Job search is nothing less than a rat race. It’s a competition between people with the same educational qualifications, skills and experience. What if you get a way to beat everyone and have found the job you want even before anyone applies for it? Is that possible? Well, that’s what we are going to investigate.
Numerous companies do not advertise the opportunities. If you can get hold of them, you can apply and get a call for a face-to-face interview before anyone else. But what do you write in the cover letter for a job not advertised? Let us help you with it.
We have prepared a cover letter example for unadvertised job openings and have a few expert tips to help you create a perfect one.
Read on to know all about it!
The Hidden Job Market: Opportunities That Matter
Research suggests that 70-80% of all prospects are hidden. While the accuracy of the data is questioned, one thing is clear: there are numerous unadvertised jobs out there. If a candidate can crack the hidden market and apply to those jobs, they will have many choices.
Despite that being a great opportunity, most candidates often struggle to understand the reasons companies keep so many roles hidden. Let us help you understand them:
A. Internal Hiring and Promotions
Organisations prefer to fill positions internally, promote existing employees, or move them to different roles. Further, this saves hiring managers time and money and allows them to use the expertise and experience of existing employees.
B. Employee Referrals
Employee referrals have always been an effective way to find new employees. Since existing employees understand the specific job description and job title, they can be the best to refer someone who will fit in perfectly. Companies offer incentives for successful referrals, thus reducing the need for job advertisements.
C. Strategic Hiring and Confidentiality
Organisations choose to fill key roles discreetly. They want to keep the number of applicants under control and focus on candidates who are a good fit for the role. In this case, they might also choose to fill the position by promoting an existing employee.
D. Cost and Time Savings
Advertised jobs cost more. Further, the entire process of finding the right candidate can be too time-consuming. Since numerous candidates want to be in a reputable organisation, shortlisting the right profiles is too time-consuming for companies, and the processes add to it.
E. ‘Ghost Jobs’ and Recruitment Pipelines
‘Ghost jobs’ are an interesting concept. In this case, companies post roles that are not vacant to create a false impression of growth or to secure a list of job seekers that they can use in the future.
That brings us to the next question: how do you tap into the hidden market, and how would you write and send a cover letter that attracts recruiters? Let’s explore them in the next few sections.
The Best Ways to Know About the Hidden Job Opportunities
You don’t apply all of a sudden. You must work hard to know about these hidden roles. So, before we talk about the tips for writing a cover letter for an unadvertised job, let’s take you through a few strategies to crack the hidden market:
A. Active Networking
Simply connecting with a few employees from different organisations will not get the work done. You need to build connections, be in touch with them continuously, attend industry events, and do everything to learn about hidden opportunities. Also, this will help you customise your covering letter and resume.
B. Use Social Media
Optimise your LinkedIn profile and make more connections on the platform. Stay active on the platform by sharing industry insights, participating in discussions, and connecting with potential recruiters. Also, connect with the current employees of the department you want to work with.
C. Approach Employers Directly
Don’t shy away from asking managers about the opportunities. Search and find companies that align with your career goals and talk to them directly. You can also send a strong statement highlighting your expertise, experience, achievements, and why you want to work with that company.
Now that you understand why companies don’t post vacancies on portals or the web and how you can learn about them, let’s understand the correct ways of composing a cover letter for unadvertised opportunities.
Learn How to Write a Cover Letter for an Unadvertised Job
Aspirants must understand the correct ways to create a covering letter for a hidden role. We will look at it from two different perspectives.
In the first case, let’s assume you know about the potential job opportunities, but they are not advertised. In the second case, we will assume that you want to show your interest in working for the employer, but you don’t know if the company is hiring or not.
A. The First Scenario
You came to know about a job vacancy in a company, but the human resources team has not advertised it. In this case, you can create a standard covering letter highlighting the different points to get the attention of the HR. So, here are a few covering letter writing tips for opportunities that are not advertised:
→ Know the company well
→ Write an effective cover letter header
→ Use a formal salutation
→ Introduce yourself
→ Talk about your expertise and experience
→ Call to action
→ Your phone number and email address
→ End the letter with a professional sign off
B. The Second Scenario
It is easy to compose a covering letter when you know there’s a vacant role. However, there are cases where aspirants want to apply for a specific role but are not sure if there are any prospects. Therefore, follow these steps to compose your covering document if you want to work with the employer:
→ Do your research
→ Use a traditional header
→ Use a professional greeting at the start
→ Acknowledge the cold call
→ Compose a good introduction
→ Explain why you want to work with the company
→ Specify your strengths
→ Use a call to action
→ Follow-up
These steps will help you grab the attention of recruiters and increase the chances of getting a call for an interview. You can also look at a few speculative cover letter examples to understand the approach to composing such introductory documents. Let’s move forward and look at a few unadvertised job cover letter samples.
Cover Letter Template: The Key Elements
By now, you know the reasons companies don’t post all the prospects and the things to keep in mind when writing your cover letter for an unadvertised job. Here, we will discuss a few key elements to include in a cover letter to help you learn how to draft the document:
Include your full name
Your address
Your phone number
Your email ID
Date
Address your hiring manager by name and title
Employer’s mailing address
Greeting
The first paragraph of your covering letter: Introduce yourself, how you came to know about the company, and also the reason you want to work there
Body paragraphs: Compose one or two such paragraphs discussing your strengths, experience, and how you’re a good fit to work for the company and provide specific examples to show why you are the best fit.
Closing paragraph: Close your covering letter by thanking the hiring manager (use the hiring manager’s name) for their time, and ask them to consider hiring you for the role.
Your signature
Also, you can sign up with websites offering CV writing services to get the necessary help with creating these letters. In the following section, we will take you through an impressive cover letter for unadvertised job example.
Cover Letter Example
What does a good covering letter look like? This is a question among all candidates. So, to help all of you stay a step ahead, we will take you through an unadvertised job application letter sample following the cover letter format:
1st Scenario: You Know about the Opening (It’s Not Advertised)
John Smith
49 Featherstone Street
London, UK, EC1Y 8SY
+44 1234 567890
1st April, 2025
Michael Davis, Senior Recruiter
TechNova Solutions
45 Innovation Road
London
EC1V 2NX
Dear Mr. Davis,
I am writing to express my interest in working as a Software Engineer at TechNova Solutions. I understand that the specific position just opened, but it is not advertised on any public platforms. With more than 5 years of experience in software development, I feel my skills are perfect for the role at your organisation.
I have worked with two companies so far, and my previous employers have been satisfied with my work. I have fixed bugs in the software at the moment and have mastered all programming languages. This has made me more confident in solving complex issues and helping the team in times of need.
I have always admired TechNova’s work culture and would like to work with the organisation. I feel I have relevant experience to contribute to the processes at TechNova.
Looking forward to hearing from you and discussing my abilities in detail.
Thank you for considering my request, and I look forward to having a telephonic or face-to-face discussion with you.
Sincerely,
John Smith
Use this unadvertised job cover letter example when the role becomes available and you get to know about it.
2nd Scenario: You Are Interested in Working with a Company (There’s No Opening)
John Smith
49 Featherstone Street
London, UK, EC1Y 8SY
+44 1234 567890
1st April, 2025
Michael Davis, Senior Recruiter
TechNova Solutions
45 Innovation Road
London
EC1V 2NX
Dear Mr. Davis,
I am writing to express my interest in working with TechNova. I understand that there’s no opportunity currently, but I am interested in joining the organisation and contributing towards its growth.
I have more than 5 years of experience and have expertise in software development, debugging, problem-solving, and various other aspects. The reason I want to work with TechNova is their work culture and amazing projects. It would be a pleasure to work with TechNova.
My experience in the present company (name of the company) helped me upgrade myself and learn new skills. I am sure that I would be able to help the company grow more in the long run.
I would like to connect with you and discuss possible job opportunities in your organisation. I have shared my contact information and am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
John Smith
The above cover letter for unadvertised samples will help you frame an impressive letter. You can also look for part time job cover letter examples to understand how they are different from this template.
The above examples will help you learn how to compose a job application letter for a role without advertisement.
Final Thoughts,
An effective introductory letter must reflect your expertise and experience, and how you can be the best fit for the organisation or the job you’re applying for. Finding hidden prospects can keep you a step ahead of others in finding your next role. You must use the information wisely and craft a compelling letter to get a call for an interview. Ensure you incorporate a link to your professional profile to help recruiters understand you better. Also, ensure your cover letter reflects your professionalism and work ethic.
All the best!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to write a cover letter for apprenticeship with no experience?
A strong cover letter for an apprenticeship with no experience must have 3-4 paragraphs. This is what it must have:
→ A paragraph about the job candidate
→ A section about the company
→ A part about the training projects and things you can do for the company
→ One sentence to reaffirm your seriousness
Should I apply for an unadvertised job?
Yes, you must apply for hidden roles. These can offer you the chance to avoid high competition, as there are no public postings or related articles about the job opening.
How to write a cover letter with no experience?
Follow these steps to write a cover letter with no experience:
→ Review the posting and research the company
→ Your contact information at the top of your cover letter
→ Greet the reader and introduce yourself
→ Elaborate on your abilities and achievements
→ Remind why you are the best for the position
How do I address shortcomings in a cover letter?
You can state shortcomings or weaknesses in briefly in your cover letter to stay honest. However, do not focus on them and state how you overcame them.
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