Thoughts on pro-actively seeking employment

MikeHiow

MikeHiow

MikeHiow

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So with my pending employment and my initial lack of luck with recruitment agencies, I'm starting to explore other avenues.

What are people's thoughts on pro-actively sending CVs to local employers even though they are not advertising a position?

My thoughts are that it cannot hurt.

I was contemplating sending all of the local web agencies an email explaining what I do, that I'm looking for employment or freelance work and attaching my CV.

Thoughts? Any ideas on how the covering email should be composed would be useful, too.
 
Well, it's unsolicited so may not (read : will not) make it to the correct person. Call up the reception of each employer and ask to be put through to HR/whoever does their hiring. Get a name before they put you through. Some people will refuse to speak to you, some may have a minute or so for you and others could be interested.

Have a to-the-point chat explaining exactly what you can do for them and see if it is of interest. Even if it is not, ask if you can take an email address to send your CV over to them for review.

Don't be pushy.
 
This is exactly what I have been doing. First I spent a couple of days with the internet drawing up a list of all the relivant companies I wished to work for; my case it was television production companies. In the end I made a list of around 160. I then called each company one by one to find out the name of the recruitment manager/HR person in charge of hiring, and sent my CV out to all the companies.

This was about two weeks ago, and 160 emails later I have had one response saying my CV will be put on file for any possible future vacancies. Not heard a peep from the other 159.
 
My personal experience with applying for jobs that I did not see advertised was bad. None of my current or past jobs were found this way and I tend not to spend too long before I land myself onto a job. Having said that though, some of the jobs I have been on did have this informal need for new people at certain positions either because of high staff turnover or because management may not like some of the staff currently employed so I would still not rule it out as an option.
 
What do you do and where are you based? My agency are hiring

Edit: oh i see, Isle of Wight, not going to be much help i'm afraid

If you can get your C.V to the correct person its a very good idea, I know that we only work with a set list of recruiters and would be much happier finding someone directly as recruiting fees are quite expensive.

The web industry is a bit of a tricky place to be at the moment, unless you are very talented. A lot of agencies are closing or cutting off the dead weight.

Edit2: also the link in your footer is broken
 
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You could try and write some more ambitious websites - maybe some webapps? To be honest even my misses can make a pretty website these days - so make sure you are telling employers why they NEED YOU SPECIFICALLY.

In my experience the people who are the best at something are rarely unemployed.
Any links to your portfolio?
 
Whenever I have been out of work I usually canvass the local area with CV's, in all honesty though I don't think anything good has ever come of it.
 
I did this when I was unemployed in 2008. 260 letters sent out. No replies. It's a waste of time unfortunately.
 
MikeHiow said:
What are people's thoughts on pro-actively sending CVs to local employers even though they are not advertising a position?
Click to expand...

Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes. Better still, phone up and talk to them, or actually go there in person.

Most of the time you'll get exactly nowhere, but you can still get jobs this way that you can't get by waiting around for them to advertise. And, really, what have you got to lose?
 
it depends on the sector, i work in architecture and i've never once applied for an advertised job, if you can tailor your cv to the company you want to work for and get individuals names you can get on fine, email isn't always the best way either, consider a letter to the company you actually want to work for - i know you are going for web design, so maybe a letter with a cd of your portfolio might get more attention than an email with a link...
 
RickST said:
What do you do and where are you based? My agency are hiring

Edit: oh i see, Isle of Wight, not going to be much help i'm afraid

If you can get your C.V to the correct person its a very good idea, I know that we only work with a set list of recruiters and would be much happier finding someone directly as recruiting fees are quite expensive.

The web industry is a bit of a tricky place to be at the moment, unless you are very talented. A lot of agencies are closing or cutting off the dead weight.

Edit2: also the link in your footer is broken
Click to expand...

Where are you based?

Also, according downorjustme, the link in my footer works ok?
 
Pro-active to me is bursting into their offices with a high powered rifle and screaming, "GIVE ME A ******* job you ******** *****!".
 
MikeHiow said:
Where are you based?

Also, according downorjustme, the link in my footer works ok?
Click to expand...

Oh, it works now.. was down when I posted i'm sure.

My current agency is based in Salisbury, Wiltshire, they are recruiting to replace me as I am moving to London.

UncleBensSauce said:
To be honest even my misses can make a pretty website these days
Click to expand...

There is a big difference between making a pretty website and being a web developer
 
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I say go for it.

Sure you might get knocked back 100 times, but it could also land your dream job. People who are prepared to do this kind of thing are the type of people I would like to employ.
 
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