So, you have written a great resume, created a subject line, perfected your header, and tailored the rest of your cover letter perfectly; all that’s left is the right greeting. The proper salutation can impact whether a recruiter will set up an interview. Your salutation is an indicator of how much thought you have put into a cover letter. This is why it is preferable, in most cases, to refer to the hiring manager personally. The “Dear Hiring Manager” salutation is not always the best choice for a cover letter, but it can be appropriate in certain situations. This article will show you when it is appropriate to use this salutation and how to ensure you still make a great first impression when you use it.
While there are times when it is appropriate to use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern” as a cover letter salutation, it’s still not ideal. As such, tailoring your cover letter to suit the job description is more important than ever in these cases. If you want to make a good first impression, then you should follow these cover letter tips to personalize your job application:
Taking these steps to personalize your cover letter could mitigate any negative perceptions caused by using a generic cover letter salutation and prompt the hiring manager to initiate follow-up contact.
There are some occasions when the “Dear Hiring Manager” salutation is appropriate:
If you genuinely cannot find the name of the person who will be undertaking the hiring process, then it is acceptable to use a generic salutation (as long as it is professional). This may have a slight impact on your job search, especially if it turns out that the person's name was available somewhere online, but it need not be fatal.
Where there is a panel of people undertaking the hiring process, a generic salutation can be more professional and streamlined than a series of “Dear Mr./ Dear Mrs.” separated by commas.
If the recruiting manager has a gender-neutral name, and you cannot find any supplementary information to help you figure out whether you should use “Dear Mr.” or “Dear Ms.”, then it can be safer to use a generic greeting.
There are some companies that prefer applicants to use generic salutations for a number of reasons. If this is the case, then their preference will most likely be listed in the job posting; this is the only situation in which using a recruiter's full name may have a negative impact as it will show you didn’t read the job ad well.
Of course, this is not the only salutation option; there are other greetings that may be more appropriate for your cover letter format.
If you cannot find the full name of the hiring manager, or the hiring manager is actually a hiring team, then there are some alternatives that you can use without alienating a potential employer. Here are some alternatives that you can use when applying for a new job title:
You may have slightly lower chances of success if you use a generic salutation like this, but it should not prevent you from getting invited to job interviews. Furthermore, if many other applicants do the same, your chances will be improved. Nonetheless, you should make an attempt to find the hiring manager's name; if you are completely unable to, then it is better to use a professional salutation like “Dear Hiring Manager” than an informal one like “Hi.”
The best chance you have of finding the recruiting manager's name is by looking at their profile on the company website. This should be available via the ‘Our Team’ page (or the company's equivalent). If you cannot find the hiring manager in this way, then you can always phone the company to ask for the recruiter's name. This extra effort could even make a good impression!
The most important thing to keep in mind when writing a cover letter is the job posting that you are applying to. If you don’t know quite what to say, then consider the job description and the information in your resume, and then provide additional information that will show a hiring manager that you are suited to the role. You can also consider these cover letter writing tips to help you refine the content of your cover letter.
