How to Address a Cover Letter to Recruiter or Hiring Manager

If you don’t know how to address a cover letter correctly, your application might get tossed, no matter how qualified you are. 

The right greeting shows you’ve done your homework. It signals effort and professionalism. But the wrong one? It can make you look careless. That tiny line at the top of your letter matters more than most people think.

How to address a cover letter: Casual vs formal

Tone matters! A casual greeting, like “Hi there,” is far too relaxed. On the other hand, an overly formal tone can come off too stiff. You must walk a fine line and find the right balance in addressing your cover letter.

Start by thinking about the company you’re applying to. A tech startup and a government agency have very different expectations. 

• If the company feels modern or creative, like a startup, something like “Hello [Name]” or “Hi [Name]” can work.

• When you’re applying for a job at a more traditional industry, like finance, law, or healthcare, it’s better to err on the side of caution and write a bit more formally, e.g., “Dear [Full Name].”

When in doubt? Stay formal. It’s better to be respectful than too relaxed.

Good formal examples:

• Dear Taylor Nguyen

• Dear Dr. Morgan

• Dear Hiring Manager

Acceptable casual examples (for modern workplaces only):

• Hello Jordan

• Hi Sam

• Greetings [Team Name]

Avoid anything too breezy. Never open with “Hey,” “Yo,” or “What’s up.” You’re not texting a friend. And whatever tone you choose, don’t forget the main goal: show the recruiter you took time to get it right. That effort sets the tone for the rest of your application.

How to find out who to address a cover letter to

Before you can figure out how to address a cover letter, you need to know who you’re addressing it to. Sometimes, it’s super simple because the name will be listed right in the job posting. Other times, you have to do a little digging. That’s okay, you still have options.

Here’s how to find the hiring manager’s name, step by step:

Check the job description

The best, fastest, and easiest way to find a hiring manager’s name is if it’s on the job posting. It’ll usually appear near the bottom, but it could be hidden. 

If you’re on a Windows PC, press Ctrl+F (or Command+F on a Mac) to search for “@.” This will help you find out whether there’s an email address in the job posting. As in, email your resume to person@companyname.com. This is a lead on the hiring manager’s name.

Variations:

• t.smith@company.com

• jgarcia@office.net

• amandam@firm.com

Even if all you see is part of a name in the email address, it’s something you can use when you search the company’s website or social media, e.g., LinkedIn. You can also plug the email address and company name into a Google search. You’d be surprised how often you can find a name that way. 

Take a look at LinkedIn

Open LinkedIn and find the company’s page. Click on “People” and search for job titles like “Recruiter,” “Hiring Manager,” or “Director of [Department].” If it’s a large, multi-site company, you can filter the results by a particular location. 

Send them a message to confirm

When you find someone you think is the person hiring for a particular role, be bold. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them with a short message to confirm they’re hiring for a particular role. You don’t have to send some long, drawn-out message. Something short and sweet works. 

For example, you could send:

Hi [Name], I came across [Job Title] at [Company Name] and am very interested in the position. Are you the right person to reach out to about this position? If not, can you point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance, [Your Name]. 

People respond more often than you’d expect, especially if you’re polite, clear, and not asking for too much. This approach can help you confirm who to address your cover letter to and make a positive first impression. 

Look on the company’s website

Almost every company with an active online presence takes time to write an “About” page on their website. Oftentimes, that “About” page will talk about team members, especially team members in leadership positions. Hiring managers are usually part of the leadership. 

The other great thing about finding a hiring manager name on the company’s website is there’s usually some sort of biography. You could learn something about the person who will potentially be interviewing you. That’s the sort of detail you can bring up in a cover letter to tie in how you’re a great fit for the company culture or use as an ice-breaker during the interview. 

Ask a human being

If you know someone who works at the company, ask them who’s doing the hiring for the role you want. Even if they don’t know the name of the person making the decision, they can probably point you in the direction of the department. At a minimum, it gives you a way to address your cover letter with some sort of personalized information. 

If, after all of this digging, you don’t find a person’s name, it’s okay. The process shows effort, and that matters. It’s the difference between a generic letter and one that feels written for the job. So, before stressing about how to address a cover letter without a name, take 10 minutes to do the digging. You never know, you might land on the perfect greeting. 

When you know the hiring manager's name

Let’s face it: more often than not you will start to apply for a role with no clue as to the hiring manager’s name. On those rare occasions when it’s given to you, be sure to use it! Personalizing the greeting is one of the best ways to show you’re serious about the job. 

Use their full name

Your best bet in addressing your cover letter is to use their full name (first and last) in the greeting. Stick with “Dear [First Name] [Last Name]” unless the company culture is super casual and you’re sure that “Hi” or “Hello” is okay. If the name is Alex Taylor, write:

• Dear Alex Taylor

• Hello Alex Taylor

• Hi Alex Taylor (for modern companies only)

Skip the gender guesswork

Unless you’re sure of someone’s gender, avoid “Mr.” or “Ms.” altogether. Just use the full name. It’s professional and safe.

• Correct: Dear Jordan Lee

• Risky: Dear Mr. Lee (what if Jordan isn’t a man?)

Use professional titles

If the person has a title like “Dr.” or “Professor,” use it. It shows respect and attention to detail.

• Dear Dr. Morgan

• Hello Professor Adams

Knowing how to address someone in a cover letter, especially by name, puts you ahead of most applicants. You’re not sending a mass letter. You’re showing that you care enough to get it right.

How to address a cover letter without a name

If you feel like you’re beating your head against a wall and simply cannot come up with a name no matter where you look, you can still send your cover letter. There are alternative greeting options that will put you in a professional light.

Don’t skip the greeting! You still need to show that you've read the job description and tailored your cover letter. Knowing how to address a cover letter without a name can make or break your first impression. 

Go with a specific title or department:

Sometimes, the job posting will indicate the title of the person you’d report to if you were hired. Use that title when you address your cover letter. For example:

• Dear Head of Design

• Hello IT Department

• Dear Accounting Manager

• To Company ABC Recruiter/Hiring Professional

• Hello Marketing Hiring Team

• Dear Customer Support Hiring Group

• Dear Human Resources

Go with “Dear Hiring Manager” when you’re stuck

It sounds professional and it's not gender-specific. Not only that, but it works across industries and shows you know how to keep things appropriate even when you don’t have all the information. 

Other acceptable versions include:

• Hello Hiring Team

• Dear [Company Name] Recruiter

• To the Hiring Professional at [Company Name]

Cover letter greetings to avoid at all costs:

• “Dear Sir or Madam” 

• “To Whom it May Concern”

These are lazy and outdated and nowhere near catchy enough. Both sound like you copied a template or are recycling something you used a decade ago. Of course, all this is going to do is age you. 

Never leave the greeting blank

Whatever information you may or may not find, it's important to never leave your greeting line blank.

A blank greeting line can make you come across as rude, or imply that you simply don't understand how to write a cover letter – all of which will immediately put you out of contention for the job. There's no reason to leave the greeting blank when there are so many options that can be used effectively.

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How to format the company’s address in a cover letter

A cover letter follows the block letter format, which includes your contact info at the top, the date, and then the recipient’s name and company address before the greeting. Even if you’re not printing and mailing it, this layout is still the standard.

While it’s rare to snail mail a cover letter these days, it’s still smart to follow professional formatting conventions, especially when you're uploading your letter as a PDF or attaching it to an email. It shows you understand how to write a formal business document.

Here’s how the address section should look:

[Your Name] | [Your Address] | [City, State ZIP Code]

[Phone Number] | [Email Address]

(*Make this part match your resume)

[Date]

[Hiring Manager’s Name]

[Company Name]

[Company Address]

[City, State ZIP Code]

If you don’t know the company’s full address, don’t stress. It’s not a deal-breaker. The greeting is more important. How you address the cover letter says more about your attention to detail than a missing ZIP code.

What to do when you can’t find the company’s address

Sometimes, no matter how much you dig, you just can’t find the company’s full mailing address. That’s okay. If you're applying online or by email, it's not expected that you’ll include a full address. Most recruiters aren’t looking for it and some might not even notice it's missing.

Instead, focus on what matters:

• Use the correct company name

• Get the job title right

• And most important: know how to address a cover letter properly

You won’t lose points for leaving out the address, but you can lose points for a lazy or generic greeting.

How to address a cover letter when you’re emailing it

Just because most job applications are done online or via email doesn’t mean the rules are out the window. It just means the details shift a bit. If you’re emailing your cover letter, the way you address it still matters. A lot! 

Here’s how to handle each part.

Use a clear, direct subject line

If you’re emailing your cover letter, your subject line should make it easy for the reader to know what the email is about. Think of your subject line like the headline of a major news story. It has to get the recruiter or hiring manager to stop scrolling through their messages and open yours. 

Example subject lines:

• Application for [Job Title] – [Your Full Name]

• [Job Title] – Cover Letter and Resume – [Your Name]

• [Your Name] – Interested in [Job Title] Role

Don’t leave it blank, and don’t get cute with it. This isn’t where you try to stand out. It’s where you make it easy for the recruiter to file, find, or forward your message.

Start the email with a proper greeting

Even in an email, you still need a proper greeting and the rules still apply. The first line should be respectful, direct, and tailored when possible. 

If you know the hiring manager’s name, use it:

• Dear Jordan Lee

• Hello Alex Johnson

• Dear Dr. Morgan

How to address a cover letter when you don’t know the hiring manager isn’t one of those things you should overthink. Pick a department-based greeting and move on. Your goal is to show effort, not perfection. 

So, if you don’t have a name, go with a department-based or general greeting:

• Dear Hiring Manager

• Hello Marketing Hiring Team

• Dear [Company Name] Recruiter

Should the format change in an email?

If you’re pasting your cover letter into the body of an email, you don’t need to include your address or the company’s mailing address at the top. Just start with the greeting and move straight into your opening paragraph.

Subject: Application for Marketing Coordinator – Jamie Rivera

Dear Hiring Manager,

With four years of experience in digital strategy and analytics...

If you’re attaching the letter as a separate file (PDF or Word), keep the full format, just like a printed version. It’s all about how you address your cover letter that sets the tone. It’s your first impression. So, make it clear, personal, and never leave it blank. 

Make the first line count

The way you start a cover letter says a lot about how you approach the job. If you care enough to get the greeting right, hiring managers notice. If you cut corners, they notice that too.

You don’t need a perfect address. You don’t even need a name in every case. But you do need effort, and a little strategy. So take the time to figure out how to address a cover letter in a way that shows you’re not just another applicant. That’s how you get people to keep reading.

Not sure if your cover letter is cutting it? Our writers don't just help with your resume. 

This article was originally written by Lisa Tynan. It’s been rewritten/updated by Marsha Hebert.