5 Ways to Screw Up Your Cover Letter Greeting
March 04, 2008 (10:00AM) by Julie O'Malley, CPRW
Dear Cover Letter Writer:
You probably think the greeting of your cover letter (the "Dear..." line) is pretty simple. After all, it has only four little parts: the Dear, the Title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.), the Last Name, and the Colon [:]. How can you screw that up?
Ah, we have our ways. In fact, there are at least five common mistakes people make in their cover letter greetings, any of which might affect their chances of getting an interview. Are you guilty of any of these?
Mistake #1: Dear Miss DeVille:
Should be: Dear Ms. DeVille:
WHY? "Miss" and "Mrs." are archaic in business settings, because marital status is irrelevant. "Ms." is the business-appropriate way to address a woman – unless of course she’s earned a title such as Dr., Rev., Sgt., or Prof. Be sure to use Ms. (pronounced "miz") when speaking, too. Mistake #2: To Whom It May Concern:
Should be: Dear Mr. or Ms. Lastname:
WHY? "To Whom It May Concern" just sounds lazy and form-letterish. Check the company web site or make a phone call to find out who "Whom" is. Be the one who takes the extra step. It demonstrates your attention to detail. Mistake #3. Dear Sir or Madam:
Should be: Dear Mr. or Ms. Lastname: WHY? Let’s see… "Dear Sir or Madam" is dated, stuffy, awkward, and has the same problem as "Whom." (And don’t EVEN get me started if you try just Dear Sir.) Get a name! If you really, truly can’t find the hiring party’s name, use their job title. It’s (marginally) better to say Dear Marketing Manager than Dear Sir or Madam. Mistake #4. Dear Steve,
Should be: Dear Mr. Lastname: WHY? First names are too informal, unless you and "Steve" have already been corresponding and he has clearly set the standard of using first names only. A cover letter is a formal piece of business correspondence, so keep it formal until you've established a relationship. Many workplaces today are informal, and it's typical to move quickly to a first-name basis, but let "Steve" be the one to decide when. Mistake #5. Dear Mr. Radcliff:
Should be: Wait a minute... this looks fine, right?
WRONG! It would be fine, except the guy’s name is Radcliffe with an “e.” Some folks might not notice a typo like manger instead of manager (though most will), and hardly anybody will get miffed about a comma instead of a colon. But everybody knows when their name is misspelled. Proofread, proofread, proofread — especially the recipient's name. Summary
In your cover letter greeting...
• DO use this format: Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. Lastname:
• DON'T address women as Miss or Mrs.
• DON'T use a generic or gender-specific greeting (find a name).
• DON'T use first names unless the employer sets the precedent.
• DON'T misspell anyone's name!
Leave us a comment if you've got other cover letter bloopers to share!
Thanks for the tips, Julie. Very helpful. I’ve written “to whom it may concern” in the past – but it really seems dated now. I've used "To Whom..." and "Dear Sir or Madam" in the past, too, Greg! It used to be pretty standard. But nowadays, it's usually easy to figure out the person's name. TRICK #1: If a job posting says "Position reports directly to Director of Operations," you can go to the company web site, find out who the Director of Operations is, and address your cover letter to that person. TRICK #2: Check the e-mail recipient's name. If it says something like "Send resumes to jsmith@company.com," you can call the company's main number, use the voice mail directory to find out if the "j" in "jsmith" stands for John or Jane or Joseph or Julie :) That's very good ways for Covering letters...thanks
I'm finding a lot of job postings that indicate resumes/cover letters should be sent to "HR Recruiting Staff" or "Staffing Recruiter" or something to that effect. When researched 9 times out of 10 there is no one name to address the letter to. If not using "To Whom..." or something to that effect what would you suggest? I have tried calling companies for a name, looking it up online, asking people who works at the company... most larger companies are outsourcing their recruiting and HR these days - employees may not even know who these people are...
True, mward, there are times when your hands are tied. In a case like you describe, I don't know that there is a definitive answer. I would be inclined to format my cover letter more like a memo than a formal letter -- something like: To: HR Recruiting Staff, XYZ Company
Re: Sales Coordinator position (Reference No. 12345) Greetings,
I am very interested in … While a salutation like “Greetings” (or "Good Day") is not ideal, I do like the fact that it sounds more personal than “To Whom…” and it eliminates the awkward gender issues of “Dear Sir or Madam” or “Dear Madam or Sir.” If anybody has a better alternative, please post a comment! What should you do if the Hiring person has an indeterminate gender. For example, Kelly, Raven, Jayden, Tristan, etc. Would it be appropriate to just call the company and ask if that person is male or female? Or is there some "indeterminate" greeting like just "M." to address this person?
Great question, Lisa. I've faced this problem myself. I think your idea to call the company and ask is the best way to solve the dilemma. A simple phone call saying, "Hi, My name is ____ and I'm going to be submitting a resume to Chris Smith in the X Department. I'm not sure whether Chris is a man or a woman. Can you help me?" In fact, this can be a great way to get your name floating around the office. ("Hey Chris, somebody named Lisa just called to ask if you're a man or a woman!") Although it's a humorous exchange, at least Chris now knows that you are someone who doesn't just "assume." If there's no way to contact the company, I've gone with "Dear Mr. or Ms. Smith:" in the past. It's not ideal, but it does the trick. THANKS A LOT. IT HELPED ME LAND A JOB. Wow, congratulations, Maria Clara! That totally makes my day :) All the best to you in your new position!!
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