Writing a unsolicited application – tips from a recruiter

Unsolicited application – is it worth it?

Generally, you can assume that all positions to be filled externally are published on the job board of a company. So you can find all vacant positions for which we are looking for new colleagues on our career site tuv.com. If your dream job is not listed, don’t just give up.

An unsolicited application could nevertheless be worthwhile, because after all, especially in large companies there are often personnel changes. Employees take their well-deserved retirement, take parental leave or take on another job within the company. The reasons are manifold and usually result in a replacement for the position. If no marketing manager (f/m/d) is being sought today, the situation may change in the coming week.

If your application is then in the right place at the right time, it can result in a great opportunity. After all, you are the only person or one of the few who have applied for this position. Of course, a little bit of luck is required.

Differences to a normal application

Compared to a conventional application, where you apply for a specifically advertised position, there are a few things to consider when applying on your own initiative. For example, the cover letter is even more important in an initiative application because it can contain valuable information about the desired job.

Unfortunately, we often receive unsolicited applications which only contain a CV. What field is the applicant interested in? For a position in marketing, in a test laboratory or even as a manager? At which location would the person like to work? Rather full-time or part-time? And from when is he or she available? These are all questions that we cannot answer with a CV alone.

We can only make guesses based on the current place of residence, qualification or last job. It may be that they do not always meet the actual expectations of the senders. After all, not everyone who currently lives and works in Cologne is necessarily looking for a new job there. Maybe friends or family live in another city, so that they are looking for a change of location. Just because a person has a certain qualification and has had a certain career, does not mean that he or she wants to do exactly that job in our company. This gives rise to a number of questions. Unfortunately, we can only speculate about their possible answers.

This belongs in your cover letter!

In order to avoid these uncertainties from the beginning, it is useful to address the following questions in the cover letter:

• At which location would I like to work?
• Am I looking for a permanent position, an internship or a student trainee job?
• What is my notice period? When could I start working?
• What are my salary expectations?
• Do I want to work part time or full time?
• Why do I apply for a job with this company?
• What does my desired position look like and what is important to me?
• In which area of the company would I like to work exactly?

The last question in particular requires that the applicants have dealt with the company in advance. If I apply as a cook in a small craft enterprise without a canteen or as a production employee in a testing organization such as TÜV Rheinland, this is not necessarily conducive to achieving my goals. Therefore, it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the company homepage and to deal with the core business of the company.

It is often worthwhile to take a look at the company’s current job market. Which jobs and occupational groups are currently advertised? In which professions does the company provide training? At which locations is the company actually represented? This information will give you a good idea of whether your unsolicited application is likely to be successful.

What happens behind the scenes with my unsolicited application?

We divide unsolicited applications into six different groups based on the area in which the candidate is interested. If you would like to apply as an occupational medical assistant, you should choose the area “Medicine & Health”.

If you are an engineer looking for a change, you should apply for the area “Engineers & Technology”.

Your application will then be sent to the recruiters who specialize in the respective field. This gives us an overview of the current vacancies and enables us to maintain a close exchange with the relevant department. As a result, we may even know whether a specific position is already being planned and only needs to be approved internally.

The unsolicited application as a chance

When viewing a unsolicited application, we pay particular attention to the points listed above. On the basis of this information we check whether such a position is (meanwhile) vacant or advertised, in planning or even feasible in our company. And we look to see whether an applicant would even come into question based on his or her qualifications or experience and how the desired salary is compatible with our compensation regulations.

If the position in our company is conceivable in principle – for example as a chemical laboratory technician, but not currently advertised for the specific laboratory location – we obtain feedback from the relevant manager. They know the current and future personnel requirements best and can assess whether a vacancy is to be filled in the laboratory in the near future or whether a new position will even be created.

We are also happy to forward inquiries about internships, working student activities and dissertations to the managers in the respective departments. In the past, this has often resulted in one or the other joining our company.

Taking the initiative is worth it!

So it can be worthwhile! Your concern that a unsolicited application might be a wasted effort is unfounded. It does make sense to submit a unsolicited application, because it increases the chance of getting closer to your dream job.