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How to Choose the Right Salutation for Your Cover Letter

When to Use 'Dear' or 'To Whom It May Concern' as Greetings

Cover Letter Greetings to Avoid

When you have a contact person.

• When You Don't Have a Contact Person

Examples of General Salutations

• When to Use 'Dear' in a Cover Letter
• Writing a Cover Letter Salutation

Concluding Your Letter

Cover letter example, sending your letter.

Hilary Allison / The Balance 

A salutation is a greeting at the beginning of a cover letter that is included with a resume when applying for a job. When you're writing a cover letter or sending an email message to apply for a job, it's important to include an appropriate greeting at the beginning to set the tone for your letter, which should be professional and appropriate.

The greeting is the first thing the recipient will see when they read your cover letter. Therefore, you need to convey the appropriate level of familiarity and respect.

Using casual greetings, such as “Hello” and “Hi” can make your letter seem unprofessional. Reserve these casual greetings for personal email and refrain from using them in your cover letter unless you are very familiar with the recipient. Such greetings are simply too informal—not the most professional way to begin the conversation if you’re looking to land a job.

“Hi” is appropriate only in casual email correspondence with people you know well—if you're checking in with a close friend to find out if they've heard of a job opening at their company, for example. "Hello" is appropriate only in email correspondence. It should be used primarily for people you know well but can be used in very casual circumstances.

Beginning your correspondence “To Whom It May Concern,” on the other hand, may seem too impersonal and make the hiring manager believe you do not care enough to find out whom you should be addressing. The only time to use " To Whom It May Concern " as a cover letter greeting is when you simply cannot find out the specific person to whom you are writing.

You should, of course, make every effort to find the name of a contact in the specific department in which you are interested. When inquiring  with a company for unadvertised openings, this greeting may be most appropriate.

The following is a list of letter salutation examples that are appropriate for cover letters and other employment-related correspondence when you have the name of a contact.

• Dear Mr. Jones
• Dear Ms. Brown
• Dear Riley Doe
• Dear Dr. Haven
• Dear Professor Lawrence

When You Don't Have a Contact Person

If this information was not provided in the job announcement and you cannot find it on the company’s website, then you may be able to call the company, ask to be forwarded to their human resources department (if they have one), explain that you will be applying for a job there, and ask for the name of their hiring manager.

Always make every effort to find a contact name to use in your letter. It leaves a good impression on the hiring manager if you have taken the time to use their name, especially if you had to work a little to find it.

LinkedIn is also a great tool to find out the name of the hiring manager. You can search for the company you are applying to with one or two keywords that would describe the person hiring for the position. Scroll down the list until you find the person who fits the criteria. This approach may help you pinpoint the appropriate contact person.

Many companies don't list a contact person when they post jobs because they have a team of hiring staff who sort through cover letters and resumes before passing them to the hiring manager for the appropriate department. They prefer to leave the hiring manager anonymous until he or she contacts you for an interview.

An organization may also not want to disclose who the hiring manager is to avoid emails and phone calls from applicants, particularly if they anticipate receiving a large number of applications from potential job candidates. So, don't worry if you can't find someone to address your letter to. It will be forwarded to the correct department and recipient.

If you don't have a contact person at the company, either leave off the salutation from your cover letter and start with the first paragraph  of your letter or, better yet, use a general salutation.

When using a general salutation, capitalize the nouns.

• Dear Hiring Manager
• To Whom It May Concern
• Dear Human Resources Manager
• Dear Sir or Madam
• Dear [Company Name] Recruiter

When to Use 'Dear' in a Cover Letter

It is appropriate to use “Dear” in most circumstances, such as when the potential employer is someone you know well, or they are a business acquaintance. Follow these tips on choosing the right greeting:

• For people who you know well on a first-name basis, it's okay to use their first name only. For a business acquaintance or associate, use their first name if you have met them more than once and typically address them by their first name.
• For potential employers, use Mr., Ms., or Dr., unless you have been instructed otherwise. Even if you know a woman is married, it is safer to use “Ms.” as opposed to “Mrs.,” as the latter may be offensive in certain circumstances.
• If you are unsure of the appropriate greeting, play it safe and use Mr./Ms./Dr. [last name] or Mr./Ms./Dr. [first name, last name].

How to Write a Cover Letter Salutation

Standard business correspondence formatting requires that, after providing your contact information and the date of your letter, you then write down your contact person’s name, the company’s name, and the company’s address.

The formal salutation or greeting comes next: “Dear [Contact Person’s name].” If you have a contact person for your letter, include their title and name in the salutation (i.e. "Dear Mr. Franklin"). If you are unsure of the reader's gender, simply state their full name and avoid the personal title (i.e. "Dear Jamie Smith"). Follow the salutation with a colon or comma, leave one line blank, and then start the first paragraph of your letter on the following line.

Your letter greeting has the potential to improve your chances of getting an interview. To enhance your candidacy, make sure your  cover letter  maintains a professional appearance and offers relevant information, including your qualifications for the position. Choose the appropriate closing and always thank the reader for their time and consideration.

This is a cover letter salutation example. Download the salutation cover letter template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online), or see below for more examples.

Cover Letter With Salutation Example (Text Version)

Alex Applicant 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-555-5555 alex.applicant@email.com

August 1, 2024

Brett Lee Nurse Manager St. Ansgar Hospital 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Mr. Lee:

I am writing to apply for the position of nursing attendant, as advertised on the St. Ansgar Hospital website. As a trained nursing assistant who is fulfilled by working with patients and staff, and by helping people, I would be a great asset to your nursing staff.

I completed my nurse assistant program in June of 20XX, and I also have a nurse attendant certificate from the state of New York. I have been working part-time at Dr. Ellen Mueller’s primary care office in Smithtown, NY, for the past year, so I am experienced in working with patients. In addition, I am diligent about my responsibilities, and I have a flexible schedule, which enables me to work almost any hours that you need.

I’ve attached my resume so that you can review my education and experience. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,

Signature (hard copy letter)

Alex Applicant

When you are sending your letter via email, include the reason you are writing in the subject line of your message:

Subject: First Name Last Name – Nurse Attendant Position

List your contact information in your signature, rather than in the body of the letter:

FirstName LastName Your Email Your Phone Number

Key Takeaways

• The salutation in a cover letter sets a professional tone and should be appropriate for the job application; avoid casual greetings like "Hello" and "Hi."
• Always try to find and use the name of a specific contact person in your salutation, as it shows effort and can leave a good impression on the hiring manager.
• If a contact person is not available, use general salutations like "Dear Hiring Manager" or "To Whom It May Concern," but ensure the overall letter remains professional and courteous.

Related Articles

• English (UK)

• Cover Letter

How to Address a Cover Letter in 2024 (with Examples)

It always makes you think - how to address a cover letter? How to address a cover letter without a name? Worry not, our guide we'll show you how to do it like a pro.

There’s a right and wrong way to address a cover letter . Either the  employer thinks, “This applicant’s got a brain,” or she thinks, “Yuck. Another dud.”

It’s not rocket science. Just pick the right salutation and the right address cover letter format.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• Who to address a cover letter to.
• How to address a cover letter without a name.
• Addressing a cover letter—format + examples.
• How to dodge the worst cover letter address mistakes.

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Here’s how to address a cover letter with no name:

How to Address a Cover Letter Example

Briella Keijzers Software Engineer 1834 Candlelight Drive Alvin, TX 77511 917-940-0130 [email protected]

Software Engineer Hiring Manager Treble Frinchet, Inc. 3621 Adams Drive Houston, TX 77002

Dear Software Engineer Hiring Manager,

Raising user experience scores 32% at Cunning Ferb Solutions was a daunting challenge. However, when I led the team that...

That’s addressing a cover letter to unknown. Need more how to address cover letters samples? Want the proper address format on a cover letter for resumes? Read on.

After analyzing data from over 500,000 documents generated in our product, we found that:

-  The cover letter templates most commonly selected by our users are Cascade, Cubic, Primo, and Classic. -  Data reveals that users produce an average of 2.36 documents within our builder tool. - On average, our users report having 4.33 past jobs.    * The data comes from the last 12 months (August 2023-August 2024)

1. How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Name

To address a cover letter without a name, you can use some variation of 'Dear Marketing Team Hiring Manager' or 'Dear Hiring Manager'. However, it is always better to find someone to address.

If you don't find the name of the hiring manager, you can address it to the head of the department for the position you’re applying for. Imagine you’re reading cover letters.

One starts, Dear sir or madam.  Trash can, right?

Of course you won’t do that. But if you don’t know how to address a cover letter without a name, you’ll look just as bad.

How to Address Cover Letters Without a Name—Examples

Who to address cover letters to if unknown:

• Dear PM Hiring Manager,
• Dear Software Engineer Hiring Team,
• To the Customer Service Search Committee,
• To the IT Recruitment Team,

Why do those addressing a cover letter examples work? They’re not generic. They show you’re not spraying resumes at a million jobs. Don’t like them?

Use Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Recruiter. You can even drop the cover letter greeting and start with the first paragraph.

2. How to Find Out Who to Address a Cover Letter To

“This one’s no dummy.”  What if you could make the hiring manager say that? You can. Just use their name.

But who do you address a cover letter to? In the XXI century, it’s easy to find.

Who Do I Address My Cover Letter To?

There are a few ways you can learn who to address your cover letter to:

• Check the job posting. If the name’s there and you don’t use it, hello trash can.
• Read the email address. If it’s [email protected], search “h hennequin” and “treblefrinchet.com.” You’ll likely find the name.
• Check the company website. Many companies list department heads under about us .
• Call the company. Ask the admin assistant who to address a cover letter to.
• Look on LinkedIn. Search the company name + manager job titles.
• Ask your network. See if a contact on LinkedIn or Facebook works there.

Still can’t find the name for addressing a cover letter?

Ditch the cover letter salutation and start with your first paragraph.

Expert Hint: Avoid Hello, Hi, Dear Sir or Madam, and To Whom It May Concern letters. They come off lazy and spammy.

3. Duck These Blunders in Addressing a Cover Letter

Avoid these common, deadly how to address a cover letter  bear traps:

• Double-check the gender. Are you writing to a gender-neutral name like Ari, Jules, or Pat? Peek at the LinkedIn profile pic for gender clues.
• Use Ms. —not Miss or Mrs . Ms works whether she’s married or single.
• Use titles. If it’s Dr., Rev, Prof, or Sgt they’ll appreciate the respect.
• Drop the last name only if they drop it first—in their response to you.
• Spell check. Don’t make employers think you’re sloppy.

Expert Hint: If you don’t like Dear Hiring Manager cover letters, drop the “Dear.” Employers are used to it, but you can start with, “Hiring Manager,”.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here .

4. Cover Letter Address Format

Here’s how to start cover letters with good presentation:

Your Name Title Street Address City, State, ZIP Phone Email Address

Hiring Manager Name (if possible) Hiring Manager Title Company Name Street Address City, State, ZIP

Dear [Manager Name or Title],

For specifics, see the addressing a cover letter example up top.

How to Address an Email Cover Letter

Use these tips for addressing a cover letter email:

• Subject Line: 5-10 words—“Job Application for” + position you’re applying to.
• Start with a cover letter salutation like Dear Dr. Manzanilla,
• Put your name, email address, and phone number at the end.

Email Subject Line:  Job Application for Engineering Position, referred by Karen Sheng

Cover Letter Email:

Dear Mr. Grohl,

When I slashed costs by...

Expert Hint: Did someone tell you about the job? Add her to your email cover letter subject line. Example: Job Application for Engineering Position—Referred by Karen Sheng.

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Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Just pick one of 21 resume templates and get started now .

Key Points:

Here’s a recap of how to address a cover letter:

• Who do you address a cover letter to? Use the hiring manager’s name. To find it, check the job posting, LinkedIn, and company website.
• How to address a cover letter without a name: Use Dear [XYZ] Hiring Manager. Example: Dear Sales Team Hiring Manager.
• Avoid obvious mistakes. Check spelling, gender, and titles. Use Ms. instead of Miss or Mrs.
• When emailing cover letters and resumes, write a subject line with “Application for” + job title. Start with “Dear.” Save contact info for the end.

Got more questions on how to address a cover letter? Still confused on how addressing cover letters works? Leave a comment. We’re happy to reply.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines , ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets . Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Having published over 200 career-advice articles, Tom Gerencer is a career expert who covers the whole array of job-seeking topics for people at all career stages, from interns to C-suite members. His insights, commentary, and articles reach over a million readers every month. With inside knowledge of key industry players and in-depth research, Tom helps job seekers with advice across all professions and career stages.

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