Unsolicited job application in Denmark

About every second job is filled without a job posting. Therefore, it is a good idea to send an unsolicited application when you have your dream job in your sights.

The advantages of applying unsolicited are, among other things, that you can help shape the position and that you are the only candidate for the job.

For many, the biggest challenge is finding the courage to contact the company and send off an unsolicited application when there is no job posting, but if you follow this guide, you'll be well on your way.

Find the right company for your unsolicited application

You don't get much out of sending loads of applications out at random when you're searching unsolicited. Instead, try to select the companies that you might be interested in working for. What industries are interesting and what types of challenges do you want to work on?

Start by considering what is important to you in a job: Is it new professional challenges, the opportunity to advance, or secure working conditions?

Also consider whether you would prefer to work in a large organisation or in a small company where you know all your colleagues.

Once you know what you are looking for, you can start making a prioritised list of companies that you would like to apply for a job with.

Do targeted research before choosing industries and companies

You must always do research on what is happening in the industry and in the company in question, and what challenges there are in your field. Here you can draw on people in your network, and you can search on social media, trade journals and the like.

Once you have found out what challenges the company faces and what tasks it solves, you can start to find out how you can contribute to solving the tasks.

It pays to concentrate on companies within the same industry. That way, you can reuse your research when you send unsolicited applications to several companies.

Contact the company before sending your job application

The worst thing that can happen when you apply unsolicited is that you get so nervous that you never get around to sending any application. Therefore, you must make an agreement with yourself about when you must finish your research and when you must contact the company.

When contacting the company, find out who is hiring in the area that you can see yourself in. Maybe you know someone who already works at the company who can help you, or else you can call to the company and ask.

When you talk to the relevant manager, try to get some information that you can use to write a more targeted application. Therefore, you must have prepared some good questions such as:

• What skills do you need?
• Which profile is a good fit for the company?
• Which departments handle different tasks?
• What challenges does the company have that you can help solve?

Afterwards, ask if it is okay for you to send the person your CV and a short unsolicited application.

If the person answers no, you can ask if there are other areas in the company where your skills and profile could be in demand.

Keep your unsolicited application short and to the point

When you speak to a relevant person from the company, you must agree that you will send your CV and a short application where you write what you can offer them as an employee.

The application must be even shorter and sharper than a regular job application and take up less than 1 page.

You can structure the application by answering the following questions:

• What challenges can you help the company solve?
• Why are you motivated to work for the company?
• Your most relevant skills in relation to the job.

See an example of an unsolicited application from a recent graduate (in Danish)

An unsolicited application is the start of a dialogue

When you apply unsolicited, you should not see it as a real application but rather as the beginning of a dialogue. Because if you see it as an application, the company will almost always say no to the fact that they currently have a job vacancy that fits your profile.

Instead, see the interview and your application as the opening to a dialogue about what opportunities may open up in the company in the future. It could either be that the company decides to create a position that suits your skills, or that a job opportunity opens up eventually.

According to the recruitment agency Ballisager, 64 percent of companies save unsolicited applications, and 59 percent look through them when hiring a new employee.

The more companies that have an unsolicited application from you, the greater the chance that a job opportunity will suddenly arise.

Remember to follow up on your unsolicited application

You cannot expect the company to return by itself once you have sent an unsolicited application. Therefore, you must take the initiative yourself and call them already a week after you have sent your application and ask if they have any comments on your CV.

In your conversation, you must show that you do not expect them to have a job ready for you here and now, but that it is a dialogue and that you hope that they will make contact in the future if there is a relevant position, becomes available.

If you hear that the company is interested in your profile, however, you can suggest stopping by for an informal meeting, or ask if you can call again in a few months.