A speculative enquiry is an uninvited approach to an organisation you want to work for or where you think there may be vacancies. The key to success with this approach is quality rather than quantity. Ten well researched approaches are worth a hundred untargeted applications. The more you can find out about the organisation you are applying to and the person/department you would be working for, the better your chances of success will be. Try approaching your potential manager rather than the personnel department.
Look for potential opportunities in the media, your contacts and in business finder directories. Remember that newspaper and online job advertisements are a great source of information about companies you can apply to.
You can make an approach by letter or telephone. If you send a letter and CV you should follow up with a telephone call and then phone/send letter again after a suitable period.
Details of companies to contact can be found in trade/professional journals, by using business finder directories such as Yellow Pages, Thomson, and Scoot and also websites such as the Directory for Industry and Technology in the UK. If you have an interest in a particular sector or industry, your local library can help you find specialist business directories.