# candidature spontanée



## Catwoman06

How can I translate that in english :
free submission
free apply
???

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## bernik

Je pense qu'on peut utiliser le mot unsolicited :
unsolicited job application / unsolicited job letter / unsolicited cover letter...


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## pgf

On dirait plutôt "speculative" ou "spec. letter."


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## edwingill

i go with  bernik unsolicited application


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## NYCPrincesse

I'm with Bernik for letters to the US as well.


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## xymox

I have to disagree. A "candidature spontanée" is not exactly "unsolicited". Unsolicited has a negative connotation I'd say whereas "candidature spontanée" is not especially negative in itself. 

For example, you could say "j'ai envoyé une candidature spontanée à l'entreprise XXXXXXX. However, one would not say "I sent an unsolicited application to XXXXXx. I think I'd just say "I sent a job aplication..."

Any thoughts on this?

Again, we only have the phrase and not the context. If it's to hang up on a web page as an option, it's quite different fron using it in a phrase or sentence.


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## NYCPrincesse

Quite right, Jgagnon, "Unsolicited applications welcomed" does not have a negative connotation whereas one would probably say, "I sent a cover letter" or "Please accept my application" and omit the "unsolicited" part.

Other thoughts?


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## Philippe01

And spontaneous application letter is not correct?


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## xymox

The idea behind "candidature spontanée"  is that one sends an application as a personal initiative, as a starting point, to possibly enter a selection process to be held at a later date, etc..
"Spontaneous" sounds strange to me, it sounds like a direct translation.

Maybe Catwoman can help us out with the proper context?


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## NYCPrincesse

Philippe01 said:
			
		

> And spontaneous application letter is not correct?



I've never heard anyone say "application letter".  It's usually just "application" or "cover letter"


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## pgf

I think NYCPrincesse has hit the nail on the head with the words 'for letters to the US': is there not also a question here of British as opposed to North American usage? To the British ear, _unsolicited_ does tend to associate itself quite strongly with unrequested or unwanted items of mail that arrive out of the blue to be spontaneously trashed, electronically or otherwise.

I have never heard anyone say he or she was going to send an 'unsolicited' job application to a potential employer. For the native speaker of English, it is natural to use the adjective _speculative _orthe contraction _spec._ in this context. On the other hand, it is not unusual and does not jar to read the phrase _unsolicited application _to mean the same thing when employed, say, on a corporate Web site in a business language context.

The issue here seems to be one of register, as is quite neatly illustrated by the following authentic language sample from the site of Hong Kong University:

*How to Write Unsolicited Application Letters*

*Who will need to send in speculative applications?*

*ALL job seekers*

*in particular: PR, advertising, broadcasting, architectural, dentistry, law 
Where HKU graduates get information on their first jobs?*

It is evident the writer of the above words is using two different expressions, one following immediately upon the other, to mean the same thing. The difference here is that the university, the official body which will eventually be in receipt of the letters, prefers the here perfectly appropriate adjective _unsolicited_ but immediately switches to _speculative_ when referring to those who are going to be sending these letters as job seekers.

Context, as jgagnon mentioned earlier, could make all the difference, as can be seen on the Eurodicautom site if 'Candidature spontanée' is queried.

Kind regards to all,

pgf.


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## subvino

How about "open application"?


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## Jeffers

In British English we say 'speculative application'. For example, if you like the look of a company and want to work for them, but there are no specific advertised vacancies - you send a speculative application in the hope that they'll offer one to you! 

We normally use the word 'unsolicited' in relation to undesired mail such as fliers, publicity etc. To a British ear it has a negative connotation - so used in this context, I would definitely go with 'speculative'.


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## toomuchtodo

Is this an application to a company where no job has been advertised, but the applicant is submitting their CV in the hope that something might be available?  If so, *Speculative application* is a possibility.


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## PeterRhodes

Thanks toomuchtodo, you understand the context.
But the term "speculative" is nowadays a very negative word, especially in my business area (Finance)...


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## Telemarker

Personally, I prefer *unsolicited application*.

My 2c worth...

Simon


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## toomuchtodo

I like this, though I don't personally feel that 'speculative' has pejorative connotations.  But where is the word going to be used?  Is it in the heading? (eg: 'Re: Speculative/unsolicited application for Widgit manager')  You might be able to avoid the term altogether.  (eg: 'Re: Seeking post as Widgit manager').


I agree - don't know where job is, but they sound quite US English to me.  Can't say I've heard them in BE.


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## PeterRhodes

I also agree...
I will definitely use "_Spec. Job Application_", as mentionned on the forum dating back from 2007 on this site.

Thanks again to both of you.
Peter

I found on internet "open-candidacy"...


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## MissSquare

To add a voice from North America, I feel 'unsolicited application' fits best.  I have heard and used it myself.


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## momoparigo

j'ai entendu aussi "Volontary application" mais je sais pas trop ce que ca vaux.
si des anglais natif peuvent nous donner une évaluation de la formule?


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## Camis12

Voluntary application serait plutot "candidature facultative"


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## mirifica

Bonjour,

Prospective application (Larousse)


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## lfand

Il s'agit de l'objet de la lettre(application letter). 
Je pensais écrire :

Object: Sponteneous application

Est-ce la formule usuelle dans les pays de langue anglaise?

Merci


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## misterk

Does it mean "unsolicited application" ?


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## lfand

No, it's an application for a job which is not published by the company.


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## wildan1

_Submit an unsolicited application_ is OK, but it is probably more often used for a project proposal than for an individual job application.

PS: Letters in the US do not usually have a line titled _"Subject:";_ that is only used for internal memos or emails. We just get on with the letter and state such a reason in the opening paragraph.

If you are sending your letter by email, you may put that on the email subject line but not in the letter itself.


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## gardian

In my time, I never wrote any heading on speculative application letters.
The first paragraph of the letter explained all that.

Besides, I'd be afraid that once a lazy personnel officer saw that it was just another "Spec Application", that it would be thrown in the dustbin.

One might head that letter:
*
RE : Future Vacancies for <for example> Analyst/Programmer*

But that might not be as effective as a well-written first paragraph.


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## AntonOmaz

I'm not a native speaker and it's just a thought, but couldn't 'cold application' be used here, after e.g. the phrase 'cold calling?'


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## Notafrog

No, cold application just isn't used.

A lot depends on how confident you are there's a job to be had or how informed you are about the company. It also depends whether you're addressing the potential employer or describing what you did to some third party.
You can choose from unsolicited, speculative, preemptive, tentative, and probably a handful besides, but not spontaneous — that makes it sound like the application wrote itself out of the blue.
If I was the one asking for a job, however, I wouldn't mention any of those. It's pretty obvious the letter is an application so why treat the reader like an idiot? If the application does coincide with a vacancy, the reader might not even notice it's unsolicited. If you wanted to state something on the envelope, "job application" would be more than sufficient.


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## djstone

This is one of those terms that I would simply work around. In my context, the term "Candidature spontanée" was used as a heading/link on the CAREERS section of a website. I simply changed it to "Applications Welcomed".


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## dikiz

Doesn't work. You cannot just write I sent you an "application welcomed"


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## Locape

But in his context, it's a heading on a website, not a sentence beginning with 'I sent you an...'.


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