How to Address a Cover Letter
If you don’t have a contact person at the company you can either leave off the saluation from your cover letter and start with the first paragraph of your letter or use a general salutation.
There a variety of cover letter salutations you can use to address your letter. Employers who responded to a recent employer survey conducted by Saddleback College preferred:
- Dear Hiring Manager (40%)
- To whom it may concern (27%)
- Dear Sir/Madam (17%)
- Dear Human Resources Director (6%)
- Leave it blank (8%)
Once you have chosen a salutation, follow it with a colon or comma, a space, and then start the first paragraph of your letter. For example:
Dear Hiring Manager:
First paragraph of letter.
How to Address a Cover Letter for a Non-Gender Specific Name
If you do have a name, but aren't sure of the person's gender, an option is to include both the first name and the last name in your salutation:
- Dear Sydney Doe
- Dear Taylor Smith
How to Write a Cover Letter
How to write a cover letter, including what to include in your cover letter, how to write a cover letter, cover letter format, targeted cover letters, and cover letter samples and examples.
Cover Letter Articles and Advice
- Top 10 Cover Letter Writing Tips
- Cover Letter Writing Guide
- Email Cover Letters
- Targeted Cover Letters
- Sample Cover Letters
- Cover Letter Closings
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