- Career Advice
- Cover Letter
- How to address a cover letter. Explore our examples and tips.
How to address a cover letter. Explore our examples and tips.
Artwork by: Katya Vakulenko
- What is the proper way to address a cover letter?
- How do you address a cover letter to an unknown recipient?
- Is “To Whom It May Concern” outdated?
- What to say instead of “To Whom It May Concern”?
- Is it okay to say “Dear hiring manager” in a cover letter?
- Samples of how to format a cover letter
- Key takeaways
A good cover letter starts with a salutation that helps personalize the information you are sending to a hiring manager or recruiter. To get that right, it’s important to craft a professional cover letter greeting. This blog will teach you how to address a cover letter with examples and tips.
A cover letter is the prelude to your resume and can help give a hiring manager an instant glance into who you are as an employee and a person. A professional cover letter is important, and that all starts with how you address your cover letter. There are many ways you can tackle this task, but the most important thing to remember is that your cover letter greeting is your opportunity to make a good first impression.
In this blog, we will take a look at how to address a cover letter and explore some examples and tips that can help you along the way. Here are some of the topics we will cover.
What is the proper way to address a cover letter?
What to say instead of ‘to whom it may concern’ in a greeting?
Is it okay to say ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ in a cover letter?
Samples of how to format a cover letter.
What is the proper way to address a cover letter?
The best way to address a cover letter is to use the full name of the hiring manager or contact to whom you are sending your resume and cover letter. Often, this information can be found in the job listing or directly on the company’s website. Sometimes, you can even locate the contact name through social media or Google searches.
While you are deciding how to address your cover letter, here are some tips to keep in mind.
Avoid casual greetings. One type of greeting you should avoid is anything that is considered casual, such as ‘Hi,’ because your goal is to present your information professionally and formally.
Adding titles. In most situations, it’s best to stick with the contact’s full name. However, with formal titles, like Doctor or Professor, it may be appropriate to add them to your cover letter greeting. When using gendered greetings, stick to Mr. or Ms. and avoid using Miss or Mrs. as a title.
Using the wrong name. One mistake to avoid when crafting your cover letter greeting is using the wrong name altogether. When choosing what name to use, make sure you verify that the person who is receiving your cover letter is the one you are addressing.
Use punctuation. Punctuation is also an important aspect of your cover letter greeting. Use a period after any abbreviations, such as Dr., and add a comma at the end of your salutation.
How do you address a cover letter to an unknown recipient?
If you have been unable to locate the name of your contact, it is safe to choose a generic cover letter greeting, such as “Dear Hiring Manager”. However, you can also make things a little more specific by directly addressing the manager of the department you are applying to. Some common samples of these types of greetings include the following.
Dear Company Recruiter,
Dear Finance Manager,
Dear CEO,
Dear Human Resources Manager,
Dear Sales Manager,
The goal of your cover letter greeting is to be as specific as possible while not being overly formal. Choose a greeting that allows your potential hiring manager to connect with you on a personal level so they can be excited to learn more about you and the skills you are bringing to the table.
Is “To Whom It May Concern” outdated?
At one time, using “To Whom It May Concern” was the acceptable greeting for just about every letter when you didn’t know your contact’s name. Today, this greeting is seen as overly formal, and it is suggested that you avoid using it. Specifically, because:
It’s a generic greeting. Since it is usually fairly simple to find a contact name or the position of the person in charge of hiring for the role, using a generic greeting can make you appear lazy or uninterested in the position.
It’s not a memorable greeting. An unspecific greeting makes it difficult for the hiring manager to make a connection with you and, therefore, to remember you.
What to say instead of “To Whom It May Concern”?
Use a personal greeting whenever possible. When you take the time to personalize your greeting, your hiring manager will be more likely to remember you when it comes time to decide which applicants will receive callbacks for interviews.
If you don’t have a name, alternatives to generic cover letter greetings should be as specific as possible. Dear Hiring Manager, To The [Company Name] Recruiter, and Dear [Department] Manager are all great options.
Is it okay to say “Dear hiring manager” in a cover letter?
The most widely accepted greeting to use for a cover letter is the word ‘Dear.’ This is most often followed by either the words ‘Hiring Manager’ or the name of the contact. While this is still a formal salutation, this cover letter greeting allows you to personalize your letter.
When deciding how to address a cover letter, here are some things to do and avoid.
- Use the contact’s title, when appropriate.
- Personalize your letter as much as possible.
- Check the spelling and title of your contact to ensure you include the correct information.
- When sending your cover letter via email, your greeting should match the contact you are emailing.
- Leave the cover letter greeting section blank.
- Use Mrs. or Miss unless you have been instructed to.
- Only use first names unless you are already personally familiar with the hiring manager and on a first-name basis with them.
Samples of how to format a cover letter
Now that we understand why selecting a proper salutation is important, let’s take a look at how those cover letter greetings might look in a full cover letter. Don’t forget that your greeting should come after you’ve included your contact information at the top of the letter.
Example Name Email address ▪ Phone number ▪ LinkedIn ▪ Location Date Contact Name Title Company Name Address Dear Hiring Manager/Contact Name, As an experienced [current role title] with transferable skills, such as [Skill 1], [Skill 2], and [Skill 3], I am excited to discuss how my addition to the [department] team can bring value to [company name]. I have over [years of experience] years of experience in the [industry] field and have accomplished the following in my role as [current role]. Achievement 1 Achievement 2 Achievement 3 My experience and skills coupled with my proven track record of success put me at an advantage in assisting [company name] with their future goals. I look forward to speaking with you further about my qualifications. Best, [Name] |
Key takeaways
When deciding how to address a cover letter, you should use the full name of your contact whenever possible.
If the contact name is unavailable, use the title of the person who will receive your application, or address your letter to the hiring manager.
Avoid using generic greetings, such as ‘To Whom It May Concern,’ because it can make you appear lazy and uninterested in that specific position.
