE) in an article published in Le Nouvel Economiste in November 2011. The search criteria are too rough to hope to find the perfect candidate. For them, it is simpler to post an ad to receive applications adapted to their needs. They only use the potential of their databases in case of urgent recruitment.
Or a well-aimed shot
The goal of an unsolicited application? To quickly get an appointment. But not to immediately take up a position, unlike responding to an ad. This is a point to keep in mind in order to use it to the best advantage. "This meeting is more of a contact than a job interview," explains Jacqueline Tessier, Career Management Advisor.
Unsolicited does not mean thoughtless, quite the contrary. "Well prepared, it allows you to stand out in a competitive market where candidates for the same position are legion. It must be used to serve two distinct objectives. The first, to bypass the flood of responses received by HR when an ad is published, by sending your application directly to the manager of the department on which the position depends. The second, to animate your network to uncover the hidden job market." In both cases, your target is your future manager, not HR.
To achieve this goal, you must investigate with your future manager. By identifying the specificities and expectations of his company, you will be able to position yourself in line with his needs, even before he initiates recruitment. Contact him and have him talk about his job and its constraints, bounce off his comments to arouse his desire to meet you. In short, create the need before sending your application. Then, follow up to obtain an interview, keeping in mind that the objective is a contact and not a job interview. If this does not immediately lead to a job offer, the manager will become an essential relay to learn about the evolution of the company and the market in order to position yourself at the opportune moment. It is up to you to deploy your network animation strategy so that your unsolicited application hits the mark!
Monster.fr
Posted online May 15, 2012.
With the increasing number of HR websites of large groups, submitting an unsolicited application is child's play. Three clicks (or almost) and your resume is in the database of the companies that seem most interesting to you. You increase their pool of profiles at a lower cost. But for you, is it worth the effort?
Some large companies may receive nearly 100 unsolicited applications per day through their website. These applications are stored in extremely formatted databases. By submitting yours, you have certainly noticed how difficult it is to highlight your skills by fitting them into the famous small boxes of the input fields... Drowned in the mass, your profile will not easily stand out. Moreover, very few companies use these databases efficiently, testifies Yannick Fondeur, researcher at the Centre d'Etudes de l'Emploi (CEE) in an article published in Le Nouvel Economiste in November 2011. The search criteria are too rough to hope to find the perfect candidate. For them, it is simpler to post an ad to receive applications adapted to their needs. They only use the potential of their databases in case of urgent recruitment.
Or a well-aimed shot
The goal of an unsolicited application? To quickly get an appointment. But not to immediately take up a position, unlike responding to an ad. This is a point to keep in mind in order to use it to the best advantage. "This meeting is more of a contact than a job interview," explains Jacqueline Tessier, Career Management Advisor.
Unsolicited does not mean thoughtless, quite the contrary. "Well prepared, it allows you to stand out in a competitive market where candidates for the same position are legion. It must be used to serve two distinct objectives. The first, to bypass the flood of responses received by HR when an ad is published, by sending your application directly to the manager of the department on which the position depends. The second, to animate your network to uncover the hidden job market." In both cases, your target is your future manager, not HR.
To achieve this goal, you must investigate with your future manager. By identifying the specificities and expectations of his company, you will be able to position yourself in line with his needs, even before he initiates recruitment. Contact him and have him talk about his job and its constraints, bounce off his comments to arouse his desire to meet you. In short, create the need before sending your application. Then, follow up to obtain an interview, keeping in mind that the objective is a contact and not a job interview. If this does not immediately lead to a job offer, the manager will become an essential relay to learn about the evolution of the company and the market in order to position yourself at the opportune moment. It is up to you to deploy your network animation strategy so that your unsolicited application hits the mark!
Monster.fr
Posted online May 15, 2012.
