Careers Scotland
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Speculative calls

Identifying employers

  • Ask a Careers Adviser at your local Careers Scotland Centre.
  • Speak to family and friends to see if they have any ideas or know of any opportunities.
  • Look in the Yellow Pages for more addresses.
  • Check local newspapers for recruitment pages.

Making speculative calls

Look back at the section on Applying by phone and use the bullet points given there. Use these examples as a guide and fill in the gaps with what you would like to say.

Good morning/afternoon

My name is....

Could I speak to....? or

Could I be put through to extension number....(e.g. office work) and I am ringing to find out if you have any vacancies at the moment.

You may get various responses to your questions

  • If the person you need to speak to is not available, ask when you should call back. You could also offer to send in your CV, but remember to send a speculative or covering letter with it.
  • If there is a vacancy, be ready to give details and ask about applying.
  • If they expect to have a vacancy soon, ask when you should contact them again or when you should forward your details to them.
  • If there are no vacancies, ask if you can fill in an Application Form or send in your CV as these may be kept on file.

Remember to end the conversation politely e.g. "Thank you for your time".

After the call

At the end of any telephone call you should thank the person you have been speaking to.

  • Did the call go well?
  • Were you as well prepared as you could have been?
  • Would you do anything differently next time?
  • Write down what you were asked and how you answered the questions.
  • Keep a copy of your CV and copies of any application forms you have been asked to send an employer in a safe place.

HINT!!! It is also helpful to keep a note of which employers you have contacted and any responses you receive. You can follow them up a week later.

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