How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Name

Part of applying for a job is sending a cover letter along with your resume. But what if you don’t know the name of the hiring officer? In this article, we’ll discuss how to address a cover letter without a name. We’ll review various templates and look at examples to inspire you as you write the letter that could land you your dream job.

What Makes For an Effective Cover Letter?

A cover letter aims to introduce yourself to the hiring officer. Likewise, it means to encourage the reader to check out your resume and consider you for the job at hand. Akin to writing a pitch, a cover letter should make the employer notice you and check out your credentials.

Before we discuss how to address a letter of application, let’s review its essential components and template parts of a cover letter: 

Introduction

For those wondering how to start a cover letter, introducing yourself and your main designation is the best way to do it. It can be as simple as, “I’m John Smith, a digital marketer.”

Job You’re Applying For

State the position you want to be considered for and, if possible, indicate where you learned about the vacancy. For example, you can write, “I came across your job posting for a marketing associate in The NY Tribune, and I would like to apply for the job.”

Qualifications

Presenting your skills, experience, and education is part of writing a resume. However, you still need to provide a brief summary of your qualifications in the cover letter. State your most significant career background and the key skills you got from that experience. Just as with writing a bio, you need to highlight why you’re the perfect candidate for the job. You can say, “After spending five years as a marketer, I’ve learned how to analyze data and design marketing plans to bring the brand closer to its target market.”

Call to Action

Close the letter by urging the reader to invite you for an interview or a meeting. At the end of your letter, you can write, “I hope to discuss the job further in an interview at a time and place convenient to you.”  

How to Address a Cover Letter to a Person

Some people think that addressing a cover letter to an unknown recipient can be a bit too awkward. You can avoid this situation by doing your best to get the name of the person who will be reading your letter. Visit the website of the company and look for the name and designation of the person who might be tasked to hire candidates for the vacancy. 

If the job posting comes with an email address but not a name, do your research. If, for example, the email add is jbpitt@thecompany.com, try to Google J B Pitt and the name of the company. There’s a chance you might find the hiring manager’s full name.

If the info superhighway doesn’t give you the info you need, you can call the company and ask them. By doing so, you can make your letter more personalized and possibly make a better impression.

How to Address a Cover Letter With a Name

If you find the name of the person you’re writing to, address them directly on the letter’s salutation. Be formal and use the title together with the person’s last name. For example, you can write, “Dear Mr. Pitt” or “Dear Dr. Stevens.”

How NOT to Address a Cover Letter With a Name

Even if a name allows you to make your letter a bit more personal, be careful not to go overboard. Don’t address a hiring officer by their first name or write a greeting that might sound too friendly. For example, a salutation like, “Hi, Dave!” or “Hello Justin,” won’t score you brownie points.

How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Name

But if you can’t find a point person, how do you address a letter to an unknown recipient? Here are several ways applicants use in addressing a cover letter to unknown persons. Take note that not all of these generic salutations are ideal and should be avoided at all costs.

Dear [Insert Team Name] Hiring Manager

In some instances, a company’s team or department handles the hiring process. If this is the case, you can use this generic salutation. For example, you can write, “Dear Customer Service Team Hiring Manager.”

Dear [Insert Team Name] Hiring Officer

If you’re not sure if there is a manager in a team who is specifically tasked to screen applicants, you can opt to use the term “hiring officer” instead.

Dear Human Resources Manager

Big companies have a Human Resources department that focuses on finding the right people for every position. You can use the salutation “Dear Human Resources Manager,” if this is the case. 

Dear Human Resources Officer

There are instances when an HR Manager doesn’t do the legwork of screening applicants. If this is the case, there are officers tasked to go over the pool of cover letters and fish out potential candidates. If so, addressing the message to the Human Resources Officer can be more fitting.  

Dear Hiring Manager

Most small businesses don’t have a department dedicated to human resources. Often, they assign a member of the team to be a hiring manager. In this case, “Dear Hiring Manager” will be a proper salutation.

Dear Hiring Officer

In the same vein as the former, you can also use “Dear Hiring Officer.” This is one of the most used salutations because it’s simple, and it doesn’t assume anything about the company’s hiring team, process, and arrangements.

To Whom It May Concern

Many people use “To whom it may concern” in their cover letter. However, you must avoid using this at all costs. Not only is it impersonal and stoic, but it’s also outdated. 

Dear Sir/Madame

In the same vein, “Dear Sir/Madam,” is another salutation you should never use in your cover letter. This is another archaic salutation that further shows you have no idea who you’re addressing the message to.