Make a good first impression by addressing your cover letter to the appropriate individual. An appropriate salutation sets the tone for your cover letter, highlighting your attention to detail and making your application stand out.
When applying for a job or contacting an employer speculatively, the format of your cover letter will differ based on whether you have a designated contact and the purpose of your letter.
In this post, you’ll learn what a cover letter is and why it’s necessary, as well as how to address different types of cover letters.
What Is An Application Letter?
An application letter is a document sent in conjunction with your resume or application for a job opening. A strong cover letter shows your motivation for applying and compiles all of the key information supporting why you’re the ideal person for the job, as detailed in your resume, application, and any other supporting materials.
Each cover letter is specifically suited to the position you’re applying for and the hiring business. It should include vital criteria and elaborate on key topics from your resume. Consider your cover letter a sales pitch. A superb cover letter will invite a recruiter to review your resume or application.
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Who Do You Address An Application Letter To?
Your cover letter should be addressed to the recruiter. If you don’t know the person’s name, you can find out. Getting this right might mean the difference between your letter getting read or being lost in the pile, so follow the instructions below to ensure you address your cover letter successfully.
Addressing a cover letter with a name
If you already know what your recipient’s name is, this is the best place to start. It means that the letter is more likely to be delivered to the intended recipient rather than being lost or given to someone who lacks the necessary decision-making authority.
A cover letter is a formal document, thus it should be addressed accordingly. The most professional way to address this is with “Dear.” For example:
- Dear Mr. Chidi,
- Dear Ms. Nkay,
- Dear Dr. Frank,
If you do not know the person’s gender or preferred pronouns, use their first name. For example, “Dear James Miller.” Add a comma after the salutation.
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How To Address an Application Letter With “Mrs.”?
Traditionally, “Mrs.” was used to refer to married women who adopted their partner’s surname after marriage. Today, however, it is less prevalent in professional settings and should be avoided unless your recipient has specifically used it to refer to themselves in their correspondence with you.
For female-identifying recruiters, use “Ms.” instead of “Mrs.” in most cases. This will help ensure that you don’t inadvertently offend your recipient, who may be unmarried or who is married but didn’t adopt their partner’s last name.
Addressing a cover letter to a recipient with a professional title
Always include the recipient’s professional title in your cover letter. Someone having a PhD will be addressed as “Dr.” rather than “Mr./Ms.” This also helps if you’re not sure which personal pronoun to use.
Addressing a cover letter without a named recipient
When you’re not sure what your recipient’s name is, it’s worth spending the time to find out. This is discussed in greater depth in the “First steps in determining a recipient” section below.
However, if you cannot discover a name, write your cover letter to the appropriate department within the company or organization. For example, “Dear [Department] Hiring Team.” If you know the person’s work title but not their name, address their position instead. For example, “Dear Head of [Department]” or “Dear Director of [Department].”
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How To Address A Speculative Cover Letter
The pattern for addressing a speculative cover letter—one that is not in response to a job posting—is similar to those outlined above. You may or may not know the name of the person you want to contact. If you do, all the better. Include the name.
The difference with a speculative letter is that you may have been given the name of the intended recipient by a common acquaintance. If this is the case, make the connection in your introduction.
For example:
Dear Mr. Morris,
I was given your details by my former employer, Jenny Lee, of Brandenburg and Associates following news of the development of your new customer service department.
How To Address A Cover Letter Sent By Email
An application letter addressed by email differs differently from a printed letter. A printed letter would include the recipient’s address and the date, which are not required in an email because the letter will simply be the body of the message.
However, your email should still be as professional as a traditional cover letter. Address the letter formally, as you would in a printed cover letter.
The subject line of an email cover letter is critical for standing out among the hundreds of emails a recruiter may receive. Include your name, the job title or reason for contact, and the documents you are sending.
An example of an appropriate email subject line might be:
Helen Williams – Marketing Manager Position – resume and cover letter
If you have a recipient’s name but you’re sending your email to an ‘info’ address, you can include ‘FAO’ (For the attention of) in your title:
FAO Mark Booth – Helen Williams – Marketing Manager Position
How To Find The Right Recipient For Your Application Letter
If you do not have a recipient for your cover letter, you will need to conduct some research. You might even have a name but no email address. Here are some pointers for tracking down elusive contacts and addresses.
1. Research company websites
Check out the company’s website and social media pages. Use Google to piece together your knowledge and uncover information on lesser-known websites, such as About pages.
For example, if you know which department you want to contact, you can search for “Head of Marketing for [Department]” and see what results come up.
If you have a name but no contact information, search for “Mr Jones, Head of Marketing at [Company].” This method may lead you to a social media page or a contact email address.
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2. Call the company
The good old-fashioned telephone is a wonderful technique to locate a contact for your cover letter. Call the employer, explain why you’re calling, and ask where you should send your cover letter and resume.
3. Check LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s powerful search feature makes it an excellent tool for connecting with others. You can search by the person’s name if you have one, and for more complex searches, you can also include the firm and location.
If you identify the person you’re looking for, their profile will include a ‘Contact info’ link under their name, allowing you to message them and ask them questions.
If you don’t know the name, you can look up the company and see who is listed as an employee. If the person you’re looking for isn’t mentioned, you could try contacting someone in a relevant department, like HR, and asking for help. You may even be able to get an introduction from a mutual connection.
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Why Using The Right Address In a Cover Letter Matters
A well-formulated cover letter address means that you care enough to research the company (i.e. to find the hiring manager’s name and title) and that you show attention to detail.
As such, you should always do some research into who you’re addressing in your cover letter and do so in a formal way.
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Key Elements of Address in an Application Letter
When writing a professional or business letter, here are some things that the sender must include in the letter if he/she wants to impress the recipient and expect a response.
1. Contact information at the top
When drafting a letter, you want the recipient to know who you are, your position, where you are from, and the address they will use to answer your letter. The sender’s contact details should be as follows:
- First line: Full name
- Second line: Company name
- Third line: Street address
- Fourth line: City or town, followed by the state name and zip code. The state name can be abbreviated to its official postal two-letter abbreviation.
- The address should appear under the sender’s name and should be aligned to the left.
- If you are writing to someone in another country, put the name of the country in the fourth line.
- Include an email address and phone number for easier communication.
2. Date
The next step is to write the date the letter was sent and line it with the left or right margin. Spell out the month with letters and numbers for the day and year. For example, the date could be written as November 15, 2020.
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3. Recipient’s Name and Address
This information is shown on the left margin, beneath the sender’s address. It includes the intended recipient’s name and postal address. It establishes a customized connection with the receiver by demonstrating your knowledge of them. You should also provide the recipient’s title or degree.
For example, if you’re writing to an English professor, use “John Ben, Ph.D.” On the second line below the name, write the firm name.
Write the recipient’s mailing address on the third line, beginning with the street and city, followed by the state and zip code on the fourth line. If the recipient lives in another country, provide the name of that country in the fourth line.
Check out How To Write An Email to a Teacher: Tips to Clear and Polite Email Writing
4. Salutations
After the recipient’s address, skip one line to write the salutation. The salutation you choose is determined by whether or not you know the letter’s recipient. The most common salutation is “Dear,” which is appropriate if you’ve never met the intended recipient. The salutation is followed by the person’s name and a colon or comma.
If you are not sure if the receiver is a man or a woman, use “Dear Sir or Madam” followed by a colon. If the addressee is a woman and you don’t know her marital status, address her as “Ms.” The same goes for professional titles like Dr., Professor, and Honorable.
Examples of salutations are:
- Dear Professor Okon
- Dear Mr. Paul
- Dear Ms. Ify
- Dear Dr. John
FAQs On How to Write Address in Application Letter
In a formal application letter, your address should be placed at the top left corner of the letter. It is followed by the date, and then the recipient’s address is placed below the date.
Yes, it’s customary to include the employer’s address below the date. This shows professionalism and helps ensure the letter reaches the correct department or individual within the company.
It’s best to avoid abbreviations in addresses, except for universally recognized ones like “St.” for street or “Ave.” for avenue. Always write out city and state names fully.
Conclusion
When deciding how to address a cover letter and who to send it to, your efforts in finding the right person and formatting your cover letter professionally can help you get the interview you’re looking for.
References
- coursera.org – How to Address a Cover Letter: Tips + Examples for Every Type
- novoresume.com – How to Address a Cover Letter in 2024
- corporatefinanceinstitute.com – How to Address a Letter
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