"Dear Hiring Manager" is a bit less ungainly in this sense. One more acceptable phrase to use in your cover letter salutations is "Dear Sir or Madam." This phrase accounts for either gender, which is good, although it does sound awkward since it makes a big affair out of doing so. It's just better to use "Dear Hiring Manager." What if it doesn't concern anybody? You've hardly made a case for anyone bothering with your letter. If you write "To whom it may concern," you're inviting ambiguity. When you write "Dear Hiring Manager," in your cover letter salutations, that shows that you believe the Hiring Manager should be concerned about your letter. For one thing, while "whom" may be grammatically proper, how many of us actually use the word "whom" in conversation? For another thing, it isn't clear about your purpose. It clarifies the letter's purpose right off the top.Īnother phrase that is commonly used is "To whom it may concern." There's nothing wrong with this phrase, although it is somewhat inferior to "Dear Hiring Manager." Why is it inferior? It's an awkward greeting. You're looking to get your letter to the person who can give you a job. It also makes it obvious who you're trying to reach. It isn't gender-specific, which eliminates that issue, and it also doesn't sound awkward. The majority of people use "Dear Hiring Manager." This is a good salutation for a couple of reasons. There are several acceptable greetings you can use. What if you don't know the person's name though? How should you address your letter and ensure that it is polite and gets to the right person? The name "Terry" could refer easily to a man or a woman, for example.
Indeed, it's better to leave out titles in your cover letter salutations since you don't want to make assumptions about gender.
You don't need to add in a relevant title if that's the case.
If that's the case, you should always address your cover letter to that individual by full name, first and last. When you're applying for a job, the best-case scenario is that you know who is supposed to receive and review your application. Greet your future employer the proper way with these cover letter do's and don'ts.