How to approach a Company for a Job.

A recent survey conducted by Jobs.co.za and the SA Recruiters Network showed that although 84% of companies still use recruitment agencies to find staff, more than half actually prefer to utilise their own internal recruitment departments or line managers to source talent.

Companies utilise various other platforms to find candidates such as Job Boards, Social and Professional Networks, Print Advertising and of course referrals; however more than 50% of companies advertise their job openings on their own websites and many of them have implemented a Recruitment Management System which accepts potential candidate CV's online.

More than 14% of Job Seekers surveyed over the same period indicated that they had secured their current or most recent position by approaching a company directly, however many Job Seekers are not comfortable approaching companies for jobs as they do not really know how to go about it.

Jobs.co.za gives some tips and suggestions on how to approach companies for positions.

Step 1: Research your Target Companies

Start off by compiling a list of preferred companies that you wish to work for, but before you start cold-calling blindly you need to ensure that you have properly researched these companies. Find out who the appropriate line manager is that is responsible for the department in which you wish to work and also find out who the HR Manager or Recruitment Manager is within the organisation and see if you are able to connect with them directly on professional networks such LinkedIn.

Step 2: Find out if your Target Company is hiring
Don't start calling until you are sure that the company is currently hiring and not retrenching. It would be most embarrassing if you were to call a manager or recruiter for potential openings when they are in the process of downsizing.

Here are some tips on how to find out if the company is hiring:

• Type the company's name in on Google 'Company Hiring' or 'Company Careers' (use synonyms for Careers such as Vacancies, Opportunities, Employment etc).
• Visit the company's website directly to see if they have a careers page and are advertising any opportunities or inviting CV's.
• Visit popular job boards such as Jobs.co.za and go to the ‘Who's Hiring' or companies directory page to see if the company is advertising on job sites.
• Look for the company's overview or careers page on LinkedIn and see if they are promoting careers.
• Search on YouTube or across the internet in general to see if the company has a recruitment video with instructions on how to send your CV.
• Network with people within the company and ask them if they are aware of any openings. You can connect with people via niche industry portals or on social and professional networks.
• See if the company has a FaceBook page which you can join so that you can be kept up to date on any hiring campaigns.

Step 3: Get your CV in
The most obvious approach is to apply to job openings that you might have discovered and that meet your skills and expertise.

Here are some suggestions on submitting your application:

• Be sure that you follow the company's instructions for receiving applications exactly as they might reject your CV if it has come via an unspecified channel.
• Include a well thought-through cover note.
• Address the cover letter to the specific person (if possible).
• Keep your CV to a minimum. You can inform them on your CV summary that you have a more comprehensive CV available should they require it. Be sure to highlight key skills and achievements as they relate specifically to the job you are applying to.
• If the job advert asks for specific requirements to be met or to be included in either the cover note or CV, be sure to follow these instructions carefully.
• Mention your availability for interviews as well as your availability to take up employment should you be successful.
• Take care to ensure that your CV is free from errors before submitting it.

If you know of someone that is currently working for the company, contact them and ask them if they could endorse or recommend you. If you are connected to employees of the company through via a professional platform such as LinkedIn, you could ask them to refer you to the hiring manager.

You may also want to consider contacting a recruitment agency that specialises in your industry and ask them to represent you by marketing your CV to the company that you want to work for.

Here are some tips on what NOT to do:

• Don't cold call a company without having done your research.
• Never email the company's general email address on their website. Your CV will get deleted.
• Never email or post your CV directly to a line manager or even the HR Manager unless there is a position advertised that you are suited to and want to apply to.
• Preferably, don't contact the line manager or HR manager unless you know that they are hiring and you are the ideal candidate.

Remember that there are hundreds of candidates spamming companies on a regular basis. If you want your CV to be noticed, then you will need to do your homework before hand, prepare your personal sales pitch carefully and conduct yourself in the most professional manner at all times. Anything less and you will certainly become a lost needle amongst a very large hay-stack.

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