How to Address a Cover Letter | Tips & Examples
A cover letter is a brief letter sent with your resume as part of a job application. The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself and highlight your most relevant experience and qualifications.
How to address a cover letter depends on any instructions in the job posting and the information you have available. Addressing it correctly is important, as it shows professionalism and attention to detail.
Who do you address a cover letter to?
Ideally, a cover letter should be addressed to the hiring manager for the open position. For example, a Marketing Manager would usually be the hiring manager for a Marketing Specialist role.
Review the job posting carefully to see if it says to whom to address your cover letter. If it doesn’t, try to find the hiring manager by:
- Reviewing the company’s LinkedIn to see who posted the job and who’s sharing it with their network
- Looking at the company’s website, particularly pages like “About Us” or “Meet the Team,” to see who heads the relevant department
- Calling or emailing the company to ask
How to address a cover letter with a name
When you know the name of the hiring manager, address your cover letter using their full name. Avoid using gendered titles like “Mr.” or “Ms.” (this was once common practice but has fallen out of fashion).
You should use a formal salutation. “Dear” is an overall good option, as it’s not too stuffy but still polite. Follow “Dear” and the name with a comma or colon.
Dear Maurice Shelley:
Dear Alex Strand,
When addressing a cover letter with a name, double-check your spelling. Use QuillBot’s Grammar Checker to find any spelling or grammar errors in your letter. Then manually review it, paying extra attention to names.
For example, when applying to academic or government jobs, it may be more appropriate to address a cover letter to someone using their professional title and last name (e.g., “Dear Doctor Irving,” or “Dear Sergeant Nguyen:”).
Always read the job posting carefully. Check the organization’s website to gauge its level of formality and how it refers to employees.
How to address a cover letter with no name
You have a few options when deciding how to address a cover letter when you don’t have a name. You can address the cover letter to:
- The relevant team (e.g., “Dear Operations Team:”)
- A generic title (e.g., “Dear Hiring Manager,”)
- For small companies, the entire team (e.g., “Dear Startup ABC Team:”)
In any case, avoid outdated greetings like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”
Cover letter address format
When addressing a cover letter, make sure you follow current conventions of cover letter format:
- Include your full name.
- If you feel comfortable sharing it, include your address (city and state are sufficient).
- Do not include the full address for the company.
- Put the date after your contact info but before the greeting.
- Follow your salutation with a comma or colon.
- Bold your name and the salutation line (optional).
Portland, OR 97205
rashidmiller@email.com
(555) 123-4567
January 31, 2025
Dear Sheena Patel,
You can then put your contact info at the end, after your name.
Frequently asked questions about how to address a cover letter
- How do you use AI to write a cover letter?
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A cover letter is a highly customized document, and AI may not understand your experience and the role you’re applying for well enough to write a good one.
However, AI can help you with your cover letter in other ways, like:
- Help find company contact info so you address your cover letter to the right person
- Assist you in refining your writing to be as succinct as possible
- Proofread for grammar and spelling mistakes
- Compare your letter’s text to the keywords in the job listing
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker is an example of an AI that can help you proofread your cover letter.
- How do you start a cover letter greeting?
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Start a cover letter greeting with a formal or semi-formal salutation. “Dear” is a good option for starting a cover letter.
To address your cover letter to a specific person, use the person’s full name (e.g., “Dear Diane Smith,”). Avoid gendered titles like “Mr.” or “Ms.”
To address a cover letter without a name, direct it to the relevant team (e.g., “Dear People Team,”), or to a generic position (e.g., “Dear Hiring Manager,”).
Regardless of who you’re sending your letter to, make sure it’s error-free by using QuillBot’s Grammar Checker.
- What should I write in an email when sending a resume and cover letter?
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When sending your resume and cover letter via email, introduce yourself and make it clear what job you are applying for.
Keep the email brief and professional and use a clear subject line. You should concisely state why you are a good fit and mention that your resume and cover letter are attached.
Whenever possible, you should address the cover letter and the email to the same person.
Finally, make sure your email, resume, and cover letter are free of any grammar and spelling mistakes. QuillBot’s Grammar Checker can help you do just this.
