In this guide
Address a cover letter to the person who will read it, by name: “Dear Ms. Alvarez,” or “Dear Jordan Lee,”. If you can't find a name, use their job title or “Dear Hiring Manager,”, or write to the company's hiring team. Tell the tool above what you know to get the right greeting.
The short version
- A name beats a job title, and a job title beats “Dear Hiring Manager”. Spend five minutes looking before you settle.
- Not sure which title they use? Write the full name: “Dear Jordan Lee,”. It's always correct.
- Skip “To Whom It May Concern” and “Dear Sir or Madam”. They read like a form letter.
How do you find the hiring manager's name?
Purdue's writing lab advises writing to a specific person and, if the posting doesn't say who, calling the company to ask. Most of the time you'll find it faster online. Check these in order and stop at the first name you can confirm.
- The job posting. Look for “reports to”, a contact name or a personal email address.
- The company's team or about page, for the head of the department you'd join.
- LinkedIn. Search the company and the team, such as “Halden Foods operations manager”.
- The recruiter. If a recruiter's name is on the listing, address the letter to them.
- Reception. Call and ask who's hiring for the role. It takes two minutes.
Only use a name you're sure of. A wrong name does more harm than a polite “Dear Hiring Manager,”.
How do you address a cover letter to a named person?
Write “Dear”, a title if you know the one they use, and their last name. If you don't know their title, or want to stay neutral, use their full name with no title. Purdue's Center for Career Opportunities recommends the full name in that case.
Ms. is the safe default for a woman unless she uses Mrs. or Miss herself. Use Dr. or Professor if they use it at work. Use Mx. only if they list it.
| What you know | Write |
|---|---|
| Their full name, but not their title | Dear Jordan Lee, |
| She uses Ms. | Dear Ms. Alvarez, |
| He uses Mr. | Dear Mr. Okoro, |
| They hold a doctorate and use it | Dear Dr. Okafor, |
| An academic post | Dear Professor Lindqvist, |
| They list Mx. | Dear Mx. Taylor, |
| Two named readers | Dear Ms. Chen and Mr. Patel, |
How do you address a cover letter with no name?
Use the most specific reader you can. A job title (“Dear Engineering Manager,”) or a team (“Dear Finance Team,”) shows you read the posting. If you have neither, MIT's career office suggests “Dear Hiring Manager,” and Purdue's writing lab suggests “Dear Hiring Professionals,”. Adding the company's name, as in “Dear Halden Foods Hiring Team,”, makes it read as written for them.
Avoid these, even though none of them is wrong as such:
- “To Whom It May Concern”. Reads like a form letter. Dear Hiring Manager says the same thing to a person.
- “Dear Sir or Madam”. Guesses at the reader and sounds decades old.
- “Dear Sir”. Leaves out every reader who isn't one.
- “Hey there”. Too casual for a first message to a stranger.
- “Dear Mrs. Alvarez”. Only if she uses Mrs. herself. Otherwise Ms.
24 cover letter greeting examples
Copy the one that matches what you know. Each comes with the situation it fits. Swap the example names for the real ones.
You found the name
Dear Ms. Alvarez,
She uses Ms., or you don't know which title she prefers as a woman.
Dear Dr. Okafor,
They hold a doctorate and use the title at work.
Dear Professor Lindqvist,
An academic post, written to a faculty member.
Dear Jordan Lee,
You don't know which title they use. The full name is always correct.
Dear Mx. Taylor,
They list Mx. on their profile or email signature.
Dear Ms. Chen and Mr. Patel,
Two named readers, in the order the posting lists them.
Dear Captain Reyes,
Fire, police or military roles, where the rank is part of the name.
You know the job title or team
Dear Engineering Manager,
The posting says who the role reports to.
Dear Head of Marketing,
The team page lists the title but not the name.
Dear Finance Recruiting Team,
A large company with a recruiting team per department.
Dear Nursing Recruitment Team,
Hospitals often hire through one team per specialty.
Dear Search Committee,
Academic and senior posts chosen by a panel.
Dear Members of the Selection Panel,
Public sector roles that name a panel in the posting.
Dear Internship Coordinator,
Internship programs run by one coordinator.
Dear Volunteer Coordinator,
Charities and nonprofits.
No name anywhere
Dear Hiring Manager,
The standard when you can't find a name.
Dear Halden Foods Hiring Team,
The company's name makes it read as written for them.
Dear Hiring Team,
When several people will read it.
Dear Recruiting Team,
You're applying through a careers site that a recruiting team runs.
Dear Hiring Professionals,
Purdue's writing lab suggests this when no name can be found.
Email and replies
Hello Ms. Alvarez,
An email to someone you haven't met.
Hi Priya,
Replying to a recruiter who wrote to you by first name.
Hello Data Team,
An email to a shared team inbox.
Dear Sam,
Someone you've met, at a careers fair or an earlier interview.
Comma or colon after the greeting?
Either is correct. A colon (“Dear Mr. Roberts:”) is the traditional choice for a formal US business letter and is the one in Purdue's example. A comma is standard in British English and in email, and common in US letters too. Pick one and keep it.
Put the greeting on its own line, left-aligned, with one blank line before the first paragraph. In a printed letter it goes under the employer's address. In an email it's the first line of the body.
Spell the name exactly as they do, accents and hyphens included. Copy it from their profile rather than typing it from memory.
Common questions
Is “Dear Hiring Manager” OK?
Yes. It's the standard greeting when you can't find a name, and MIT's career office suggests it. A name or a job title is better when you can find one.
Can I use “To Whom It May Concern”?
You can, but it reads like a form letter. “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear [Company] Hiring Team,” says the same thing to a person.
Should I use the first name only?
Not in a first letter, unless they wrote to you by first name or the company uses first names everywhere. Then “Hello Priya,” is fine. Otherwise use their full name, or their title and last name.
What if I don't know whether to write Mr. or Ms.?
Write the full name with no title: “Dear Jordan Lee,”. It's correct whatever title they use.
How do I address two people?
Name both, in the order the posting lists them: “Dear Ms. Chen and Mr. Patel,”. For three or more, write to the team or the panel.
Should I address the recruiter or the hiring manager?
Whoever will read it first. If a recruiter posted the job or is your contact, address the recruiter. If the posting names the manager the role reports to, address the manager.
Put the greeting on a finished letter. Free, in your browser.
Sources and further reading
- Cover letters: formatting and organization, Purdue Online Writing Lab
- Cover letters: cover letter breakdown, Purdue University Center for Career Opportunities
- How to write an effective cover letter, MIT Career Advising & Professional Development
Put it into practice on a real resume.
Each example is a complete resume with role keywords and bullets that show proof. Open one in the Studio and make it yours, then download it with a free account.
