{"id":2885,"date":"2017-08-20T15:19:09","date_gmt":"2017-08-20T20:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/resumespice.wpengine.com\/?p=2885"},"modified":"2021-11-12T11:09:48","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T16:09:48","slug":"who-do-i-address-my-cover-letter-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resumespice.com\/who-do-i-address-my-cover-letter-to\/","title":{"rendered":"To Whom Should I Address My Cover Letter"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ve just composed a beautiful cover letter. You\u2019ve expressed your enthusiasm for the role and the hiring company, you\u2019ve communicated what makes you uniquely qualified for the position, you\u2019ve included the employee\u2019s name who referred you to the role\u2026you\u2019ve diligently followed everything ResumeSpice<\/a> preaches about writing cover letters.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Last, minor detail: to whom should you address your cover letter? Below are our suggestions, ranked in order from ideal to least effective:<\/p>\r\n

Address the letter directly to the hiring manager (i.e., Mr. Wilson)<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The ideal scenario is that you know the person\u2019s name who is hiring for the role. You don\u2019t? Ok, time to do some research. The first step is to search LinkedIn for the hiring manager\u2019s name. Many roles list the hiring manager directly in the job posting. Next, check the company\u2019s website to see if you can match the hiring manager to the person the role reports to, as outlined in the job description. Next, do you know someone at the company who can fill you in? Have you called into the company (without providing your name) and asked who the person is who is hiring for that role? It takes some effort and ingenuity, but addressing the letter directly to the hiring manager is one small factor that can help set your cover letter apart in a sea of generic applications.<\/p>\r\n

Dear Hiring Manager:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

When you\u2019ve exhausted all options for uncovering the hiring manager\u2019s name, the next best option is to address the letter \u201cDear Hiring Manager\u201d. This salutation makes it clear who you\u2019re trying to contact and is slightly less generic than the other options listed below.<\/p>\r\n

To Whom It May Concern:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The perfect salutation when applying for a position that was posted before 1980. This was \u201cthe\u201d catch-all salutation for the pre-Internet years, but in a business culture that, for better or for worse, has become progressively less formal, \u201cTo Whom It May Concern\u201d seems conspicuously outdated.<\/p>\r\n

Dear Sir\/Madam:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Ideal for situations where you are applying to be someone\u2019s butler. In all seriousness, we recommend avoiding this salutation \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\r\n

Interestingly, the results of a study by Saddleback College, in a survey of more than 2,000 companies, found that employers preferred the following greetings:<\/p>\r\n