
Jul 28, 2018 - 10:37 AM
You probably already know that in today's world, a cover letter beginning with "Dear Sir or Madam" won't make the grade. You have already read articles by professionals advising you to use the reader's name in your salutation. That said, you will not always have access to this information. How do you address a cover letter when you don't know whom it is going to?
Your first step should be to explore some additional ways of finding out who will be perusing your cover letter and resume. Even if the job posting does not provide this information, the company's site will often contain a staff directory, or at least a list of department heads. You can also call the company and ask whom you should send your materials to. In most cases, these steps will yield a name to put on the cover letter.
If, for whatever reason, all your efforts do not bring results, some resume experts suggest addressing the letter to a job title such as hiring manager. Others prefer you omit a salutation altogether. Either way, you will be better off focusing on perfecting the other parts of your cover letter, starting with these basic tips.
Your first step should be to explore some additional ways of finding out who will be perusing your cover letter and resume. Even if the job posting does not provide this information, the company's site will often contain a staff directory, or at least a list of department heads. You can also call the company and ask whom you should send your materials to. In most cases, these steps will yield a name to put on the cover letter.
If, for whatever reason, all your efforts do not bring results, some resume experts suggest addressing the letter to a job title such as hiring manager. Others prefer you omit a salutation altogether. Either way, you will be better off focusing on perfecting the other parts of your cover letter, starting with these basic tips.