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11+ Best Speculative Cover Letter Examples

When looking for a job, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. A great way to do this is by sending a speculative cover letter. This type of letter is not attached to any specific job opening, but rather sent to a company with the hopes of getting their attention. To make sure your letter stands out, be creative and use examples from the company’s work or website to show that you’ve done your research. Check out some of our favorite speculative cover letters below!

Table of Contents

How To Write a Speculative Cover Letter?

A speculative cover letter is an approach tofinding a job where you get in touch with an employer to enquire about any upcoming vacancies, rather than responding to a specific job advert.

The key with a speculative cover letter is to research the company you’re contacting, so that you can demonstrate why you would be a valuable asset to their team – even if they don’t have any current vacancies.

To write a speculative cover letter:

Start by doing your research
Find the name of the contact person
Write a compelling opening paragraph
Outline your skills and experience
Explain why you want to work for this company in particular
Finish with a call to action.

If you follow these steps, you’ll be sure to write a speculative cover letter that will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to landing your dream job.

Related: How To Write a Cover Letter (And Get Hired in 2022!)

Speculative Cover Letter Example

To Whom Is My Concern,

Writing in regards to any available positions that may be open at your company. I am very interested in obtaining a position and feel that I would be a perfect candidate.

Have experience in customer service, sales, and marketing. I am a people person and enjoy working with the public. I am also proficient in Microsoft Office programs and have basic knowledge of HTML.

It is a hard worker who is always willing to learn new things. I am also a team player and work well with others. I am available to start work immediately and can be reached at 555-555-1212 or by email at [email protected].

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Related: 5+ Attractive Prospects Cover Letter Samples

Speculative Cover Letter Template

I am writing to express my interest in joining your company. Based on what I know and have heard, I believe that your company is an excellent place to work, and I would be proud to be a part of it.

I am enclosing my resume for your review and would appreciate any opportunity to discuss my qualifications with you. I can be reached at ___________. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Related: 9+ Best Mechanic Cover Letter Samples & Templates

Speculative CV Cover Letter

The writing in regards to any upcoming opportunities that may be available your organisation. It keen to utilise my skills and experience in a new role and would welcome the chance to discuss my suitability for any positions that may arise.

Have attached my CV for your perusal and would be available for interview at a time convenient to you. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours Sincerely,

Related: Executive Assistant Cover Letter: 05 Samples & Examples

Speculative Cover Letter Sample

To Whom Is My Concern, writing in regards to any possible job openings that might be available your company. I am a recent graduate of ___________ and I am very interested in working in the ___________ field. I have attached my resume for your review and I would appreciate any opportunity to discuss my qualifications further with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Related: 7+ Professional Event Planner Cover Letter Samples

Speculative Cover Letter To Recruitment Agency

The writing to you in order to inquire about any job openings that might be available or will be available in the near future. It a recent graduate of ___________ and I have extremely interest in working in the field of ___________. I have enclosed my resume for your review and I would greatly appreciate if you could keep me in mind for any suitable positions. I am eager to start my career and I am confident that I have the skills and qualifications that would make me a valuable asset to your company.

Related: Generic Cover Letter: 09 Samples & Examples

5 Things To Include In a Speculative Cover Letter

When applying for a job, it’s important to stand out from the crowd. One way to do this is to write a speculative cover letter. A speculative cover letter is a letter that you send to an employer in the hope of being considered for a role, even if there isn’t a specific job advertised. Here are five things to include in a speculative cover letter:

Start by doing your research. Find out as much as you can about the company and what they do. This will help you to customise your letter and show that you’re genuinely interested in working for them.
In the opening paragraph, explain who you are and why you’re writing. Be sure to mention any shared connections or common interests.
The next paragraph should detail your skills and experience, and how they could benefit the company. Again, be specific and try to evidence your claims with examples.
In the final paragraph, thank the employer for their time and say how you can be contacted if they’re interested in learning more about you. You could also include a link to your online portfolio or CV at this point.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your speculative cover letter makes a positive impression on potential employers and increases your chances of securing an interview. Good luck!

Related: What is Cover Letter? Complete Guide To Get any Job.

I hope you found helpful this blog post on speculative cover letters. It can be a great way to introduce yourself to a company and land an interview. If you’re feeling inspired, be sure to check out our other blog posts for more tips on job searching, writing resumes, and interviewing. And as always, good luck!

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About the author.

Jessica William

Speculative Cover Letter: Examples and Writing Tips

The hidden job market is a treasure chest full of potential jobs that never get advertised. Unlock it with a speculative cover letter. Learn to write one here.

Sometimes you have to think outside the box to get the job you want. A few years ago one brave soul was flooded with job offers after he stood inside Waterloo Station holding a sign saying ‘Marketing Graduate — Please ask for a CV’.

That approach isn’t for everyone. But you needn’t just sit back and wait for vacancies to come up on your favourite job site. There’s another way that’s more targeted and doesn’t involve tiring your arms out at a busy train station.

It’s called a speculative cover letter. And it lets you target the companies you want to work for and uncover jobs that aren’t even being advertised. Plus it’s a great way of showing initiative.

A good speculative cover letter can be incredibly useful. And in just five minutes you’ll be able to write one yourself.

This guide will show you a speculative cover letter example, plus the best tips on how to write a speculative cover letter step-by-step.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your CV. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

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Sample Cover Letter for a CV— See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here .

Let’s get speculating.

Speculative Cover Letter Sample

Business Economics Graduate

96 South Park Road

0777 777 7777

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/sallyyorkzety

11th March 2020

James Henderson

Head of Analytics Metalytic 12 Martin Street London

Dear James,

I am a recent Business Economics BSc graduate looking to launch my career in a fast-paced corporate environment as a business analyst. Metalytic’s reputation in the industry is legendary and I’m aware that your training is second to none. The blog you publish has been a great inspiration to me and gave me unique insights that helped me win a graduation prize for my academic paper on econometric modelling. I would love to use my skills to help Metalytic scale new heights and I’m writing to you to see what employment opportunities are available.

I already have some experience of business analytics for the food and beverage sector having completed a summer internship with Morecambe & Wise Associates. I was privileged to assist with a project for PepsiCo Inc. This involved analysing large data sets to optimise fixed and variable cost inputs with a final recommendation for additional invoice validation checks that generated a cost-saving of £1.5m. I understand that Metalytic has just signed a two-year contract with Associated British Foods and this would be the perfect opportunity for me to contribute the skills and knowledge I’ve gained.

Thank you kindly for considering my interest in working for Metalytic. I cannot emphasise enough what an amazing opportunity it would be to work for your team and grow my knowledge and experience with you. I’d love to learn more about how I can help contribute to the superb business analytics solutions you offer to your clients. Please give me a call or drop me an email at your convenience, so we can discuss further.

Yours Sincerely,

Once you’ve finished writing a speculative cover letter, make sure you’ve perfected your CV. Read more:

Graduate CV Template and Writing Guide
Student CV Template and Writing Guide
Waiter / Waitress CV Template and Writing Guide
Retail CV Template and Writing Guide
Customer Service CV Template and Writing Guide
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Key CV Skills [Best List of Examples]
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Speculative Cover Letter Template

It’s estimated that 75% of jobs are filled without ever being advertised. Without a referral or an inside contact, the only way you can access this goldmine is with a speculative cover letter.

Here’s how to write a speculative job application cover letter:

1. Use the Correct Speculative Cover Letter Format

When writing a speculative cover letter you need to follow the same formatting rules as a standard cover letter. Here’s what to do.

Set one-inch margins on all sides of the page.
Use single or 1.15 line spacing, and put a space between each paragraph.
Choose an easily readable font in 11pt to 12pt size. Good CV fonts are perfect for speculative cover letters too.
Keep it short and sweet. 70% of employers prefer a cover letter length that’s no more than one page.

Read more: How to Format a Cover Letter in the UK

2. Create a Professional Header

Start your speculative cover letter off on the right foot. Follow standard business letter formatting and get the contact details right.

Write your name and contact information first, top corner, right-aligned.
Include your phone number, email, LinkedIn and optionally, relevant social media handles such as Twitter.
Put the date below, also right-aligned and use the right format. E.g. 11th March 2020.
Then left-align and include the addressee’s details. It’s best to address your letter to a named person. In this case the manager of the department you’re targeting.

Can’t find the name of the hiring manager? Check the company’s website and do some research on LinkedIn. If all else fails, call reception and ask. Don’t be self-conscious, it’s worth it. Using a person’s name has a powerful effect .

If you absolutely can’t put a name to the letter then go with ‘Dear Hiring Manager’. It’s the greeting most preferred by hiring managers for cover letters addressed without a name. Please avoid ‘To Whom It May Concern’ and ‘Dear Sir/Madam’. They’re stale, old-fashioned and coldly impersonal.

Read more: How to Address a Cover Letter

3. Start with a Personal Greeting and a Compelling First Paragraph

A speculative cover letter is a letter sent to a specific company telling them you’re interested in working with them and enquiring whether there are any job openings that match your skills and experience. So your speculative letter opening has to be attention-grabbing and make the reader hungry for more.

Here’s how to start a speculative cover letter:

Start with “Dear” and address the hiring manager by name.
State which type of role you’re interested in. There won’t be a named job title if there’s no advert but you should target a specific area of work. E.g. ‘I would love to have the opportunity to work with you in a digital marketing role.’
Show passion for the company and the industry you’re targeting. It’s basic psychology. You need to make the hiring manager feel flattered that you made the effort to contact them and show yourself as a dedicated potential employee.
Highlight an impressive professional achievement to ‘hook’ the reader. That could include increasing sales/revenue, making a saving or beating a target. Include numbers to quantify that achievement and express it as an accomplishment statement .

Starting a Speculative Cover Letter (Example)

The first example? You can almost picture the writer lazily copy-pasting the same letter to any company they can think of. It’s vague, generic and low energy. It’s not a speculative cover letter, it’s instantly disposable spam.

The second is the complete opposite. Passionate, energising and specifically targeted to the company. It also offers value in the form of relevant knowledge and an impressive achievement. A great start.

Remember , i you have a connection in the company, now’s the time to mention it. E.g. ‘I learned of the planned expansion of your property management team from my former manager, Tim Munson, who is now your Director of Property Services.’

4. Show You’re the Perfect Potential Candidate

The best way to do this can be summed up in one word. Research . When you write a standard cover letter you have a job advert to guide you. It’ll have a job description with all the skills and experience required neatly set out for you to refer to. You can then match that to your own skillset to demonstrate that you’re the best candidate for that job.

For a speculative cover letter though, you’ll need to dig deeper. Identify the specific employer you want to target. Find out everything you can about the organisation, its corporate values and goals, its staff, its strengths, current challenges it’s facing and the industry it operates in.

Use these online sources to research your speculative cover letter:

The organisation’s website.
Its LinkedIn page and social media profiles.
News related to the organisation. Google’s news aggregator is an excellent resource.
Industry publications.
Review sites like Glassdoor, Work Advisor and The Job Crowd.

As you’re researching, think about what that company would look for in a candidate for the type of role you’re targeting. It might even help to imagine what a job advert for your desired role would say. List the skills , experience and knowledge that you’d need to excel.

Then use the middle paragraph of your letter to mention some more compelling achievements and match them to what you’ve discovered about the company. Again, quantify your achievements with numbers and use accomplishment statements and the PAR formula to structure them.

Infuse your middle paragraph with passion and knowledge about the employer to show genuine interest. Prove why you want to work in this type of job for this company above all others.

6. Say Thank You and Include a Call to Action

Now for the final paragraph of your speculative cover letter. Time to seal the deal and get the hiring manager itching to pick up the phone to speak to you.

Here’s how to end a speculative cover letter:

Always suggest a call or a meeting to discuss the role further. This is what’s known as a call to action and it’s a must-have for an effective speculative cover letter.
Say thank you. It’s good manners of course because you’ve sent an unsolicited letter and the recruiter has been kind enough to read it. But it also has a powerful effect that goes beyond being polite.
Reinforce your value once more—demonstrate goals for growth and/or mention another professional achievement. Really entice the hiring manager to get in touch with you.
Continue using a passionate and energetic tone to keep the reader engaged as they finish reading.

Speculative Cover Letter Ending Sample

Once again, the first example is painfully dull. You’ve just wasted five valuable minutes of the hiring manager’s time. The second example though. That absolutely smashes it, with gentle confidence, competence and a real interest in the business.

But don’t run out of steam now. There’s one final part of your speculative cover letter that we need to cover.

7. Finish Strong with a Professional Sign-Off

You’re almost done. Don’t ruin it by getting your sign-off wrong.

Here’s how to sign off a speculative cover letter:

Sign off with your full name.
Yours sincerely is used if you know the person’s name. Yours faithfully if you don’t.
Include a digital copy of your handwritten signature below your sign-off.
If it’s a cover letter being sent as the body of an email, put your contact details below your signature.

This guide is for speculative cover letters. For standard cover letter writing advice read more here: How to Write a Cover Letter in the UK [Complete Guide]

A well-written speculative cover letter can uncover jobs you’d never find otherwise. Make sure that you write a perfect CV to accompany it.

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check . Start building your CV here .

When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Key Takeaways

A speculative application cover letter can help broaden your job-seeking horizons and let you access jobs that aren’t publicly advertised. But you’ve got to do it right. Here’s a reminder.

Use standard business letter formatting and layout rules.
Address your letter to a named person and start off strong with a ‘hook’ in your opening paragraph.
Do your research. Don’t be generic. Find out everything you can about the company and the industry to show you’re a perfect candidate.
Finish with a call to action and use the correct formal sign-off.

Thanks for reading. Over to you. What else would you like to know about writing a speculative cover letter for a job? Need any clarification on what makes a cover letter speculative? Ask away in the comments section and I’ll be happy to reply.

About Zety’s Editorial Process

Our editorial team has thoroughly reviewed this article to ensure it follows Zety’s editorial guidelines . Our dedication lies in sharing our expertise and providing you with actionable career advice that offers you real value. Every year, the quality of our content attracts 40 million readers to our site. But that’s not all – we conduct original research to gain a detailed understanding of the labour market. We take pride in being cited by top universities and leading media outlets in the UK and worldwide .

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2006.07.121
https://www.ubalt.edu/campus-life/career-center/career-services-online/career-cycle/documents/Writing%20Accomplishment%20Statements.pdf
https://www.pcc.edu/staff/tmaldona/wp-content/uploads/sites/114/2018/08/Samples-of-a-PAR-formula-statements.pdf
https://www.umkc.edu/facultyombuds/documents/grant_gino_jpsp_2010.pdf

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What Is a Speculative Cover Letter?

Who should i send my speculative cover letter to, what to include in a speculative cover letter, example speculative cover letter, what happens next, tips for writing your speculative cover letter, final thoughts, how to write a speculative cover letter.

Updated October 11, 2023

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A speculative cover letter is sent to apply for or enquire about a job that is not currently being advertised.

You should consider making a speculative job application if you are:

Actively looking for a new job role
Trying to find a work experience placement
Thinking about making a career move

To find out which jobs fit your personality best, visit our partner CareerFitter and take the Career Test for FREE .

Get An Expert Cover Letter

Sending a speculative job application can be an effective way to show you are keen, motivated and committed to your career goals .

Remember, even if the company you send your speculative cover letter to doesn’t have any current job vacancies, opening a dialogue with them could help to ensure you are at the top of the list when a suitable vacancy comes up in the future.

Much like a standard cover letter , a speculative cover letter accompanies your CV when you are applying for a job. However, a speculative cover letter is different from a standard cover letter in a few ways.

Standard cover letters are usually sent when applying for an advertised vacancy and should be tailored to that vacancy. In contrast, a speculative cover letter is sent to apply for a job that has not been advertised.

Standard cover letters need to be highly focused on niche or specialist skills that are outlined in a job description or person specification.

In contrast, a speculative cover letter should:

Give details of your relevant transferable skills
Outline your past work experience
Demonstrate why you would be a good fit for the company

As with any cover letter, a well written speculative cover letter will provide you with the opportunity to engage with the recipient and start building up a positive rapport.

Where possible, try to send your speculative job application to a particular person, rather than a generic department.

If you are not sure of the name of the person you should send your speculative cover letter to, have a look at the employer’s website. Try to find out the name of the manager for the department you are interested in working for.

Alternatively, you could call the HR department to find out the name of the department manager.

Sending your speculative cover letter to a specific person will help to ensure your letter is read by the most appropriate employee or department. It will also show that you have carried out some background research into the company and its current employees.

You can choose to send a speculative cover letter by email or by letter. The advantage of a letter is that it will land on somebody’s desk, making it harder to ignore.

Your speculative cover letter will need to be both engaging and informative.

As you are not writing to apply for one particular job role, you will need to provide an overview of the skills and experience that you have gained so far. A speculative job application aims to show the employer that you are a good all-rounder, not just a specialist in one single area.

Whilst a speculative cover letter is not tailored to a particular job role, it will need to be written specifically for an employer. So, if you are planning to send out more than one speculative job application, you will need to adjust each letter accordingly.

A speculative cover letter will need to include the following information:

A brief outline of the type of job role you would be interested in applying for

Information on your existing skills and experience and how these could be of benefit to the business

An outline of the reasons why you would like to work for the business

A closing summary to reiterate what you would be able to offer to the business

An assertive, confident call to action to end the letter; for example, ‘I look forward to hearing from you soon’, instead of, ‘I hope to hear from you soon’

When writing your speculative cover letter, try not to repeat the information contained within your CV.

Don’t forget to include your name, address and contact details (including your mobile telephone number and email address).

If you are unable to find out the specific manager’s name, start your letter with ‘ Dear Sir/Madam ’ and close it with ‘ Yours faithfully ’.

If you have managed to find a named person to send the letter to, you can start your letter with ‘ Dear [Name] ’ and close the letter with ‘ Yours sincerely ’.

Here is an outline of what your speculative cover letter should look like. This speculative cover letter template is for a person who wants to make an application to a legal firm.

Jane Laws 1 The Street Townford TR17 9NQ 01234 567891 [email protected] Mrs D Judge Legal Practice London W3 2QQ Dear Mrs Judge I would like to enquire whether you have any current administrative vacancies within your firm. Please find enclosed my CV, which outlines the experience I have gained during my career to date. Having worked as a legal secretary for the past five years, I have demonstrated my commitment to providing high-quality legal administration services. I have a sound working knowledge of industry terminology and legal working practices. I am proud that my dedication and commitment to my work has been recognised through a recent nomination for the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs ‘Legal PA of the Year Award’. My experience to date has been gained through working for two small legal practices. While this has been both challenging and enjoyable, I would like to develop my skills and experience further in a fast-paced, busy role. I understand your company is one of the largest legal practices in London with continuing plans for growth, making it the ideal place to pursue my future career objectives. As an administrative worker for your firm, I would strive to support your partners with high-quality secretarial support. I am a competent typist with a keen eye for detail and a proven ability to cope under pressure at all times. I would be delighted to have the opportunity to discuss my application with you in further detail. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely Jane Laws

After you post your speculative cover letter, you will need to be patient. You probably won’t hear anything straight away but, hopefully, the recipient of your letter will be in touch to discuss job vacancies you may be suitable for.

If you still haven’t heard anything back within two weeks, it is advisable to follow up with the employer directly, to check that they have received your letter.

If they say that they haven’t received it, ask them whether they would be happy for you to re-send it over to them. At this point, you could find out whether they would be happy for you to send it by email, as they will know to look out for it in their inbox.

Even if the manager says that there are no suitable vacancies available at the moment, you could still ask them to provide you with constructive feedback on your speculative job application. This will help you to improve any speculative applications you make in the future.

Step 1 . Do Your Research

Find out as much as you possibly can about the business you are planning to write to. For example:

What is their mission statement?
What are their values?
What product or service do they provide?
Who are their customers?
Who are their main competitors?
How many people do they employ?
What are the must-have skills for employees?

The company website is a good place to start. You could also browse through relevant social media pages, press releases and industry-specific content like blogs or newsletters.

Use the information that you find to help you write your speculative job application. For example, if you already have a particular qualification or skill that they want all of their employees to have, make sure this is clearly stated within your application.

Or, if you find out that they are planning to expand or acquire another company, let them know if this is a process you have had experience with in the past.

Step 2 . Keep Your Speculative Cover Letter Short and Professional

It is important to keep your speculative cover letter short and to the point . Keep the content succinct and focused – doing so will help to ensure the recipient reads it and digests the information it contains.

A letter that is too long will probably end up in the waste paper bin before it has even been read.

To ensure your letter makes a good first impression, set it out formally, use an easy-to-read font (such as Calibri or Arial, size 11 or 12) and write a maximum of five short paragraphs.

Step 3 . Proofread

When making speculative job applications, your cover letter is the one opportunity you have to make a good impression. If the text is littered with spelling and grammar errors, this is unlikely to make the manager want to call you to discuss a potential job opening.

Make sure you proofread your letter thoroughly, and ask a friend or family member to check through it too.

If you are looking for ways to progress your career, there is no need for you to wait for the perfect job vacancy to be advertised online.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by sending out a speculative job application. After all, your employer of choice could be just waiting for somebody with your skills and experience to make contact with them.

By sending a speculative job application to your preferred employers, you will show them that you are confident, enthusiastic and willing to go the extra mile to achieve your career objectives.

Don’t forget, a speculative cover letter aims to show the employer why you would be a great addition to their existing team. Ensure your application gives an overview of your existing qualifications, skills and experience, and how this could help the business to achieve its goals.

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How To Write A Speculative Cover Letter With Template

Wondering how to write a speculative cover letter?

A speculative CV with an accompanying cover letter is a way of connecting with employers when they’re not advertising vacancies.

Speculative applications can have great results, and can also be an effective way of getting internships or work placements .

Lots of positions are filled without ever being advertised, so a speculative letter could be your way in.

Here’s how to write a speculative cover letter that strikes the right tone and helps you get your foot in the door.

We’ve also written a speculative cover letter template to show how to format and write your letter – this can be found at the bottom of the blog.

Start by researching thoroughly

Once you’ve found an organisation you’d like to work for, the first thing to do is research it thoroughly .

Find out everything you can about the organisation, its staff and the wider industry it operates in.

Most of the information you’ll need will be readily available from online sources, including:

The organisation’s website
Press releases published by the organisation
Its LinkedIn page and social media profiles
News articles relating to the organisation
Industry-specific publications, newsletters or blogs
Review sites like Glassdoor

The more knowledge you can arm yourself with, the better you’ll be able to work out how your skills, experience and interests could benefit the organisation, and how you’ll be the perfect fit for the company.

And remember, when writing a speculative cover letter, accuracy is key.

Misspelling the name of the organisation, its products or services or the addressee (ultimately the decision maker) could spell disaster for your speculative letter.

Know who you’re talking to

Research the organisation’s staff list carefully to find out who to address your letter to. This may be:

The managing director, if it’s a smaller firm
A head of department
The hiring manager
A member of the HR department

It’s absolutely crucial that you address the letter to a specific person. ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ or ‘To whom it may concern’ won’t score you any points, especially if they have their name in their email address.

Mention early on or at the end of the letter that you’ve attached your CV to the email, to encourage the reader to look at this after the cover letter.

Strike the right tone

It can be hard to judge how to write a speculative cover letter and what tone to use. In our opinion, it’s best to opt for a formal tone. You don’t know the person, so don’t be over-familiar.

Open with ‘Dear [person’s name]’, and avoid any informal chit-chat like ‘I hope you had a good weekend’. Keep your tone friendly but professional throughout, and close with ‘Yours sincerely’.

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Don’t apologise

You might think sending a speculative CV and cover letter will come across as pushy or presumptuous – but hiring managers are unlikely to see it that way.

Don’t be tempted to start with something apologetic like ‘I hope you don’t mind me contacting you unsolicited’.

There’s no need to apologise – a speculative application is evidence that you’re enthusiastic and proactive , rather than arrogant.

Get straight to the point

If you’re wondering about how to start a speculative cover letter, our top tip would be: get to the point!

Hiring managers are busy – so don’t waste their time. Too many speculative cover letters suffer from long, repetitive introductions, clichéd language and wordy explanations that are unlikely to be read.

Cut to the chase straight away. Say why you’re writing, and demonstrate how you can benefit the organisation with a few key highlights from your CV .

Get that cover letter written by us!

Cover letter, format your cover letter appropriately.

A formally laid out cover letter is likely to have a better chance of succeeding. Put your name, address and the date on the right at the top, and the addressee’s details on the left starting on the line below.

The purpose of a speculative job letter is to get the hiring manager to look at your CV – so give them a reason to read it with three or four solid points straight off the bat.

You could format these as bullet points to make them even easier to read.

Keep paragraphs short and snappy and try to keep your letter to around half a page, and definitely no more than one page.

Focus on the employer

When writing a speculative cover letter, you should say as much (if not more) about the organisation you’re writing to as you do about yourself.

Try not to start every paragraph with ‘I’. You want to communicate what you can do for the organisation and why you want to work there, so try to evidence the knowledge you gained through your research.

What challenges and opportunities is the organisation facing? Try to focus on the person reading the letter and their priorities, and give a few examples from your experience that show how you can meet them.

Avoid the hard sell. Some sources recommend ending with something like ‘I’ll be calling you next week to schedule an interview’, but this pushy approach may backfire.

End simply by expressing that you’d like the opportunity to continue the conversation. Specify how the hiring manager can contact you (by phone or at your email address, for example) followed by ‘I look forward to hearing from you’.

As always, check, check and check again for typos and grammatical errors. Get someone else to proofread it for you if you can.

If you don’t hear anything within a couple of weeks, it’s a good idea to follow up by email or phone . This will show perseverance and a real desire to work for the organisation.

It’s also an opportunity to ask for constructive feedback if you weren’t successful.

Speculative cover letter template

Below is an annotated speculative cover letter example to give you an idea of how to format and write the letter:

How to write a speculative cover letter: a summary

A speculative application can be a great way to engage with an organisation, and could get you one step closer to your dream job.

Even if the employer doesn’t have your perfect role open immediately, it could put you on their radar as someone to contact in the future.

We hope our guide has given you a better idea of how to write a speculative cover letter.

Remember, a cover letter acts as the bait to get hiring managers to read your CV – so make sure your accompanying CV is as good as it can be!

Need help crafting a kickass CV? Our tailor-made CVs showcase your best bits and set you head and shoulders above the job market competition. Find out more .

Want to know more about how to write a good standard cover letter? Go back to basics with these principles. You can see some examples of cover letters here , including a speculative cover letter example.

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Speculative cover letter

Not all roles are formally advertised, and this is where speculative cover letters come in useful. With the help of our speculative cover letter example, you can create your own opportunities

Speculative approaches can be a great way of getting your foot in the door in competitive industries. They demonstrate dedication and a proactive nature and can give you an early start on your competition.

In the opening paragraph of a speculative cover letter explain what sort of role you're looking for. Then move on to show you've done your research by explaining why you're attracted to the company.

Next you need to talk about the skills and experience you have gained that are relevant to the company and the type of role you're looking for. It's best to show that you're an all-rounder so don't restrict yourself by focusing on one skill or area.

Finally, end on a positive note. Thank them for taking the time to read your application and that you look forward to hearing from them soon.

Please be aware that this is an example. Use this cover letter template to help generate ideas and structure your own document but avoid copying and pasting. Your cover letter needs to be original and tailored to the job you're applying for.

Anika Nawar 42 The Grove Grovetown CQ55 1WX [email protected] 07788123123

Julia Corning Graduate manager Media Company Business Shed Enterprise Street London SE1 J99

5th May 2023

Dear Ms Corning

I am a second-year media design student who is looking to gain some industry experience. I would like to do a summer placement/internship with Media Company and am writing to you to see what opportunities there are.

I know Media Company has a strong reputation in the industry. I was particularly attracted by the work you did for X Communications, which I came across during research for a university project. Your designs caught my eye and your understanding of the UX made our project flow well - and helped us achieve top marks for our year.

My website www.anikanawar.co.uk shows the range of my work, including a project for sportXperience.

As you can see from my CV I have attended industry events including:

New Designers (Part 2) at the Business Design Centre, London, June 2022
Young Designers Workshop Series, Manchester, 2020-2022
Web Design Industry Masterclass, London 2021

These were a great opportunity to network with peers and meet industry experts.

Along with a group of other students, I have been instrumental in setting up a blog www.webX.com . We have run two online student events and are currently crowdfunding a live event.

I can offer Media Company my flexibility, excellent time management skills, entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to work hard and learn quickly.

I look forward to having the opportunity to work with you.

Yours sincerely

(Sign your name here)

Anika Nawar

Find out more

Get more information on cover letters .
Learn more about the 5 things to avoid when writing a cover letter .
To start your research on recruiters and what they offer visit our employer profiles .

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Speculative CV example

If you want to land a top job, a speculative application can be the perfect way to side-step the competition and get an interview quickly.

So, we have created an example Speculative CV to inspire you, along with detailed guidance on how to create your own professional CV, that will hook recruiters and get you hired.

Guide contents

Speculative CV example

Structuring and formatting your CV
Writing your CV profile
Detailing work experience
Your education

This is a good example of a Speculative CV which contains all of the information that a hiring manager will need to know, and presents it in a well- structured, easy-to-read manner.

Take some time to study and understand this CV, and refer to it throughout the writing of your own CV for best results.

Speculative CV structure and format

If you focus purely on the written content of your CV but ignore the style and layout, your efforts could end up wasted.

No matter how suitable you are for the role, no recruiter wants to spend time squinting and trying to navigate a badly designed and disorganised CV.

Instead, make sure to organise your content into a simple structure and spend some time formatting it for ease of reading – it will ensure every recruiter and hiring manager can read your CV with ease.

Formatting Tips

Length: Think that submitting a five page CV will impress recruiters? You’re wrong! Even if you’ve got tons of experience to brag about, recruiters don’t have time to read through overly detailed CVs. Keep it short, concise and relevant – a CV length of 2 sides of A4 pages or less is perfect.
Readability : Columns, lists, bullet points, bold text and subtle colour can all help to aid the readability of your CV. Your overarching goal should be to make the content as easy to read and navigate as possible, whilst also aiming to make your key skills and achievements stand out.
Design: The saying ‘less is more’ couldn’t be more applicable to CVs. Readability is key, so avoid overly complicated designs and graphics. A subtle colour palette and easy-to-read font is all you need!
Avoid photos: If your CV has photos, images or profile pictures, hit the delete button. They’re not needed and won’t add any value to your applications.

Structuring your CV

As you write your CV , divide and sub-head into the following sections:

Name and contact details – Always start with these, so employers know exactly how to get in touch with you.
CV profile – Add a short summary of your relevant experience, skills and achievements, which highlights your suitability.
Core skills section – A 2-3 columned list of your key skills.
Work experience – A detailed list of any relevant work experience, whether paid or voluntary.
Education – An overview of your academic background and any training you may have completed.
Hobbies and interests – A brief overview of your hobbies and interests, if they’re relevant (optional).

Now I’ll guide you through exactly what you should include in each CV section.

CV Contact Details

Start off your CV with a basic list of your contact details. Here’s what you should include:

Mobile number
Email address – It’s often helpful to make a new email address, specifically for your job applications.
Location – Share your town or city; there’s no need for a full address.
LinkedIn profile or portfolio URL – Make sure the information on them is coherent with your CV, and that they’re up-to-date

Quick tip: Delete excessive details, such as your date of birth or marital status. Recruiters don’t need to know this much about you, so it’s best to save the space for your other CV sections.

Speculative CV Profile

Grab the reader’s attention by kick-starting your CV with a powerful profile (or personal statement , if you’re a junior applicant).

This is a short introduction paragraph which summarises your skills, knowledge and experience.

It should paint you as the perfect match for the job description and entice recruiters to read through the rest of your CV.

Tips for creating an impactful CV profile:

Keep it brief: Recruiters have piles of CVs to read through and limited time to dedicate to each, so it pays to showcase your abilities in as few words as possible. 3-4 lines is ideal.
Tailor it: Recruiters can spot a generic, mass-produced CV at a glance – and they certainly won’t be impressed! Before you write your profile (and CV as a whole), read through the job advert and make a list of any skills, knowledge and experience required. You should then incorporate your findings throughout your profile and the rest of your CV.
Don’t add an objective: Leave your career objectives or goals out of your profile. You only have limited space to work with, so they’re best suited to your cover letter .
Avoid cliches: If there’s one thing that’ll annoy a recruiter, it’s a clichè-packed CV. Focus on showcasing your hard skills, experience and the results you’ve gained in previous roles, which will impress recruiters far more.

What to include in your Speculative CV profile?

Summary of experience: Recruiters will want to know what type of companies you’ve worked for, industries you have knowledge of, and the type of work you’ve carried out in the past, so give them a summary of this in your profile.
Relevant skills: Employers need to know what skills you can bring to their organisation, and ideally they want to see skills that match their job vacancy. So, research your target roles thoroughly and add the most important skills for your speculative application , to your profile.
Essential qualifications: If the jobs you are applying to require candidates to have certain qualifications, then you must add them in your profile to ensure they are seen by hiring managers.

Quick tip: Even the best of writers can overlook typos and spelling mistakes. Use our partner’s CV builder to add pre-written content that has been created by recruitment experts, and proofread by our team.

Core skills section

Underneath your profile, create a core skills section to make your most relevant skills jump off the page at readers.

It should be made up of 2-3 columns of bullet points of your relevant skills.

Before you do this, look over the job description and make a list of any specific skills, specialisms or knowledge required.

Then, make sure to use your findings in your list. This will paint you as the perfect match for the role.

Work experience/Career history

By now, you’ll have hooked the reader’s attention and need to show them how you apply your skills and knowledge in the workplace, to benefit your employers.

So, starting with your most recent role and working backwards to your older roles, create a thorough summary of your career history to date.

If you’ve held several roles and are struggling for space, cut down the descriptions for your oldest jobs.

Structuring your roles

Your work experience section will be long, so it’s important to structure it in a way which helps recruiters to quickly and easily find the information they need.

Use the 3-step structure, shown in the below example, below to achieve this.

Provide a brief overview of the job as a whole, such as what the overriding purpose of your job was and what type of company you worked for.

Key responsibilities

Next up, you should write a short list of your day-to-day duties within the job.

Recruiters are most interested in your sector-specific skills and knowledge, so highlight these wherever possible.

Key achievements

Lastly, add impact by highlight 1-3 key achievements that you made within the role.

Struggling to think of an achievement? If it had a positive impact on your company, it counts.

For example, you might increased company profits, improved processes, or something simpler, such as going above and beyond to solve a customer’s problem.

Although there should be mentions of your highest and most relevant qualifications earlier on in your CV, save your exhaustive list of qualifications for the bottom.

If you’re an experienced candidate, simply include the qualifications that are highly relevant to Speculative roles.

However, less experienced candidates can provide a more thorough list of qualifications, including A-Levels and GCSEs.

You can also dedicate more space to your degree, discussing relevant exams, assignments and modules in more detail, if your target employers consider them to be important.

Interests and hobbies

The hobbies and interests CV section isn’t mandatory, so don’t worry if you’re out of room by this point.

However, if you have an interesting hobby , or an interest that could make you seem more suitable for the role, then certainly think about adding.

Be careful what you include though… Only consider hobbies that exhibit skills that are required for roles, or transferable workplace skills. There is never any need to tell employers that you like to watch TV and eat out.

Writing your Speculative CV

An interview-winning CV for a Speculative role, needs to be both visually pleasing and packed with targeted content.

Whilst it needs to detail your experience, accomplishments and relevant skills, it also needs to be as clear and easy to read as possible.

Remember to research the role and review the job ad before applying, so you’re able to match yourself up to the requirements.

If you follow these guidelines and keep motivated in your job search, you should land an interview in no time.

Best of luck with your next application!

Speculative CV Example and How to Write (10+ Templates)

As seen in:

There’s no denying that sending out speculative CVs is a bold move. The amount of effort you have to invest is pretty high, but the potential pay-off is well worth it. A speculative CV is the key part in a speculative job application—an application you send without waiting for a job opening to be advertised.

Speculative applications can have a surprisingly high success rate in many industries, especially in media- and design-related areas. Even if the chances of success aren’t quite as high in your field, it’s still often a case of ‘nothing to lose, everything to gain’. But how do you go about rolling the dice?

This article will walk you through the process of writing a speculative CV, from go to woah. You’ll learn how to craft a laser-focused speculative CV that’s got your dream job in its sights.

Create an effective CV in minutes. Choose a professional CV template and fill in every section of your CV in a flash using ready-made content and expert tips.

Create your CV now

The LiveCareer online CV maker lets you build a professional CV fast and download it as a PDF or DOC.

Speculative CV example

George Harvey

070 5555 5555

[email protected]

linkedin.com/in/georgeharvey

Personal statement

Dynamic, success-driven business manager with 5+ years’ experience in management and leadership roles in training delivery and entrepreneurial spaces. Recently unlocked 3 new revenue streams for Righton Group, using only its existing assets and bringing in over £70,000 profit annually. Seeking opportunity to bring proven entrepreneurial skills to bear in helping Aika International meet and exceed its business goals.

Work experience

Business Manager

Righton Group, Kent

February 2017—present

Cooperated with external stakeholders to secure an £8.5 million investment contract with a third party.
Led a massive drive for new business that finished its first stage with 15 new contracts being signed and a database of over 500 potential new B2B clients throughout the country.
Renegotiated terms of cooperation with Righton Group’s overseas partner to include a 15% expansion of operating territory.

Production Manager

Gregory’s Training, Kent

May 2015—January 2017

Maintained 100% on-time delivery on a complex and uneven production schedule.
Oversaw the production of over 10,000 pages of scripts and presentations.
Sourced and hired 7 voice-over actors working in 3 different languages.
Coordinated 3 production functions across 4 multi-lingual teams.

BSc (Hons) Management (2:1), 2011–2014

University of Kent, Canterbury

A-levels: Business Studies, English, History, 2008–2010

The Canterbury High School, Kent

8 GCSEs (including Mathematics and English), 2006–2008

Leadership : overcame low morale and motivation levels within teams to ramp up productivity and dampen staff turnover
Interpersonal skills : entered into many new partnerships and attracted several new clients through series of semi-formal business meetings
Business networking : capitalised on pre-existing contacts and exploited ready-made business networks like, e.g., chambers of commerce
Software : advanced user of spreadsheets (LibreOffice and MS Office), including pivot tables and macros
Negotiation : demonstrated confidence in high-stakes negotiation scenarios, including those surrounding issues with multi-million pound, long-term consequences
Polish — intermediate
French — B2
Taking part in long-term stock-trading simulations/competitions

Now here’s how to write a speculative CV:

1. Start your speculative CV with personal statement

By sending out a speculative CV you’re putting a document in front of someone that they neither asked for nor expected to receive. You’d better grab and hold their attention quickly, or they’ll move on with their busy day and forget about you and your CV. Your personal statement will be the first thing they read.

Use it to make the right kind of impression, and fast. A good personal statement does three basic things:

Introduces you as an employee—your position, experience, and attributes
Shows what you have to offer the company—based on your past achievements
Describes your goals, which just happen to mesh perfectly with the company’s goals.

You’ll need to do a bit of research to know what will be attractive to a given company and what its goals are. Your best source of information here will be its website, especially the ‘about us’ section, which will often include its mission and values. Get a feel for the corporate culture while you’re at it.

There’s good and there’s bad news when it comes sending out speculative CVs. The bad news is that you’ll have to write a new personal statement for each and every CV you send. The good news is that it’s much easier than it might seem. All you need to do is write 3–4 sentences, about 50–150 words.

Use the following questions to guide your writing—aim to answer them all in your 3–4 sentences:

Who are you (as a worker), and what’s your experience?
What industries/fields/niches are you experienced in working?
What’s your most impressive/relevant work achievement?
(Optional) What’s your most unique achievement?
What are you hoping to be able to achieve in this job? (Always for your employer, never yourself).

Even though it comes first in your CV, it’s much better if you write your personal statement last, or at least after you’ve prepared your job descriptions (i.e. achievements). The whole process will be much simpler since you’ll have all the ingredients ready to go. So keep it in mind and come back later.

How to start a speculative CV

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder .

2. Write winning job descriptions for your speculative CV

This is the point at which you’ll need to choose the right CV format for you. There are three major CV formats to choose from:

Chronological (which is actually reverse-chronological)
Skills-based (otherwise known as functional)
Combination (otherwise known as hybrid, a combination of the first two).

There’s also an academic CV format for academic teaching and research jobs. It’s basically an expanded chronological format, though.

Each of the above CV formats puts emphasis on something else:

A chronological format emphasises experience
A functional format emphasises skills
A hybrid format, like you might expect, covers both more equally.

A skills-based format is a great choice for creatives, many freelancers, and people transitioning from military service to civilian employment. A combination format is a better fit for people who are changing careers or who have significant gaps in their employment. But think twice before choosing either.

By far the most common CV format is the chronological format, with its focus on work experience and general overview of skills. This is the default format, it’s what employers and recruiters expect to see and it’s most easily parsed by Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs). Chances are it’s for you.

This guide will continue on the assumption that you’re writing a speculative CV using a chronological format. The work experience and skills sections will look quite different in a skills-based or combination speculative CV. Everything else will be very similar.

The key to writing impressive, compelling job descriptions is to forget about listing duties and responsibilities and to instead focus on achievements. Achievements describe the measurable benefits that your employer gleaned from your actions and initiative. They’re backed up by facts and figures.

Use accomplishment statements to formulate your job-description bullet points. Start each bullet point with a dynamic verb like ‘organised,’ ‘reduced,’ or ‘negotiated.’ Describe an action you took at work (perhaps as part of a project or in response to a problem) and the benefits that flowed to your employer.

Starting with your current or most recent job, use the following template to create a subheading for each job:

[Job Title]

[Company Name, Location]

[Dates of Employment]

Then add up to six achievements under each subheading, in bullet-point form.

If you are writing a CV with little or no relevant experience , then focus on any internships, placement work or volunteer work you’ve done. If you have no relevant work experience at all, then put this section after your education section and consider writing a student CV instead—it can be adapted to a speculative CV.

Speculative CV job description

3. add a clear and concise education section to your speculative cv.

Education requirements differ from industry to industry, but an education section is almost always required. Keep this section brief and on-point. Don’t list grades or any other superfluous details. Start from your most recent qualifications. There’s no need to mention high school if you have a university degree.

Use the following template for both university degrees and other tertiary qualifications, like NVQs:

[Degree Type] [Degree Name](Degree Class)

[Institution Name], [Institution Location], [Years Attended]

Include an expected graduation date if you’re currently studying. If you don’t have a university degree, then use the following templates to detail your high school education:

A-levels: [Subject Name 1], [Subject Name 2], [Subject Name 3]

[School Name], [School Location], [Years Attended]

[ n ] GCSEs (including Mathematics and English)

where n is the number of GCSEs you completed.

Speculative CV education section example

BSc (Hons) Management (2:1)

University of Kent, Canterbury, 2011–2014

A-levels: Business Studies, English, History

The Canterbury High School, Kent, 2008–2010

8 GCSEs (including Mathematics and English)

The Canterbury High School School, Kent, 2006–2008

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

4. Showcase your skills in your speculative CV

Ultimately, the most important indicator of how much value you’ll bring to a given company is your skill-set. Your experience (the sum of your achievements) is really just an indication of your underlying skills. Fill in the picture further by including a carefully curated list of skills in your speculative CV.

First, make a master list of all your skills. Create a new document and list all the relevant work skills you can think of. Add a sentence to each skill that describes how you’ve demonstrated that skill. If you can’t do this for a given skill, then it drops off your list. Include only that which you can back up.

Save this master file and keep it for future speculative CVs and regular job applications. Now all you need to do is copy 5–10 relevant skills from this list into your speculative CV. But wait a minute, how will you know which skills are relevant to this particular job when there’s no job advert to refer to?

This is another section for which you’ll have to do some background research on the company to which you’re applying. Once again, trawl its website looking for hints. You might get lucky and come across old or archived job offerings. Otherwise, you might have to read between the lines or try cross-referencing LinkedIn. You can also check job postings from similar companies.

Speculative CV skills sample

Leadership: overcame low morale and motivation levels within teams to ramp up productivity and dampen staff turnover.
Interpersonal skills: entered into many new partnerships and attracted several new clients through series of semi-formal business meetings.
Business networking: capitalised on pre-existing contacts and exploited ready-made business networks like, e.g., chambers of commerce.
Software: advanced user of spreadsheets (LibreOffice and MS Office), including Pivot Tables and Macros.
Negotiation: demonstrated confidence in high-stakes negotiation scenarios, including those surrounding issues with multi-million pound long-term consequences.

5. Supercharge your speculative CV by adding extra sections

The purpose behind your speculative CV is to present as full a picture of you as an employee in as compact a form as possible. Round out your CV and complete this picture by adding extra sections. You could add sections on:

Any additional qualifications you have
Awards or accolades you’ve received
Freelance work (perhaps in a related but separate field)
Publications
Conferences
Even hobbies (as long as they’re relevant).

Speculative CV additional sections sample

Polish – intermediate
French – B2

6. Complete your application with a speculative cover letter

Sending out your speculative CV without a cover letter would be poor form, to say the least. Not only would it be extremely unlikely to get you a response, it’d leave a negative impression of you overall. Always send your speculative CV out with an appropriately tailored speculative cover letter.

A good speculative cover letter will follow the standard UK business letter format, which means that it’ll include:

A properly laid-out header
An appropriate salutation
The main body of your cover letter
A sign-off that matches the salutation.

The body of a compelling speculative cover letter will be made up of three main parts:

An attention-grabbing opening (60–80 words)
An impressive showcase of your achievements (120–200 words)
A neat wrap-up and a confident call to action (40–60 words).

All this should leave you with a cover letter that’s between half an A4 page and a full A4 page long, about 250–400 words in total.

7. Keep these things in mind before sending your speculative CV

Make your contact details clear and leave them where there’ll be easy to find, near the top of your speculative CV.
Use subheadings, bullet points, and plenty of white space to make your CV as reader-friendly as possible.
There’s no shortage of research on font types and their effect on readability. Choose something understated and professional. Noto, Garamond, Arial, Liberation, and Calibri are all good options. If in doubt, stay with the default.
Save or export your speculative CV and cover letter in PDF—it’ll preserve your formatting and help stave off disaster.
No one asked for your speculative CV, it’s no one’s job or obligation to read it. So keep it short: one page maximum, two pages if you have over 20 years of amazingly relevant work experience.
Go over your work with a fine-tooth comb, looking for spelling and grammar mistakes. Use built-in spellcheckers, an app, web app or anything else that can help you. Enlist the help of a family-member or friend—they’ll see things you missed, that’s just how that works.
If you haven’t heard back after a week or two, follow up with a quick email or phone call. Don’t overdo this and harass the company to give you a response, though—remember, you sent in an unsolicited application, they owe you nothing.

A cover letter alone simply won’t be enough—you need an impactful CV, too. Create your CV in minutes. Just follow our wizard and fill in every CV section with ready-made content. Get started by choosing a professional CV template .

I hope this article has helped you take the brave but potentially rewarding step of sending out a speculative CV – it really can be the road to your dream job. Please leave any questions, comments or experiences or advice you’d like to share in the comments section below.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines . It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.

About the author

Since 2005, the LiveCareer Team has been helping job seekers advance their careers. In our in-depth guides, we share insider tips and the most effective CV and cover letter writing techniques so that you can beat recruiters in the hiring game and land your next job fast. Also, make sure to check out our state-of-the-art CV and cover letter builder—professional, intuitive, and fully in line with modern HR standards. Trusted by 10 million users worldwide.

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Speculative cv

Looking for a job-winning CV?

How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter – Tips and Examples

Do you know the trick to flood your inbox with a job offer? Yes, you heard it right. There are tricks for receiving job offers from your desired designation and company. All you need to do is – think a bit out of the box for the job you want.

This approach does not work for everyone. But sometimes, sending resumes randomly to every company isn’t going to work. You need to have a speculative cover letter that makes you win the job.

It’s time to reveal the trick, that is – speculative cover letter! Wait, do not worry and panic about what is it and how to create it. This article by CustomCv.co.uk will guide you each and everything about it.

Take the tips from our expert cover letter writers to know the basics of creating a speculative cover letter to its technicities. It will include the entire fundamentals, its meaning, purpose, and how to write a good speculative letter step by step to impress your employer.

The magic of speculative cover letters works so extensively that it helps you in grabbing jobs that are not even publicly announced or disclosed. It is an incredibly useful cover letter that you can write in just five minutes after thoroughly reading this article.

A speculative cover letter is sent along with a CV, written with a particular designation in mind. They are more tailor to your desired company you want to work for by selling your skills, experience, and potential.

A speculative application basically means that you are getting in touch with your desired firm where you want to do a job by asking them that whether they have a suitable vacancy for you or not.

Tips to Write An Impressive Speculative Cover Letter

Without a further delay, we are throwing a top six tips to write an impressive speculative cover letter:

Use the perfect speculative cover letter format:

It is highly suggested to use the appropriate standard cover letter format while writing a speculative cover letter, for example:

The line spacing should be single or 1.15 and out the uniform space among all the paragraphs.
Fix the full page at one- inch margin.
The font size should be 12 to be readable enough.
The cover letter’s content should be concise and engaging that should not exceed more than one page.

Create a professional header:

All relevant information should be included like name, contact number, residential address, and email address. It should be right-aligned, including the date with the format dd/mm/yy.
After that, write all the relevant information of the addressee’s with that person’s name in the left alignment.

Start with a personal greeting and compelling introduction:

Since in a speculative cover letter you are telling your favorite firm that you are interested in serving them so it should be appealing to your employer by grasping their attention and make your reader hungrier to read, for example:

It should start with dear along with the hiring manager name.
Declare the designation or the job role you may be interested in.
Show your passion and compassion for the industry you are targeting. It should have the potential to flatter your employer so they may shortlist you as a dedicated employee.
Highlight your impressive professional achievement that served as a hook to your reader, such as increasing the sales revenue, making a saving and beating a company target.

Do not try or not even think to copy-paste the letter as it looks vague and fails to compels your reader and your employer to directly dispose of your cover letter to the spam folder.

Show you are a potential candidate:

The best way to show that you are dedicated and the best fit for their organization, so you need to do in-depth research or dip deeper. Suppose you have this information about the company. Find out the organization name, mission, and vision, staff, and swots of the company. In that case, it definitely illustrates you as a dedicated employee that will be the best fit for the company.

Say thank you and include a call to action:

In the ending paragraph, your speculative cover letter must include thank you in a very good manner because the employer is kind enough to take out their precious time to read it. You should also incorporate more powerful effects by including a call to action so that the employer or the hiring manager can pick up the phone to speak to you.

Finish the cover letter with the professional sign-off:

You are almost at the end step of the speculative cover letter, so do not ruin your all efforts by ending in a wrong manner, for example:

You should sign off with your full name.
The utilization of “your sincerely” is necessary when you know the name of the person. You should use “you’re faithful” if you don’t know the person and his name.
You must incorporate the digital copy of your signature at the end of your letter.
If cover letter is sent as the body of an email, put your contact details below your signature.

Speculative Cover Letter Sample Template:

Speculative Cover Letter Example Sample Template

Here is an example of a speculative cover letter annotated as a sample. This tells how to write an impressive cover letter through which the hiring manager considers you as the best fit for the vacancy.

You have write your appropriate address on the top of the letter using right alignment.
Put the complete address of the organization using left alignment just below your address.
Use the right name of the person, if you don’t know the person’s name so use hiring manager or the recruiter.
Start with personal greeting and compelling introduction that act as Hooke to the hiring manger.
These are the body paragraphs. In body paragraph you have to get to the point directly. This tells how you can benefit to the company through your skills, experience and interest that makes you best fit for the company.
This is the ending paragraph. Ending of your letter must tell that you are eagerly waiting for their opportunity or call back.
Sign off with your sincerely or (your faithfully in case you don’t know the person name) accompanied with your signature.

Summary: How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter with Example

Concisely, the speculative cover letter has the potential to widen your job-seeking horizons and let you access the job, which isn’t being advertised publicly. But you can get it if you follow the details mentioned earlier and the tips.

Now we sum up the tips mentioned above that utilization of the standard format and rules is necessary. The introduction should be compelling, and the ending should be in a very kind way. It is compulsory to show that you are well-versed with the organization’s research and do not be vague in your writing. You should sign off properly and formally by incorporating the call to action effect and thank you in a very formal way.

Here at CV Writings , we want you to avail amazing job opportunities. So, whenever you require a job from your desired firm. Remember these key points or get help from our professionals to write every Cover Letter for as little as £20.

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How To Write A Speculative Cover Letter With Winning Examples

Photo on Unsplash

In the current economic climate, being proactive in your job search is more important than ever. Don’t wait for a company to come to you with an offer. It might never happen! We’ll provide tips on writing a speculative cover letter and convince employers that you’re worth their time and consideration.

A speculative cover letter is when you write and send it to an employer before advertising any specific position. This type of cover letter can be used in many different situations, for example:

– Someone who is unemployed but wants to find work may choose to write a speculative cover letter and send it out

– A person who has been laid off may use this type of cover letter while they are looking for new employment

– A recent graduate might also use this type of application as their first job hunt step

The purpose of a speculative cover letter is to show an employer how you might fit into their organisation. In addition, you can use the cover letter to explain why your skills are transferable and what type of work you would be interested in doing for that company. Your goal should be to stand out from other applicants by showing them some unique things about yourself that they may not be able to see from your resume.

The steps for writing a speculative cover letter are as follows:

– Find the name of an employer you want to work with and contact them directly

– Send in your best application materials, such as a CV or resume and any other supporting documents that demonstrate why you would make a great candidate for the company

– Use a cover letter to introduce yourself and show why you are interested in that particular employer

– Include your contact information on both the CV and resume as well as in the cover letter, so they can reach out if necessary

– Be willing to go above and beyond what other applicants may do

– Be enthusiastic about the company or position you are applying for

– Make sure your cover letter is well written with clear sentences that clearly state what type of job you are interested in doing

A typical speculative letter needs to follow the following steps

1. Introduce yourself

2. Explain the position you are applying for

3. Outline your skills and experience that relate to the position

4. State why you would be a good fit for the company

5. Give an example of how you have demonstrated these qualities in previous jobs or volunteer positions

6a) If there is any specific information they want, include it here

6b) If not, end with “I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

7) Thank them for their time and consideration

What is the difference between a cover letter and a speculative letter?

A cover letter is typically written to accompany an application or resume and provides information about the applicant. A speculative letter is a type of cover letter that may be sent before any position has been advertised — this can often help someone who does not have a job find work faster.

How do you start a speculative cover letter?

First, keep your letter concise. Most hiring managers don’t have time to read a lot of content on an unproven candidate. So start with the basics and avoid being too wordy or flowery in your writing. The goal is not to win over a company you know nothing about but to impress them enough so they’ll want to learn more.

Second, you need a strong opening. Many speculative cover letters open with the standard “I am writing in regards to your job posting for X.” This is good but not great. Suppose you are applying to multiple jobs or even one specific organisational role. In that case, it’s better to point out why they should hire you specifically and how your skills and experience will benefit the company.

Third, don’t forget to highlight your enthusiasm for the role. Why are you writing this letter? What do you hope to achieve by sending it? Would you mind demonstrating that you’re excited about their organisation and why? Lastly, make sure it is personalised! This may require research, but having an extensive company profile shouldn’t be too hard. If you don’t know much about the organisation, try to dig on LinkedIn or do a simple Google search.

Of course, other things make up a tremendous speculative cover letter, but these three are good places to start!

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Are speculative job applications worthwhile?

There’s no doubt that they can be a bit of a gamble. You’ve got to put your faith in the company you are applying for and hope that it matches what their needs are at this time. However, I would say that if you have used it before (and haven’t heard back), then why not give it another go? Every company is different, so it’s always worth taking a punt.

Using speculative applications is an excellent way to determine what the company does and how you can fit in. However, it’s also crucial that your CV reflects this because you need to show them why they should be interested in hiring you. So, for example, you could include links to work samples or contact details for people who have worked with you before.

Speculative applications are an excellent way to get your foot in the door and allow you to find out more about what they do. Still, you must ensure your CV reflects this so they know why they should hire you. It might be worth including links to work samples or contact details for people who have worked with you.

An example speculative cover letter:

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing to introduce myself and tell you about my qualifications as a potential candidate for the Marketing Manager position at Acme Corp. I understand that this is not an advertised opening. Still, I wanted to take the time to apply anyway because your organisation has always been one in which I have taken great interest.

My background includes 11 years of experience in marketing and advertising with a large company and my work on entrepreneurship projects. I am confident that my skill set would be an asset to your organisation given the requirements outlined in this position description, such as:

-Strong understanding of digital media, including social media channels and blogs

-Experience with managing external agencies and creative teams

-Ability to oversee campaigns in various languages

I have attached my resume for your review. I hope you will consider me a candidate, even if this is an unadvertised opening. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this letter.

Some Examples addressed for specific roles

An example speculative cover letter for entry level software engineer:.

Dear Hiring Manager,

My name is _____, and I am currently looking for entry-level opportunities in software engineering. After reading about your company on __________, I was excited to learn more about how my skill set could be a good fit within this environment. In addition to learning more about your open position as a software engineer, I am also interested in learning more about the company itself. Would you be willing to answer a few questions for me?

Are there any other positions within __________ that may be appropriate for someone with my skill set looking for their first position?

What is the company culture like at __________, and how does it support its employees to be successful in a professional environment?

The software engineering positions you are currently hiring for sound very interesting. Is there anything else about these roles that may make them more appealing than other entry-level opportunities I have seen on job boards?

Name ___________

Contact info: email address and phone number. GitHub username if you have one.

The hiring manager will then decide whether or not to respond with an interview opportunity! If they get back to you, go ahead and send them a follow-up thank you an email that is much briefer than this.

An example speculative cover letter for an accountant:

While doing some research, I came across your listing for an accountant on the Careers section of the company’s website. I am very interested in this position because it perfectly fits my background, skillset, and career path. With over three years of experience in finance at another company, I am confident that my skills and qualifications would make me an excellent fit for this job.

I believe the key to success in any position is doing your best at all times, learning as much as possible about your role, and taking pride in everything you do. With strong attention to detail, willingness to learn new things quickly, and ability to multitask, I am confident that my background as an accountant would make me a great candidate for this role.

It would be a pleasure to learn more about this opportunity and demonstrate how my skills make me the best candidate. I have attached my resume for your review as well. Thank you very much in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

John Smith (123) 456789101

An example speculative cover letter for the mechanical engineer:

Dear Hiring Manager, I’m excited to express my interest in the Mechanical Engineer position at your company. After scanning your website and learning more about IVALA Robotics, it’s clear that you have a very dynamic team that complements my skill set and career goals perfectly. This intersection of interests is precisely why I’m writing to you today.

The skills I’ve acquired as a mechanical engineering student at [university name] will allow me to hit the ground running in my new role. In particular, I have strong technical and communication abilities — an ability your job posting highlights as one of the essential qualities for this position. Additionally, I would prove a solid asset to the Mechanical team at IVALA Robotics if hired.

I would very much appreciate an opportunity for a conversation. Please be assured that you will find me both confident in my abilities and humble enough to learn new skills as needed . Thank you again for reading my application — I hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely yours_

An example speculative cover letter for a nurse:

Dear Nurse Manager, My name is X, and I am an RN with __________ experience.

My skills in clinical care management combine the most critical aspects of nursing: patient assessment, planning and evaluation for treatment outcomes, implementation of care plan through delegation to healthcare team members, and coordination and communication between various caregivers. Furthermore, my leadership skills were honed by my active participation in _________, and I am a member of the American Nurses Association.

My goal is to work as a nurse manager at your hospital. This position aligns with my career goals, including working for an organisation that shares my commitment to excellence, professional development, collaboration across disciplines, and teamwork — qualities I have developed and demonstrated throughout my career.

I am confident that I can add value to the nurse manager team at your hospital, and I look forward to speaking with you further about this opportunity. Best, X

This is a speculative cover letter for an unadvertised job position in healthcare management. This cover letter example should be customised based on your skills and experiences.

An example speculative cover letter for a chef:

Dear Chef, I would love to work as a sous chef at X. My passion for food and cooking had driven me into this industry since my early teens when I began working in the kitchens of family friends’ restaurants after school. Now that I am graduating from college, I will take things more seriously with a full-time job. I love X’s menu and feel that my experience in the past few years as a sous chef at Y perfectly prepares me to make positive contributions immediately.

An example speculative cover letter for a teacher:

I am a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in education. While I was still working on finishing up my major, I began looking for teaching opportunities. As a result, I landed an internship with extensive classroom experience — it’s been great!

Now that I’m getting ready to enter the job market full-time, I’m eager to explore the possibility of working at your company.

I know from my research that you’re looking for someone enthusiastic about education. I can help students learn by incorporating technology into their learning environment. For example, I found it challenging in school to combine a love of teaching with an understanding of how technology could make those lessons more interactive.

That’s why I chose to pursue my education degree — to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to provide students with an engaging learning environment that incorporates technology in a way they can easily understand while also helping them develop the skills needed for success in future careers.

I’m confident you’ll find me a great candidate for this position because of my education and experience. Still, I’m also excited about the opportunity to learn from veterans in the field.

I look forward to hearing back from you regarding the next steps. Please get in touch with me at [email protected] or (555) 555–5555 if you have any questions.

An example speculative cover letter for an administrative assistant:

Dear Hiring Manager, I recently came across your job listing for a secretary role. Naturally, I am interested in this position and excited to submit my application materials today! While searching online, it appeared that we might have some interests in common — namely, the desire to work with an organisation with outstanding leadership and dedication to making all its employees feel valued and included. I believe this is a mission statement you can stand behind, as it aligns with your organisation’s core values of inclusivity, teamwork, accountability and transparency.

I am an enthusiastic administrative assistant with over five years of experience working across many industries, including finance, retail, travel, and hospitality. I am a skilled communicator who can adapt my language style to suit different audiences; I also have extensive experience managing projects and meeting deadlines for large-scale projects from start to finish. Finally, as an experienced secretary, I know how important it is for your team to rely on each other’s discretion and confidentiality. I take this responsibility very seriously, as it is essential to any business’s success!

In my current role at a large tech company, I have been tasked with coordinating travel plans for our executives across the country. This position has given me extensive experience in time management and multitasking efficiently under tight deadlines. In addition, since my role as the secretary to our CEO is quite demanding, I have also been able to develop new skills in managing multiple projects and prioritising tasks accordingly.

In addition to all of these experiences, I am looking for a career path that satisfies me professionally — something which I believe you will be able to provide! My resume and reference list are attached; please get in touch with me anytime. I look forward to hearing back from you soon!

Sincerely, John Smith

Notes: This is an example of a speculative cover letter for an administrative assistant position in the finance industry. It demonstrates the ability to communicate professionally and experience working on multiple projects.

An example speculative cover letter asking for any administrative job:

Dear Sir, or Madam, I am writing to you as a speculative applicant with no prior experience for the role advertised. My name is [your name], and I would be very interested in any job that suits my skill set of handling paperwork. While searching for jobs online tonight, this position caught my eye because of my skill set.

I can handle paperwork well and would be happy to help you in that work area if given a chance. I also enjoy working with computers and typing documents and emails because it gives me more time for other tasks. If you expect any correspondence from this letter or need anything else done, I would be happy to do that for you.

I look forward to hearing back from you shortly and hope I can start this job soon! Sincerely, [your name]

In conclusion, you can write a speculative cover letter tailored to the company’s needs and strengths. You can present yourself in an honest but confident way. It will also show how much time and effort you put into your application process, which may help land you an interview with this company!

Written by mrafeeq

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How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter

You may have spotted an employer that you’d love to work for, but they’re not currently hiring for any position that fits with your aspirations. Speculative applications can have great results, especially for those wanting to get an internship, work placement, apprenticeship or graduate job. You’ll need to be engaging, expressive and able to confidently discuss your skill to really have an effect.

Why Send a Speculative Cover Letter?

If you’re looking for a job within a competitive industry, you may need to be proactive with your job searches and job application as not all roles are formally advertised. Plus, if there’s a company that you think could provide you with your dream job, why not give it a shot? A speculative CV with an accompanying cover letter is a great way of connecting with recruiters or potential employers when they’re not advertising vacancies.

How to Start a Covering Letter

Before you think about sitting down and writing your covering letter, you’ll need to research the company. Even if you know a lot about the company, you’ll want to brush up on your knowledge in order to create a good cover letter.

Find out everything you can about the organisation, including its staff and also the wider industry they operate within.

Take a look through their website and also look for press releases as well as related news article to really find out what’s happening at their organisation. Make sure you look at their social media profiles and also look on websites such as Glassdoor for staff reviews on working there.

The more knowledge you have to start with, the easier it will be to write your covering letter. It’s this knowledge that will enable you to connect your skills, experience and interests to their company.

What to Include and what not to Include

The general formatting of a speculative letter will be relatively similar to a standard cover letter:

Start with personal information such as your name, address and contact details. You should never include your national insurance number or bank details on your cover letter.
Include information to your social media platforms such as Linkedin. There should be crucial information about your work experience on there and it will also enable them to get a better indication of your interests through shared articles and endorsed skills.
Include the manager’s name if you have it, but if you don’t just use Dear Sir/Madam.
Within the first paragraph, you should outline what type of role you’re looking for, and why you want to work for that particular company.
The second paragraph should explain more about the skills you possess and any experience you have that could be of interest to them. There is no job description so you’ll have to be inventive on how your skill set may apply to their business.
The closing paragraph is the last chance for you to make an impression. You need to tell them exactly why you’d be perfect for the company and what you could potentially contribute. If there isn’t an open job, why should they open one for you? what do you have that is different? this doesn’t always have to be your skills, genuine passion for the company and their values could be enough.
To close the covering letter, thank them for their time and sign-off the cover letter with ‘Yours faithfully’)

The final thing to mention here is that you must ensure there are no spelling mistakes. This involves specific person names, product names and relations to the company especially. You can use a spell checker or Grammarly for the checking of punctuation and spelling, but they may not pick up branded names so you’ll need to double-check.

Get to the Point, Set your Tone & Don't Apologise

You might think that sending a speculative application and cover letter could come across as pushy or presumptuous by the receiver. In most cases this couldn’t be any further from the truth, HR teams are often impressed by this process as it shows passion, confidence and forthcomingness. It’s also worth mentioning that recruiting can be a timely and expensive process, so someone coming forth is a great way for them to avoid this.

What you absolutely shouldn’t do is open with anything apologetic such as ‘I hope you don’t mind me contacting you’. You need to be confident that you’re offering them something of value and apologising for contacting them doesn’t give that impression. A speculative application is verification that you’re an enthusiastic and proactive individual, rather than arrogant or presumptuous.

The best start to a speculative cover letter is one that gets straight to the point. HR teams and managers are busy people so avoid long-winded introductions and ones that are copied off the internet as they’ll have read it ten times already.

Quickly explain why you’re writing to them. Don’t just explain, demonstrate how you can benefit their company with key highlights from your CV. Keep to a formal layout and ensure all the points in the ‘What to Include and what not to Include’ section are covered. Make a mental note to keep the information condensed.

By now you’re likely wondering, how many words should a cover letter be? There really is no golden number, it’s about how many words it takes to really sell your worth to the company. The general guidelines are to stick to around half a page and definitely no more than one page.

We hope our guide has given you the knowledge you need to go and write an amazing speculative cover letter that lands you the position you desire. Remember the cover letter is the bait to get the HR team to read your CV, so make sure your CV is as good as your covering letter!

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Speculative cover letter example

Free cover letter template for a speculative job application
Follows all the latest cover letter writing best practices
You only need 30 minutes to customise it for your application
Example cover letter shows you how to use the template
See how to layout your cover letter, and what info to include in your cover letter

Main sections of this page

Don’t hesitate to fast forward to the section you think would be most helpful to you:

“Speculative cover letter template” ⏩
“How to write a speculative cover letter” ⏩
“Advice for writing your CV” ⏩

Speculative cover letter template

The template below follows all of the current best practices for writing a cover letter .

It’s free, and you’re welcome to use it as many times as you like.

Please note, the template below contains placeholder text in [square brackets]. Please be careful to substitute the placeholder text for words that are relevant to your situation.

To avoid making mistakes when using this template, follow the advice in the “Cover letter checklist” guide on our sister site, Milkround.

[Your first and last name]

[Your current job (if relevant)]

[Your telephone number] | [Your email address]

[Your LinkedIn URL] | [Your online portfolio URL]

[Date you’re submitting your CV and cover letter]

[ Job title you’re applying for ] | [ Job ad code, if applicable ]

Dear [Mr/Ms] [hiring manager’s last name],

I have long admired [employer’s name]’s work in [something inspiring about the organisation’s products or services]. I’m particularly impressed with [pick on something specific or a recent initiative]. Working for an organisation with such a great reputation is something I’m sure I’d find both inspiring and fulfilling.

I’ve done through research, and I believe you will be pursuing [x objective] year, and potentially [y objective] next year.

I appreciate you’re not currently hiring for a [insert Job Title here], but I’m confident I have the skills and experience that’ll help you achieve your short, medium and long term goals.

As you’ll see from my CV, [outline a STAR example from your recent employment or education which demonstrates that you would be able to handle the requirements of the job. Include the situation, task, action and result.]

In my spare time I like [insert very brief description of one of your professional or personal interests which aligns with the employer’s ethos and/or objectives].

I’d really welcome the chance to discuss how I could drive results for [employer’s name].

Kind regards,

[Your first name]

How to write a speculative cover letter

First, see our detailed guides for writing a cover letter:

“How to write a cover letter”
“How to start a cover letter”
“How to end a cover letter”
“What to put in a cover letter”
“How long should a cover letter be?”
“What is the best font for a cover letter?”
“How to find out the name of the hiring manager” on our sister site Milkround

The advice below is specific to people who are making a speculative job application.

Contact the HR department

You need to find out two things:

Will they consider a speculative job application?
Who should you email your cover letter and CV too?

Make clear what job role you’re pitching for in your second paragraph

The employer hasn’t advertised for the role that you want, so they won’t be expecting job applications.

So, it’s important that whoever receives your letter understands that you’re making a speculative job application.

This is what makes a speculative cover letter unique from a standard cover letter.

At the same time, you also need to make two other things clear:

You’ve identified they’re understaffed in an area responsible for delivering one of their key objectives
You have the skills that enable you to help them deliver that key objectives

To do those things, you’ll do the following:

Figure out what the employer’s goals are for the next 3 years

Research the following things:

The employer’s most significant products, services and/or initiatives
The employer’s most significant challenges
Read professional blogs written by its employees
The employer’s biggest competitors
Employers reviews from current and past employees

Analyse all the information you’ve found doing your research, and try to determine what they should be planning to work on this year and the following two years.

Figure out which kinds of job titles and people they don’t yet have

The first step to figuring out what they need, is to find out what they already have.

Look the employer up on LinkedIn, then browse the people who say on their profiles that they work for the employer. Look at their job titles, then at their profiles.

Browse the employer’s website to see if they have any pages showing who works for them.

Try to build up a picture in your mind of how the organisation is currently in terms of business functions, teams and job titles.

Then, combine that knowledge with what you’ve learned about their objectives, and figure out what kinds of duties and responsibilities they’ll need to fulfil.

After that, Google these duties and responsibilities, and try to find two or three job titles that match them.

These are the roles you need to pitch to the employer.

Figure out which of your skills will enable you to help them achieve their goals

Analyse your employment history, education and/or hobbies and activities, and identify the hard and soft skills that would enable you to excel in the role you’re proposing to the employer.

Come up with a STAR example that demonstrates you possess the skills(s) that enable them to achieve their objectives

The STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is a good way to communicate this type of information.

Read the “How to use the STAR technique” on our sister Milkround for detailed advice on using the STAR technique in your cover letter.

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5 Cover Letter Examples That Absolutely Crush It

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Cover Letter Examples: 5 That Absolutely Crush It

Looking for a great job you need a great cover letter, and we’re sharing 5 cover letter examples that will put you ahead of the pack. read on for more..

You’ve spent hours, days, even weeks perfecting your CV . Your entire academic and work life is laid out on the page. Every great thing you’ve ever done is there to tell a story – a story about you. CV done and dusted, you spot an advertisement for a great job . This is it. This is the one. No turning back.

5 cover letter examples

You’re about to send the CV off and hope for the best – but first, you’ve got to write a cover letter.

Can’t be that hard, can it? A few lines maybe? Isn’t my CV the most important thing after all?

It’s not. That’s why we’re sharing 5 cover letters examples that will show you how to absolutely crush your next job application.

Importance of a Cover Letter

Your CV is important. There is no doubt about that.

But, your cover letter is equally so. In fact, it might be even more important given that it is the first impression a potential employer will ever get of you. And we all know how important first impressions are.

Your cover letter supports your CV but it does so much more than that, depending on how good or bad it is. If it’s good, it can lead you to the mountaintop. If it’s bad?

Well, a bad cover letter is like a bad date. Don’t expect them to call you ever again.

Now before you start to despair, hang in there! We’re going to help get you noticed.

Cover Letter Examples

For any cover letter, you will always pay close attention to two things: The industry you’re writing it for and the specific job within that industry.

Cover letters vary from job to job. Some will have to be conservative and formal, others can be more relaxed. The cover letter you write will always be specific to your skills and the skills needed for the job you’re applying for.

Here are some samples that you can adapt to suit your needs.

1. Standard Cover Letter

This cover letter is suited towards professional jobs, where there’s a need to be conservative. Think of jobs like business, law, accountancy, and teaching when you’re writing one of these cover letters.

Dear Ms. Jones,

Please find enclosed my CV in application for the post advertised in the Manchester Evening News on the 5th October.

My degree course has prepared me well for this position. It involved a great deal of self-motivation and provided me with a wide range of skills. As part of my course, I completed a work experience role [insert details]. This benefited me hugely and it served to increase my love of accounting.

I am a fast learner, with an enthusiasm to learn on the job. I am a deeply committed individual and I am sure that if given the opportunity, I would have the determination to make a success of it.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this application and I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Josephine Bloggs

Sample Two

Dear Mr. Jones,

I am writing with regards to the graduate vacancy advertised in The Sunday Times, on 5th October. I am enclosing my CV for your information.

Having recently graduated with a [Qualificiation] from [University, college] I am now seeking to apply the knowledge and skills I have acquired into the workplace. The [name of position] is an excellent opportunity to do this.

I believe I meet all of the requirements of this position. During my studies, I developed an array of different skills and experiences and these have served to enhance my abilities. I undertook a number of team projects as part of my course and I worked confidently and competently with others.

Having gone through a degree course, I am experienced in working to deadlines and I have taken on added responsibilities at every opportunity. During each year of my time in [University, college] I lead [various teams] in a [variety of different roles] and I found this to be very rewarding.

I am a person who believes in giving commitment and dedication to any task I am given. I have a passion for [the job] and I would relish the opportunity to work alongside, and to learn from, the great leaders in this field.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

2. Speculative Cover Letter

A speculative cover letter is exactly that – speculative. No job has been advertised, you are just testing the waters.

Dear Mrs. Johnson,

I am writing to enquire if you have any vacancies in your company. I enclose my CV for your consideration.

As you can see, I have gained extensive work experience in shop floor environments. I have worked for five years in the retail and services industries and I have acquired a wide variety of skills. As a result, I believe I could fit easily into your team.

I am a conscientious person who works hard and pays very close attention to detail. I’m flexible, and I’m eager to learn, and I would love the opportunity to work for a company with such a great reputation like [insert company name].

I would be delighted to discuss any possible vacancy with you at your convenience.

Dear Mr. Johnson,

I am writing to express my interest in working for [Company Name] as a trainee manager. I believe that I have the skills and the experience that could benefit your organisation. I enclose my CV for your information.

I am dedicated, hard working and enthusiastic, with a deep passion for sales. Over the past few years, I have worked in [similar company] on a part-time basis and this has greatly added to my sales capabilities. I believe that with my enthusiasm and my work ethic, I could be an effective member of your team.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this speculative application. I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and discuss the many ways I feel I can contribute to your continued success.

Should there be no current vacancies, I would be grateful if you would keep my CV on file for any future possibilities.

3. Non-Standard Cover Letter

If the job you are applying for is for a more creative role, you can be more inventive in your approach. As you are trying to display your suitability for the position, originality in your cover letter will allow you to stand out from the crowd.

Dear Ms. Clarke,

When I was growing up, all I wanted to be was a ballerina. Thankfully, my career goals have become a little more aspirational over the years, but I have never lost my love of entertaining a crowd.

Simply put, if entertaining people is wrong, I don’t want to be right! It seems like the rest of [Company Name] feel the same way, which is one of the reasons why I think I would fit in perfectly.

Having grown up attending theatrical performances whenever I could, I understand firsthand how you’ve earned your reputation as one of the best performing arts schools in the country. For 22 years, I have been impressed as an audience member. Now I want to impress as a team member.

I would love the opportunity to speak with you about the many things I have to offer.

I look forward to your reply,

With kindest regards,

Cover Letter

These 5 cover letter examples will stand you in good stead, but whichever job you’re applying for , always remember to tailor your letter for each specific position. It’s also very important to keep it short, concise and to the point .

After all, brevity is the soul of wit.

Now, onward – and good luck on your search!

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How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter to Establish Authority?

If you are wondering how your friend, colleague, or coworker recently got into a new job in the company then you have to read this. Today we will be deliberating a type of letter writing different than a cover letter. Yes, a speculative cover letter.

This article explains what is a speculative cover letter and writing a speculative cover letter step by step with example. In short, we will be addressing the topic - How to write a motivation letter for spontaneous application? We will begin with the elementary definition of the same. Here we go.

What are speculative cover letters?

A speculative cover letter is divergent in comparison with a standard cover letter. The term speculative means unproven ideas or chances. Now in terms of job vacancies in broad or a specific job if job seekers are prying for a certain role then it is a speculative cover letter.

In other words, a speculative cover letter is sent to catechize employment opportunities that are unadvertised by companies. In short, unsolicited letter for unadvertised job opportunities. Now that we know what is a speculative cover letter, the question arises who needs one? Let's discuss it.

Who needs speculative cover letters?

First, there's a large volume of job applicants who need an effective speculative cover letter. Second, they will catechize about a vacant positions and then apply for the same. Surprisingly, thousands of vacant position are filled using speculative job applications every year.

It's a gold mine that you may not know about. But who needs it in the first place?

motivation letter for spontaneous application

Applicants who are looking for a job will make more than one speculative applications. They will have to hunt in a company and draft a speculative cover letter accordingly.

Those who are planning to make a major move in their careers under a compulsion to write a speculative cover letter instead of a standard cover letter. Moving from one industry to the other may claim research since the applicant is unaware of the vacancy.

Hence, these are the two types of job seekers that would demand a speculative cover letter.

Why you should send a speculative cover letter?

Not everyone is compelled to write a speculative cover letter for job opportunities. If you are sure that an XYZ company has job vacancies out of which a particular one suits your skills and experience then writing a speculative cover letter is the best move. Under those circumstances, a speculative application must be practiced rather than a normal cover letter.

Here are some positive points about sending a speculative application cover letter to the employer.

Sending a speculative cover letter will help you find unadvertised job opportunities.
The future employer will benefit largely since the cost of hiring is minimized.
There won't be competitors competing for a speculative job advert.
Your chances of selection will increase dramatically due to a speculative job application.
You may get hired at the earliest convenience with a lucrative pay scale in a specific company.

What is a good speculative cover letter example?

The following is a speculative cover letter example can be used as a speculative cover letter template simultaneously. Replace the content, save the file, and send it to an employer. That's it.

How to write a speculative cover letter?

Writing a speculative cover letter is similar to taking the risk of inquiring about a job position merely based on primary research or word-of-mouth job advert. In short, there's no concrete evidence that your proposed job description is available vacant and you would be selected.

To fix this problem we have an excellent resource, a writing guide to assist you in drafting a speculative cover letter. Refer below.

Header Details

There are a few more ways to describe the applicant and the addressee's details other than the below-mentioned one. However, keeping both of them visually separate is the first condition. The hiring manager or potential employers must be able to distinguish them easily. In the speculative cover letter example above we have located the details at separate ends.

Nonetheless, if you keep them at the left similar to the one mentioned below it is still the right format. The problem is adding unnecessary details that could annoy hiring managers and even a specific employer. Therefore, avoid doing the same when you write a speculative cover letter for yourself.

Opening Paragraph

An opening paragraph is just what an employer would focus on since it acts like an opening statement. Therefore it must be engaging and aligned with the job descriptions of an unadvertised position. Try to collect details about the employer in a few ways including online sources like website and official social media handles.

This is of utmost importance while writing a speculative cover letter because by doing this you are formally introducing yourself, your professional expertise, and an example of how you would be helpful to the employer.

Second Paragraph

Describe an example of your past and current experience to potential employers where you excelled in a situation and delivered the desired result. Highlight the names, and addresses, in the speculative cover letter to draw attention.

Closing Paragraph

The closing paragraph is the final statement that is different in comparison to the opening paragraph. Here mention the sole purpose of writing a speculative cover letter and back it up with a suitable example. Do not plead time and again across the entire letter because that would sound like a desperate attempt. Hence, skip doing it in the first place.

Professional Sign Off

A sign-off could be a computer-generated or a handwritten signature in a speculative job application. However, you can always mention yours faithfully followed by the named person. Use the template by replacing the content.

The anatomy of a speculative cover letter

The word anatomy means the speculative cover letter template using which you can create the same for yourself. Hence, without an ado let's go through the template below.

(Describe your professional journey in brief using an opening paragraph followed by the second and the closing one)
(Finish the speculative cover letter using a professional sign off)

Expert-tips to write a speculative cover

Write power words and key phrases in the letter to draw attention.
Refer to a speculative cover letter opening before sending the letter.
Mention a full-fledged address or just the name of the location.
If available, describe the address of the employer or the recruiter.
Writing a speculative cover letter in the present tense.
Describe example of compelling achievements in near future.

Speculative cover FAQs

How long a speculative cover letter should be.

Cover letters are different compared to speculative job letters although the purpose is the same. A speculative cover letter must be limited to a single page and no more than the same.

How does a cover letter differ from a speculative cover letter?

A cover letter is written keeping in mind a specific job description that is vacant and at the same time advertised by the employer. On the contrary, a speculative cover letter is penned expecting a vacant position based on unreliable sources.

Tasuta allalaetav kaaskirja mall

Motivatsioonikiri, millele on enamikul juhtudel lisatud CV, on iga töötaotluse põhielement. Seda tüüpi kiri peab lühidalt kirjeldama oskusi, võimeid ja teadmisi, mis teil on ja mis on teatud huviga seoses otsitava ametikohaga. Selles mõttes peab kaaskiri lihtsalt sisaldama sellele ametikohale kandideerimise motivatsiooni ja põhjendusi. See peab äratama värbajas huvi ja panema ta pidama teid selle töö jaoks parimaks võimaluseks.

Kuidas koostada lihtsat kaaskirja

1 Valige oma valitud CV mall.
2 Austab ühtset struktuuri. Näiteks kasutage kaaskirja struktuuriga "Sina-Mina-Meie".
3 Lisage järgmised osad, apellatsioonivorm, lühitutvustus, kirja sisu ja järeldus
4 Ärge unustage viimast viisakusvalemit. Vaadake kaaskirja viisakusvalemite näiteid.
5 Isiklikuma ja formaalsema ilme lisamiseks lisage lehe allossa oma allkiri
6 Kui soovite saata selle meili teel, eksportige oma kaaskiri PDF-vormingus.

Teised kaaskirjade näidised

Kaaskirja struktureerimise nõuanded.

Kaaskirja kirjutamise hõlbustamiseks pidage meeles, et koguge eelnevalt kogu vajalik teave. Näidake toimetaja loovust, järgides samal ajal tüpograafiliste reeglite õiget kasutamist ja jälgides, et ei tekiks kirjavigu. Sest hea kaaskiri peegeldab teie kuvandit inimese ja professionaalina. Olge oma kirjutamisel loominguline ja originaalne, jäädes samas lihtsaks, kokkuvõtlikuks ja täpseks. ‍ Näidake läbitud punktide ohutust, enesekindlust ja meisterlikkust. Rõhutage, mida saate ettevõttesse tuua ja mainige oma erialast kogemust vastavas valdkonnas. Märkige ka kõik põhipunktid, mis panevad teid end uute ideedega täitva transformeeriva agendina ilmuma. Täpsustage oma võimet saavutada kavandatud eesmärgid ja kohaneda uute suundumustega.

Näita ennast positiivselt. Ärge langege sellesse viga, et kasutate sama kaaskirja mitme ettevõtte jaoks. Koostage kaaskiri iga taotletava töö kohta. Seda tüüpi kiri võimaldab tööandjal kujundada teie isiksuse kohta arvamust, sest see annab teile võimaluse täpsustada oma motivatsioone, mida lihtsas CV-s tegelikult ei kirjeldata.

Lihtsa ja tõhusa kaaskirja kirjutamise soovitused

Laiendage Intro ‍ Pidage meeles, et pärast kõne valemit peate välja töötama sissejuhatuse, kus tutvustate end ametlikult ja isiklikult. Ärge unustage märkida peamist eesmärki, mis ajendas teid seda kirja kirjutama.
Struktureerige oma kirja sisu Laske end juhinduda järgmistest küsimustest: – Miks?, Mis eesmärgil?, Kuidas?, Miks soovite selles ettevõttes töötada? → selles osas peate kirjeldama, mida saate ettevõttele tuua. – Rõhutage, kuidas teie teadmised võivad oluliselt mõjutada ettevõtte funktsioonide arengut ja majandussektorit, kus ta tegutseb. - Kuidas te seda teeksite tee seda? → lihtsalt rõhutab teie teadmisi ja võimeid professionaalina – Rõhutage oma õnnestumisi, varasemaid kogemusi, diplomeid, saadud tunnustusi või auhindu.
Olge oma järeldustes otsekohene Andke teada, et olete vestluseks saadaval, esitades kontaktteabe, näiteks oma e-posti aadressi, telefoninumbri ja postiaadressi. Kui need kontaktandmed muutuvad, ärge unustage uuendada oma CV-d ja kaaskirja ning saata need uuesti ettevõtetele, kes on need juba saanud.
Hoolitse paigutuse eest Teie kaaskiri peab olema kooskõlas teie CV-ga. Värbaja peab esmapilgul nägema, et need 2 dokumenti moodustavad ühe taotluse. Kasutage oma kaaskirjas samu värve, fonti, ikoone jne, mis oma CV-s. See väike näpunäide aitab teil luua tõhusa ja professionaalse rakenduse.

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What’s a Rich Text element?

The rich text element allows you to create and format headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, images, and video all in one place instead of having to add and format them individually. Just double-click and easily create content.

Static and dynamic content editing

A rich text element can be used with static or dynamic content. For static content, just drop it into any page and begin editing. For dynamic content, add a rich text field to any collection and then connect a rich text element to that field in the settings panel. Voila!

How to customize formatting for each rich text

Headings, paragraphs, blockquotes, figures, images, and figure captions can all be styled after a class is added to the rich text element using the "When inside of" nested selector system.

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Our free collection of expertly designed cover letter templates will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to your dream job.

Sample letters to download

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Speculative cover letter examples.

Table of Contents

Speculative cover letter examples can be used for unadvertised jobs. You should amend this letter example as suitable and then can be used for your job applications. If you are job hunting and in the process of applying for a few roles but not specific ones then you are sending your CV to companies speculatively to see if that company has a role in which they would need your skills for.

It is important to do your research into the company that you are speculatively applying to so that you can express an interest in what they do, what attracts you to their company and briefly explain why you have targeted them and would like to work for them.

Related : 8 Phrases To Avoid When Writing A Cover Letter

When a company may not have a vacancy it is a waiting game to see if they will need your skills in the future but doing a good covering letter to send with your CV shows that you have been thorough so far in your research and are interested in their company enough to approach them.

Please see below an example that you can use and tailor to the company you are speculatively applying to.

Speculative covering letter

Miss Julie Brown 1 The House Something Street Anytown AB12 3ZY

Head of Resourcing ABC Corporation The Square Townland

I am writing to express my interest in working for your company.

At present, I work for an (insert type of business) company as an Acquisitions Administrator and have been considering progressing for some time, whether it is in a similar role, or in something which would present a different challenge entirely. I am hoping that such a vacancy exists within your company.

In my current job, I have obtained skills in (skill1), (skill2), and (skill3) that I feel will aid me greatly and allow me to fit in well with your existing staff. You will find that I have an excellent work ethic, and I am exceptionally hard working and willing to learn to improve my performance in the workplace. I have detailed my skills further in the attached copy of my CV for your perusal at your earliest convenience.

Should you wish to interview me, I can be available at short notice. I can provide references at the time of the interview should they be required. I look forward to hearing from you.

Kindest regards

Julie Brown

Related : Example Cover Letter Format that Gets you an Interview

Speculative Cover Letter

Dear Sir/Madam,

Speculative Application for (what area or department if you know related to your skills) Please find enclosed my CV as a speculative application to work with your company (or use the company name here).

(This is the selling paragraph where you need to explain about your skills and experiences, paying particular attention to the company in question, what they do, how can your skills be valuable to them, in what area, what do you think you can do for them. For example: I note from the research that I have done into your company that you are interested in Fashion focused individuals and I believe that after many years in the fashion industry working as a Buyers Assistant that I have the skills that are transferable to your company.

I am an excellent communicator and work in a hands-on manner paying great attention to detail to my work and the projects that I am working on. I am very eager to learn new skills to enable me to be successful for a company.

Should you have any interest in my CV and my skills, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and CV and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

NAME SURNAME

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Curriculum Vitae (CV), Resume, and Cover Letter Resources for Graduate Students

Curriculum vitae (cv) and resumes.

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Resume and Cover Letter Resources

United States Federal Government Resumes: Federal Government Resumes are similar to resumes and CVs because they are targeted documents to a specific position. Although there is overlap, federal resumes contain very detailed information about past experiences including (hours worked per week, salary, supervisor’s name/phone number/address, occupational series numbers and the starting and ending grades of the federal government positions held, etc). Visit USAJobs.gov and What should I include in my federal resume? for more information and resources.

Application materials outside the United States: Visit GoinGlobal for country specific guides that include resume/CV resources, job search resources, employment opportunities and trends, business resources and networking groups, work permits and visa regulations, cost of living and compensation information and much more.

Additional Resources:

Creating an Undergraduate CV – Columbia University Center for Career Education
Graduate CV Checklist – The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Graduate CV Guide and Template – The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Resumes/CVs and Cover Letter Resources – University of Georgia
Resume Examples – University of Georgia
Building Your CV Guide for Graduate Students – Princeton University
CV vs Resume Guide – Princeton University
Transforming your CV to Resume Guide – Princeton University

Cover Letters

Cover Letter for a Postdoc or Research Position: A cover letter for a post-doctoral or research position is tailored to showcase the applicant’s expertise and research accomplishments. The focus here is on the specific research project or lab the applicant is interested in and how their research aligns with the ongoing work of the organization or principal investigator. Important elements to include are:

Research Experience: Detail your Ph.D. research, methodologies, findings, and any relevant publications. Emphasize how your expertise can contribute to the research goals of the prospective position.
Research Goals: Explain your short-term and long-term research goals, indicating how the postdoc or research position will further your academic and career aspirations.
Alignment with the Lab/Organization: Demonstrate your familiarity with the work of the lab or organization and how your research interests align with their ongoing projects or research areas.

Cover Letter for an Academic Job: An academic job cover letter is typically written by a graduate student or a Ph.D. holder seeking a faculty position at a university or college. In this type of cover letter, the emphasis is on the applicant’s research and academic achievements, teaching experience, and their potential to contribute to the academic community. The following aspects are important to include:

Research Focus: Describe your research interests, ongoing projects, and any published work. Emphasize how your research aligns with the department’s focus and how you can contribute to the institution’s academic reputation.
Teaching Experience: Highlight your teaching experience, including courses you have taught or assisted with. Demonstrate your passion for teaching and your ability to engage and educate students effectively.
Future Goals: Express your long-term academic career goals and how the specific position fits into your overall trajectory as a researcher and educator.

Cover Letter for a Non-Academic Job: A cover letter for a non-academic job is targeted towards positions in industries outside of academia, such as corporate, government, nonprofit, or private sector jobs. The focus in this type of cover letter is on transferable skills and experiences that make the applicant a strong candidate for the specific role. Key points to address are:

Transferable Skills: Highlight skills acquired during your academic journey, such as analytical abilities, problem-solving, project management, communication, and teamwork skills. Connect these skills to the requirements of the non-academic job.
Relevant Experience and Accomplishments: Emphasize any internships, clinical, practicum, jobs, or research experiences that align with the industry or job you are applying for.
Alignment and Fit: Express your enthusiasm for the company or organization and how your background makes you an ideal fit for the position.
Cover Letters Virtual Workshop – Boise State University
Graduate School Application Cover Letters – Roanoke University
Cover Letters for PhD Students – Harvard University

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Program Coordinator Cover Letter Example & Tips for 2023

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your cover letter.” Patrick I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work! Dylan My previous cover letter was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful! George

Program Coordinator Cover Letter Example

How to write a program coordinator cover letter, 1. use the correct program coordinator cover letter format, 2. address your cover letter, 3. give the recruiter a taste of your skills, 4. showcase your strengths in the main body, 5. show them that you’re the perfect fit, 6. sign off with a strong call to action, was it interesting here are similar articles.

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3 Speculative cover letter examples [Get hired]
Speculative cover letter example 1 Speculative cover letter example 2 Speculative cover letter example 3 The example cover letters here should give you a good general idea on how your Speculative cover letter should be formatted and written.
How to write a speculative application (with example)
1. Identify suitable employers Begin by considering the employers you wish to contact and identifying your career aims and goals. Think about what industry you want to work in, research relevant organisations, and consider exploring their organisational culture and purpose to find places that match your values.
11+ Best Speculative Cover Letter Examples
Write a compelling opening paragraph Outline your skills and experience Explain why you want to work for this company in particular Finish with a call to action. If you follow these steps, you'll be sure to write a speculative cover letter that will help you stand out from the crowd and get one step closer to landing your dream job.
How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter (With Examples)
1. Find the right employers You're thinking about writing a speculative cover letter because you want to work for a specific kind of employer or in a certain industry. Therefore, it's important to start by clearly defining what you want to achieve with your current career move. Get informed by researching organisations that already interest you.
How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter That Works
2 Address the right person. One of the most important aspects of a speculative cover letter is to address it to the right person. Avoid using generic salutations like "To whom it may concern" or ...
Speculative Cover Letter: Examples and Writing Tips
When writing a speculative cover letter you need to follow the same formatting rules as a standard cover letter. Here's what to do. Set one-inch margins on all sides of the page. Use single or 1.15 line spacing, and put a space between each paragraph. Choose an easily readable font in 11pt to 12pt size.
How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter [With Examples]
Find Out More A speculative cover letter is sent to apply for or enquire about a job that is not currently being advertised. You should consider making a speculative job application if you are: Actively looking for a new job role Trying to find a work experience placement Thinking about making a career move
How To Write A Speculative Cover Letter With Template
'Dear Sir or Madam' or 'To whom it may concern' won't score you any points, especially if they have their name in their email address. Mention early on or at the end of the letter that you've attached your CV to the email, to encourage the reader to look at this after the cover letter. Strike the right tone
Speculative Cover Letter Examples & Expert tips [Free] · Resume.io
Examples Speculative Speculative Cover Letter Example When you are about to send a speculative cover letter, you might hesitate more than usual. Here's how you write the best speculative job search sales pitch possible. 5.0 Average rating 30 people've already rated it Edit This Cover Letter Table of Contents
How to Write Effective Speculative Cover Letter (+ Example)
Speculative cover letter template George Harvey 79 Fraserburgh Rd Kent ME7 1PB 070 5555 5555 [email protected] 16th November 2021 Gabriel Birch Managing Director Aika International 77 Roman Rd LS1 2DX Kent Dear Gabriel,
How To Write a Speculative Cover Letter for an Unlisted Job
Indeed Editorial Team Updated 1 March 2023 A speculative cover letter is just like a traditional cover letter, but it accompanies your CV in an unsolicited inquiry about employment.
Speculative cover letter
Editor May, 2023 Not all roles are formally advertised, and this is where speculative cover letters come in useful. With the help of our speculative cover letter example, you can create your own opportunities Speculative approaches can be a great way of getting your foot in the door in competitive industries.
Speculative CV example guide [Get more interviews]
Speculative CV example. This is a good example of a Speculative CV which contains all of the information that a hiring manager will need to know, and presents it in a well- structured, easy-to-read manner. Take some time to study and understand this CV, and refer to it throughout the writing of your own CV for best results.
Speculative CV Example and How to Write (10+ Templates)
Personal statement Dynamic, success-driven business manager with 5+ years' experience in management and leadership roles in training delivery and entrepreneurial spaces. Recently unlocked 3 new revenue streams for Righton Group, using only its existing assets and bringing in over £70,000 profit annually.
How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter
It is highly suggested to use the appropriate standard cover letter format while writing a speculative cover letter, for example: The line spacing should be single or 1.15 and out the uniform space among all the paragraphs. Fix the full page at one- inch margin. The font size should be 12 to be readable enough.
FAQ: What is a speculative CV? (And what to include in one)
Updated 18 April 2023 Though most job applications happen when a company advertises a vacant position, it's sometimes possible to send a speculative CV when there are no formal vacancies available. This leads to success more often than many people realise, providing hidden opportunities for anyone seeking a job at a specific business.
How To Write A Speculative Cover Letter With Winning Examples
A typical speculative letter needs to follow the following steps. 1. Introduce yourself. 2. Explain the position you are applying for. 3. Outline your skills and experience that relate to the position. 4. State why you would be a good fit for the company.
Speculative cover letters: What you need to know
Include a manager's name (if you have it) Dear Sir/Madam (if you don't have a name) A first main paragraph outlining what kind of role you're looking for, and why you want to work for the company A second paragraph explaining a bit more about your own skills and background
How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter
What to Include and what not to Include The general formatting of a speculative letter will be relatively similar to a standard cover letter: Start with personal information such as your name, address and contact details. You should never include your national insurance number or bank details on your cover letter.
Speculative cover letter example (UK cover letter)
"Speculative cover letter template" ⏩ "How to write a speculative cover letter" ⏩ "Advice for writing your CV" ⏩; Speculative cover letter template. The template below follows all of the current best practices for writing a cover letter. It's free, and you're welcome to use it as many times as you like.
5 Cover Letter Examples That Absolutely Crush It
2. Speculative Cover Letter. A speculative cover letter is exactly that - speculative. No job has been advertised, you are just testing the waters. Sample One. Dear Mrs. Johnson, I am writing to enquire if you have any vacancies in your company. I enclose my CV for your consideration.
How to Write a Speculative Cover Letter to Establish Authority?
Refer to a speculative cover letter opening before sending the letter. Mention a full-fledged address or just the name of the location. If available, describe the address of the employer or the recruiter. Writing a speculative cover letter in the present tense. Describe example of compelling achievements in near future.
Speculative Cover Letter Examples
1 The House Something Street Anytown AB12 3ZY Head of Resourcing ABC Corporation The Square Townland (date) Dear Sirs I am writing to express my interest in working for your company.
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Format (Example Plus Formatting Tips)
Tips for writing a CV. Here are some tips for creating a comprehensive CV: Choose the right format. All three common formats —chronological, functional and combination—will work for a CV, but consider the combination. This CV type is a hybrid of the chronological and functional formats and allows adequate space for details about both your professional and educational history, as well as ...
Curriculum Vitae (CV), Resume, and Cover Letter Resources for Graduate
The focus in this type of cover letter is on transferable skills and experiences that make the applicant a strong candidate for the specific role. Key points to address are: Transferable Skills: Highlight skills acquired during your academic journey, such as analytical abilities, problem-solving, project management, communication, and teamwork ...
Program Coordinator Cover Letter Example & Tips for 2023
Apply 1-1.15 line spacing. Keep your cover letter length to one page. Be concise and present only relevant information. Include a header identical to the one you used for your resume. Show your full name, job title, and contact details. Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo.

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Speculative Cover Letter: Examples and Writing Tips

Speculative Cover Letter Sample

Speculative Cover Letter Template

1. Use the Correct Speculative Cover Letter Format

2. Create a Professional Header

3. Start with a Personal Greeting and a Compelling First Paragraph

Starting a Speculative Cover Letter (Example)

4. Show You’re the Perfect Potential Candidate

6. Say Thank You and Include a Call to Action

Speculative Cover Letter Ending Sample

7. Finish Strong with a Professional Sign-Off

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Step 3 . Proofread

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