Do Spontaneous Applications Count for the RAV? How to Write a Strong One

You have found a company you would genuinely like to work for -- but it has no open vacancy. Is a spontaneous application (in German: Spontanbewerbung or Initiativbewerbung) wasted effort for your monthly RAV (regional employment center) proof of job-search efforts? Or does it count like any other application?

The honest answer is: it counts, but with an important limitation that many jobseekers only learn about after their RAV advisor questions their monthly form. This article explains the official SECO rule, which application channels the official form recognizes, exactly what you need to document, and -- since a spontaneous application only helps you if it gets read -- how to write one that works in the Swiss market.

What the Rules Actually Say

The authoritative wording comes from the SECO guide "Arbeitslosigkeit -- Ein Leitfaden für Versicherte" (2026 edition), the official brochure every registered jobseeker should know. It says that you must actively look for a new position -- if necessary also outside your previous occupation -- normally in the form of a proper application ("in der Regel in Form einer ordentlichen Bewerbung"). And then the key sentence:

"Bewerbungen ohne Vorliegen konkreter Stellenangebote (sogenannte Blindbewerbungen) können nur als Ergänzung dienen."

Translated: applications without a concrete job offer -- so-called blind or spontaneous applications -- can only serve as a supplement.

In practice this means a monthly form filled exclusively with spontaneous applications risks being rated insufficient, even if the count is right. The core of your monthly efforts should be applications for real, advertised vacancies; spontaneous applications strengthen the total on top of that.

Cantonal RAV guidance repeats the same principle, sometimes with a telling extra word. The Canton Schaffhausen RAV information sheet on proof of job-search efforts puts it like this: efforts should target open, advertised positions wherever possible, and "promising spontaneous applications can serve as a supplement" ("Aussichtsreiche Spontanbewerbungen können als Ergänzung dienen"). "Promising" is doing real work in that sentence -- a generic letter blasted to twenty random companies is not what your RAV wants to see.

How strictly this is applied varies from RAV to RAV. There is no fixed national quota like "maximum two spontaneous applications per month". Some advisors are relaxed about a higher share, especially in industries where jobs are rarely advertised; others expect nearly all efforts to target published vacancies. Ask your advisor directly at your next appointment how spontaneous applications are counted in your case -- and have the agreed mix noted down.

Which Channels the Official Form Recognizes

The monthly proof runs on the official form "Nachweis der persönlichen Arbeitsbemühungen" (716.007) or its digital twin, the "Arbeitsbemühungen" eService in Job-Room. The form itself recognizes three application channels, each with its own checkbox:

A spontaneous application can travel through any of the three -- a written unsolicited dossier, a personal visit, or a phone inquiry all fit the form. The Schaffhausen sheet explicitly notes that, depending on the industry, personal or phone approaches are acceptable and even sensible.

Temp agencies count too -- once. Registering with a private recruitment or temp agency counts as one job-search effort. After that initial registration, only applications for concretely advertised positions of that agency are counted -- note the reference number where possible (Canton Schaffhausen RAV). So "registered with three temp agencies again this month" does not refill your form each month.

What to Document for a Spontaneous Application

This is where spontaneous applications most often go wrong. An application to an advertised job has a natural paper trail: the ad, the portal confirmation, the rejection email. A phone call or an unsolicited email can evaporate -- unless you record it properly. The official form 716.007 asks for one row per effort with:

Two extra habits protect you:

1. Keep copies. Keep application letters, rejection letters, and email threads -- the Schaffhausen RAV expects supporting documents to be kept for at least six months and presented on request, and advisors may verify efforts directly with employers in spot checks.
2. Always capture the contact person. For phone and in-person applications, the named contact with a phone number and the date is your only evidence. Write it down immediately, not at month-end.

And the deadline is unchanged regardless of channel: the signed form (or the Job-Room eService entry, which is transmitted to the RAV automatically) must reach your RAV by the 5th day of the following month (Art. 26 AVIV, printed on the form). Efforts submitted later "can no longer be considered" unless you have an excusable reason -- and insufficient efforts can cost you benefit days (Art. 30 AVIG). For reference, Canton Zurich expects "in der Regel 10--12" efforts per month in total -- your personal target is agreed individually with your advisor.

How to Write a Spontaneous Application That Actually Works

A spontaneous application that helps your RAV file and your career is one an employer takes seriously. Four things separate a promising Initiativbewerbung from spam:

1. Research the company first

Read the company's website, recent news, and current projects. Your letter must answer the question every recipient silently asks: why us, and why now? "I have long admired your company" answers neither. "You are opening a second production line in Aargau this autumn and will need people who have run SAP migrations in manufacturing" does.

2. Name a concrete contribution

Since there is no job ad to mirror, you define the role. Be specific about what you would do: the department, the kind of problems you solve, one or two proof points from your track record with measurable results. A spontaneous letter that reads like a slightly reworded CV summary gets deleted; one that proposes a specific, plausible contribution gets forwarded.

3. Send a complete Swiss dossier

Swiss employers expect a full package even without an advertised job: a one-page letter, a 1--2-page CV, your employer reference letters (Arbeitszeugnisse), and diplomas -- ideally as a single PDF. Address it to a named person (call reception and ask who leads the relevant team -- that call, documented, is itself part of your effort). If your CV needs work first, see our guide on how to write a CV for Switzerland.

4. Follow up -- and document the follow-up

If you hear nothing after 10--14 days, a short, polite phone call is normal and expected in Switzerland. It shows genuine interest, sometimes surfaces an opening that was about to be advertised -- and it gives you a dated, named contact for your records.

Where preparAItor Fits

Spontaneous applications have a practical annoyance: there is no job ad to feed into your tools. preparAItor's generator handles this with manual job entry -- instead of pasting a URL or uploading a job PDF, you describe the target role yourself (company, position, what you would contribute), and the generator produces a tailored motivation letter and application email around exactly that pitch, in DE, FR, or IT on every plan (EN on Pro/Premium), with the Swiss orthography toggle keeping your German at "Grüsse", never "Grüße".

Just as important for your RAV file: log the application in the Application Tracker, which is included on every plan. It records the same data points the monthly proof asks for -- date, company, contact person, position, status, and notes -- so when the 5th of the month approaches, transferring your spontaneous applications onto the official form or into Job-Room takes minutes instead of an evening of inbox archaeology. On the Free plan, 250 monthly credits cover about two complete application packages, enough to test the workflow on your next spontaneous application.

Sources

• SECO: Arbeitslosigkeit -- Ein Leitfaden für Versicherte, 2026 edition (PDF)
• Form 716.007 "Nachweis der persönlichen Arbeitsbemühungen" (PDF)
• Canton Zurich: Persönliche Arbeitsbemühungen einreichen
• Canton Schaffhausen RAV: Merkblatt für den Nachweis von Arbeitsbemühungen (PDF)