Who should I address this cover letter to?

Let’s start with who NOT to send your letter to. Avoid salutations like, “dear sir or madam, “to whom it may concern,” and other generic openers.

If there is no one listed on the specific posting you’re applying to, it’s time to flex those detective muscles and do some poking around. A great place to start is LinkedIn. See if you can find someone in a leadership position in that department or someone in HR, the more senior the better.

It’s ok if you don’t end up pinpointing the exact person who is sorting through applications. No one will be offended if you pick someone in one of the above categories – they will think that you either know that person or that you’d done your research on who works there, both positives.

If all else fails, you can direct your letter to the head of the company. Will that individual be reading your letter? Most likely not… but, again, it shows you did some research and put in a little extra effort.

In terms of how to address the person in the letter, the general rule of thumb is that if you know how the person identifies (maybe their personal website lists pronouns, you can find a reference in a company bio, or you have spoken to the person before), you can start your letter with “Dear Ms. Lee” or “Dear Mr. Smith.” However, if you don’t know how the person identifies or if you know they are nonbinary, you should address the person by first and last names: “Dear Sam Smith.”

And yes, we do recommend writing “dear.” It has its roots in traditional business letter formatting and always looks professional.

In short, showing that you are willing to put in some extra effort, have empathy for others’ identities, and that you pay great attention to detail will always reflect positively on you.

Check out more tips on cover letters here!