As you navigate your transition from the Armed Forces to civilian employment, taking a speculative approach to job searching is a highly effective strategy for tapping into the ‘hidden job market’. A speculative (or direct) approach involves being proactive and taking the initiative – something that most employers are looking out for. It also enables you to take some control over your future, guiding your next career in the direction you want it to go.
What is a speculative approach?
It’s a personalised, carefully-crafted and targeted outreach to a specific individual within a company that you’ve thoroughly researched. This way, you can demonstrate your understanding of the challenges facing the organisation and highlight the solutions or value you can bring to the table. Not only does this confirm that you’re genuinely interested in the company, but more importantly, it gets you noticed by those who matter – the decision makers.
How should you structure your approach?
Well first of all, in today’s world of work it’s best to go with an email or LinkedIn message – you don’t want to ambush someone with a phone call out of the blue. You want your message to be succinct and capable of piquing the reader’s interest.
Start with a ‘hook’ Offer a little of what you know about the recipient and their company, the challenges they’re facing, and why you’re interested in working with them. Feel free to explain that you’ve left/are leaving the military and are looking for a new career opportunity if you feel it might strengthen your outreach or build a rapport – for example, if you’ve discovered they have their own internal Armed Forces network, or that the recipient themselves previously served in the military, during your research.
Expand on your experience Follow up with an outline of your relevant experience and key achievements. You won’t necessarily have a job description to align your transferable skills to in your message, so you’ll want to use any insight into the industry you’ve uncovered during your research to explain why you think you can contribute to their organisation, and how your skills and expertise could be of value to them moving forward. This is your opportunity to sell yourself, so think about your 30-second commercial and incorporate clear and impactful messaging in much the same way.
Ask for a meeting This part is crucial. Once you’ve grabbed their attention, you want your approach to have a call to action. You could ask for a Teams/Zoom call, a phone call or a face-to-face meeting – or even offer all three and see which they’d prefer. The follow-up conversation is where you’ll have the chance to gauge whether the organisation is the right fit for you – and vice versa – and to discuss potential employment opportunities. Not every speculative approach will result in a meeting or job offer, but each attempt will serve as great experience for the next one!
For any support with job search during your resettlement, remember to speak with your Career Consultant who can help you target and refine your approach to achieve the best results within your desired industry/employer.
You’ll also find lots of useful advice on CVs and application forms via the Guides section of our website, as well as insight into writing powerful cover letters on the e-Learning Hub within MyCareerPath.