In our modern age of personalization, To Whom It May Concern is both an antiquated and detached way to address a cover letter. It may also imply that you haven’t researched the company or that you assume the letter can be read by anyone. If you’re wondering how to address a cover letter, we’re here to help.
“As a hiring manager, if I were to see ‘To Whom It Might Concern,’ it would frankly concern me,” says Monique Montanino, a former Fortune 500 hiring manager. “If not readily apparent in a job posting who the recruiter or hiring manager is, then search with keywords in LinkedIn for the potential person.”
Below, we’ve put together a few tips to help you personalize your cover letter, whether you know the hiring manager’s name or not.
When it comes to addressing a cover letter, advice columns frequently spotlight these two pitfalls:
- Mistake 1: Failing to address your cover letter to a specific person
- Mistake 2: Addressing a cover letter to the wrong person
Most job postings don’t specify who will be reading your cover letter. This puts job seekers in a tricky situation. Fixing the first mistake could cause you to make the second. So what’s the best way to replace “To Whom It May Concern” on your cover letter?
3 key tips for addressing your cover letter
Below, the following tips will guide you through the best practices for addressing your cover letter and help you avoid common pitfalls.
Read more: How to Use ChatGPT to Generate a Cover Letter That Will Actually Get You An Interview
1) Don’t address your cover letter to the recruiter
For many job openings, the first person you need to impress is a corporate recruiter. You should create a cover letter that a recruiter will actually read. That doesn’t mean you should address your cover letter to them.
“Recruiters do not read cover letters,” a long-time healthcare recruiter told Jobscan. “Bottom line.”
That might be an overstatement — most don’t, some do — but many recruiters would admit that they aren’t the intended audience of a cover letter. “It’s mostly for the hiring manager,” said a recruiter in the non-profit industry. “For us [recruiters], it’s just an extra step in an already elongated process.”
The healthcare recruiter agreed: “If you’re sending it straight to a hiring manager who’s looking at a much lower number of applicants, they might actually read that.”
2) Search for the hiring manager’s name
The best way to personalize your cover letter is to address the hiring manager by name. However, it can be difficult to identify the hiring manager, and your educated guess could cause you to address your cover letter to the wrong person. Here are some tips for finding the hiring manager.
Search the company website
With a little detective work, you can find the name of the hiring manager.
Start off by browsing the company’s website. Look for an about page, company directory, or contact page. These pages are frequently linked at the very bottom of the website. Companies that feature employees on their about page make it much easier to figure out who will be reading your cover letter.
You can also try searching the website. If the website doesn’t have a built-in search bar, use this syntax in Google:
“[position you’ll be reporting to]” site:company website
This will reveal hard-to-find about pages or other mentions of the position in the company’s blog posts, press releases, and other pages.
Search LinkedIn
If a company doesn’t list the hiring manager on their website, LinkedIn is your next best resource.
Start off by searching for the company page on LinkedIn. Once you’re on the company’s LinkedIn page, click “See all X employees on LinkedIn” near the top.
Search for the “reports to” position from the job listing. If it wasn’t provided in the listing, search for keywords related to your prospective department (e.g. “marketing”). If the company uses an intuitive corporate hierarchy you should be able to determine who will be reading the cover letter.
Contact the company directly
There is nothing wrong with calling or emailing the company to ask for the name of the hiring manager. Be polite and honest with the administrative assistant or customer service representative. Explain that you’re about to apply for a job and you’d like to know who you should address in your cover letter.
If they aren’t able to provide an answer or transfer you to someone who knows, let it go. The last thing you need is word getting back to the hiring manager that you were pushy with one of their colleagues.
3) Use a more personalized “To Whom it May Concern” alternative
You can still personalize your cover letter, even when you don’t know the identity of the hiring manager. Instead of “To Whom It May Concern,” which casts a wide net and is specific to no one, try addressing your cover letter to one specific person.
The most generic version of this is:
Dear Hiring Manager,
But job seekers can often be more specific. Take a look at these examples:
Dear Customer Experience Manager,
Dear Customer Experience Hiring Team Manager,
Some other alternatives include addressing your cover letter to an entire department:
Dear Engineering Department,
Dear Engineering Team,
OR addressing the entire team:
Hi Jobscan Team,
Dear Jobscan Team,
As with many aspects of the job application process, demonstrating that you put in some extra effort can make a difference. Doing some research before addressing a cover letter contributes to a positive first impression.
10 more cover letter salutation examples
Here are ten more standard cover letter openings you can choose from. Select the one that best suits the energy of the company you’re applying to and use either a specific name or department depending on the information you have available.
- Hi Mr. Smith,
- Hello Jobscan Team,
- Dear Ms. Whittaker and Team,
- Good morning, Mr. Kennedy
- Dear Engineering Department,
- Good afternoon, Louise,
- To the Jobscan hiring manager,
- Greetings,
- Dear [Department] Hiring Team,
- Dear [Job Title] Manager,
Common mistakes to avoid when addressing a cover letter
Starting your cover letter is an important step, but it’s important to do it the right way. You want to do everything right at every step. When addressing a cover letter, there are several common mistakes that can undermine your efforts. Here are some errors to watch out for:
Using the wrong name or title: Double-check that you have the correct spelling of the hiring manager’s name and their appropriate title.
Being too generic: Avoid overly generic salutations like “To Whom It May Concern” when you can use more specific alternatives.
Overly informal salutations: Keep the tone professional. Avoid overly casual greetings like “Hey” or “Hi there.”
Why does addressing your cover letter correctly matter?
Writing a cover letter worth writing starts with how you address it.
A correctly addressed cover letter is essential in making a strong first impression. It shows that you’ve done your homework and that you care about getting the details right. In a competitive job market, small details like this can set you apart from other candidates. It also demonstrates your respect for the hiring manager and your understanding of the importance of personalization in the job application process.
One final note on addressing your cover letter
Cover letters don’t introduce your resume, they supplement it.
In order to get your cover letter into the hands of a hiring manager who cares, your resume has to get past the recruiter and, in many cases, the applicant tracking system they’re using.
With our helpful cover letter generator tool, the job description is listed, and your resume will already have been generated or created. Then, you just click “Generate Cover Letter”, it analyzes everything, and in seconds you have a brand new cover letter.
Try analyzing your resume below to receive instant optimization tips and recruiter insights from Jobscan so that the time you spend crafting your cover letter isn’t a waste.
Frequently asked questions
When addressing an email cover letter, use the same level of formality as you would in a traditional printed cover letter. Start with a professional salutation such as “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],” and include the job title or department if you don’t know their name. If the hiring manager’s name is unknown, “Dear Hiring Manager,” is an acceptable alternative.
Ideally, you should address your cover letter to the hiring manager responsible for filling the position. If the job posting doesn’t provide a name, do some research by checking the company’s website or LinkedIn, or by calling the company directly to ask for the appropriate contact.
If you cannot find the hiring manager’s name after thorough research, address your cover letter to a specific department or team. Examples include “Dear Hiring Manager,” “Dear [Department] Team,” or “Dear [Job Title] Hiring Team.”
A good way to address a cover letter is by using the hiring manager’s full name, preceded by “Dear” and followed by a colon. For example, “Dear Jane Doe:” If the name isn’t available, use a title like “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear [Job Title] Team.”
The proper greeting for a cover letter is “Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name],” followed by a colon. If you don’t have the name, “Dear Hiring Manager,” is a professional and widely accepted alternative.
If you don’t have the hiring manager’s name, here’s a sample salutation:
“Dear Hiring Manager,”
“Dear Marketing Team,”
“Dear [Job Title] Hiring Team,”
These options show you’ve put in some effort to personalize your cover letter even without a specific name.
To find the right recipient, start by reviewing the job posting for any clues. Next, visit the company’s website to check the “About Us” or “Team” pages. LinkedIn is also a valuable resource—search for the company and use job titles to narrow down potential hiring managers. If all else fails, consider contacting the company’s HR department directly to ask for the appropriate contact.
A cover letter is a personalized document submitted with your resume as part of a job application. It introduces you to the employer, highlights your qualifications, and explains why you’re a good fit for the role. A well-written cover letter can make a strong first impression and set you apart from other candidates by showing your enthusiasm and professionalism.
When formatting the company’s address on your cover letter, include the following:
The recipient’s name (if known)
The company’s name
The company’s street address
City, state, and ZIP code
This format is typically placed at the top left of the cover letter, below your contact information.
