How to Address a Cover Letter with No Name

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If the job description doesn’t tell you who will be reading your application, don’t address your cover letter with to whom it may concern. If there’s no name on the job posting, here’s how to go about addressing your cover letter.

Where to look for the recipient’s name

Before calling it quits, exhaust all possible options for finding the receiver’s name. Look first for the hiring manager’s name, then for the recruiter’s name.

Look in the job description: It might mention the hiring manager by name or at least by title (i.e., the analytics manager will report to the VP of analytics), which you can use to find their name. It might also have an email address attached (i.e., send your application to martha@ACME.corp).
Find the specific job poster: LinkedIn will sometimes indicate who posted the job listing. Check out their profile to see if they might be the hiring manager or recruiter filling the position.
Search on the company’s‘about’ page: Some will list employees by name, title, and/or department.
Search LinkedIn : Look for title see who might be the manager for the position.
Email a contact: You might already know someone who works for the company who could find out who the hiring manager is. Keep in mind, this isn’t the time to cold email someone to ask. Reach out only to contacts you already have.

Tips on addressing your cover letter if you still can’t find a name

Still no luck? We have a couple of tips to ensure your greeting still makes a good first impression.

Address your letter to a title or department

Include the name of the department you’re applying to or the specific title of the person who will be reading the letter, if you know it.

Dear VP of Marketing

Dear Marketing Department

Don’t assume gender or marital status

If you don’t know for certain the reader’s gender or preferred pronouns, don’t assume. Use Mr. or Ms. only if you know their pronouns.

Avoid Mrs., which assumes someone’s marital status.

Always choose formality

Whether or not you know whom to address with your letter, keep your greeting formal— even if the company has a more laid-back culture. Use Dear rather than Hello or Hi, and use a comma or colon, never an exclamation point.

Don’t stress about it

Incorrectly addressing your cover letter is not going to cost you the job if you’re a qualified applicant. If you can’t find a specific name, don’t stress. There are plenty of appropriate salutations you can use.

Appropriate cover letter greetings

Dear Hiring Manager
Dear Hiring Committee
Dear Accounting Hiring Committee
Dear Finance Hiring Team
To the IT Hiring Manager
Dear Selection Committee
Dear [Company] Team (Best for smaller companies)
To the Recruiting Team

Cover letter greetings to avoid

Make sure to ditch any of the following options that are outdated, too informal, or just plain wrong:

Dear Sir or Madam —This feels stilted
To Whom it May Concern —It concerns the hiring manager
Hello, Hi, or Greetings —It’s a little to casual
Happy [Insert day of the week] —Way too casual
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening —Who knows when they’ll read it
Exclamation points —Not necessary!
Excluding the salutation completely —C’mon, you can come up with something

Applying

Required Skills Aren’t Necessarily Required. Here’s What It Means to Be ‘Qualified’ for a Job

How to Write a Great Resume, Section by Section

The 12 Questions You Should Be Asking Recruiters

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