In many independent French accounting firms, recruitment does not start with an advert. A staff member announces they are leaving, a portfolio grows, a partner decides to develop payroll or audit: the need exists, but it is published nowhere, or very late. These firms then recruit by word of mouth, from their former work-study students, and from the applications they receive at the right moment. A well-targeted speculative application therefore has a real chance, provided it does not look like a mass mailing. This article explains why the approach works, how to identify firms, whom to write to, how to adapt your CV, what to put in the message and when to follow up.
Why speculative applications work in accounting firms
Three characteristics of accounting firms explain why the approach is effective.
Their size. The profession includes many firms of a few people up to a few dozen staff. These organisations have no recruitment department and publish few adverts; the partner does the hiring, often in a hurry.
Their calendar. Needs arise at predictable times: before tax season, when the workload is about to rise, or at the end of spring, when partners review their teams. An application that arrives at that moment lands well.
How they work by portfolio. A departure frees up a portfolio of clients that must quickly be handed to someone. A partner who received a suitable CV a few weeks earlier will readily pull it out again.
The large networks also accept speculative applications, generally through their careers site or a dedicated address, but their recruitment mainly goes through campaigns and published adverts.
Identifying firms that recruit without saying so
The directory of the Order of Chartered Accountants. It lists registered chartered accountants and lets you search by place of practice. It is the most complete basis for building a list of firms in a given area.
Firms’ websites. Many have a “join us” or “careers” page, even without a current vacancy. The website also tells you about the firm’s activities (accounting, audit, payroll, legal) and its clients.
Signs of growth. A new office opening, a merger with another firm, the launch of a new offering (payroll, advisory, support with electronic invoicing): these are moments when needs increase.
Your network. Your school or university, the professionals who spoke on your course, your former training principals, the firms where your classmates did their work-study placements.
Public work-study platforms. For work-study, La Bonne Alternance flags companies likely to recruit even without a published advert. Our article on finding a DCG work-study placement details these channels.
Build a short, qualified list of a few dozen firms rather than sending to hundreds of addresses.
Whom to address your application to
In a small firm, write directly to the partner, by name. Their name appears on the firm’s website and in the Order’s directory.
In a regional firm, contact the partner in charge of the target office, or the head of the relevant department (accounting, audit, payroll). If there is a recruitment address, use it, specifying the office and the position.
In a large network, go through the careers site, which often explains how to submit a speculative application, stating the office, the job and the type of contract you want.
Avoid generic client contact addresses: they are read by a secretariat that will not necessarily pass your application on.
Adapting your CV to the target firm
A speculative application is read quickly. The CV must make clear within seconds what you bring to this particular firm.
The summary names the position and the context:
- Before: “Experienced accountant looking for new opportunities.”
- After: “Staff accountant, five years in a firm, portfolio of 60 very small businesses and SMEs (retail, crafts, liberal professions), looking for a position in a firm in the Nantes area, available before the next tax season.”
Your experience highlights what matches the firm: a client mix similar to theirs, the software they use if mentioned on their site, the activities they carry out (if the firm also does payroll or audit, experience in that area is an argument).
Your education specifies where you are on the track (DCG, DSCG, chartered accountancy traineeship): a partner may be looking for a future DEC trainee as much as for a staff accountant.
The accounting firm staff accountant CV example shows a presentation directly suited to this type of application, and the trainee chartered accountant CV example that of a profile working towards the DEC. Our article on the staff accountant role gives the expected vocabulary.
The covering message and following up
The message
The message accompanying the CV, by email or in a form, should be a few lines long. A simple structure:
- who you are and what you are looking for, in one sentence;
- why this firm: a precise reason (its clients, its activities, its location, a recommendation);
- what you bring, in one or two sentences, with a fact from your CV;
- a proposal: a phone call or a meeting.
Example outline: “I have been a staff accountant for five years in a firm in the region, handling a portfolio of retail and craft businesses from bookkeeping to year-end accounts. Your firm serves a similar client base and is developing an offering around electronic invoicing, on which I have already supported some fifteen clients. I would be glad to discuss your needs for the next tax season.”
This site does not offer a letter-writing tool: the message is yours to write, short and personalised.
Following up
- Wait one to two weeks before following up, by email or phone.
- Choose the right moment: avoid the last weeks before tax deadlines, when partners are unreachable.
- Follow up once, with a brief message recalling your application and your availability.
- If the answer is no, ask whether you may get back in touch later: a need may appear a few months on.
Common mistakes
- Sending the same message to every firm, with an impersonal subject line: it will be recognised immediately.
- Writing to the wrong person or misspelling the partner’s name.
- Attaching a generic CV that mentions neither the type of clients nor the firm’s activities.
- Applying in the middle of tax season without realising it, and being surprised by the lack of response.
- Following up too often, which comes across as pushy.
- Neglecting professional secrecy by naming your current firm’s clients in the message.
For an application that reads quickly and well, the CV editor takes care of the layout and produces a clean PDF, which the partner will read effortlessly and which the screening software of more structured firms will analyse correctly. If your approach leads to a meeting, our guide to succeeding at an interview with an accounting firm will help you prepare.
Sources
- Ordre des experts-comptables, FAQ, including the directory of registered chartered accountants 🔗.
- Deloitte France, recruitment FAQ, speculative applications 🔗.
- La Bonne Alternance, discovering work-study 🔗.
Frequently asked questions
Should you send a cover letter with a speculative application?
A short, personalised message is usually enough. A longer letter is only useful if the firm asks for one on its website.
When is the best time to apply?
Before or after tax season rather than during it: at the start of autumn, or from the end of spring, when partners organise their teams for the following year.
Can you apply speculatively to several firms in the same city?
Yes, provided you personalise each message. Partners in the same city often know each other: a mass mailing may be noticed.
Do speculative applications work for a DEC traineeship?
Yes, it is even a common route. State your situation (DSCG obtained or in progress, preferred traineeship start date) and show that you know the obligations of the traineeship.