How to Address a Cover Letter (and Who to Address)

For example:

Dear Mr./Ms. [last name],

Learn more about the subtleties of addressing a cover letter below, including what to do if you can’t find the hiring manager’s name.

How to find out who to address a cover letter to

If you don't have the employer's name from the job description, try the following to find it before you go with a generic greeting.

First, check these places:

• The company website: See if you can locate the hiring manager on the “About Us” or “Company Directory” page of the company’s website.
• LinkedIn: Use filters such as position title, location, and personal names to find out who heads the hiring team.
• Google search: Simply insert the company website and relevant title into Google in the following format: site:resumegenius.com “position title”

If you still can’t find the right person, contact the company to request the hiring manager’s name. Email the company and ask for the contact person's name (and direct email address if you don't have it already). Explain that you're applying for a position and you'd like to address your cover letter to someone responsible for filling that position.

How to address a cover letter without a name

If you still can't find the hiring manager's name, or you don't want to risk addressing the wrong person, here are the most common ways to address a cover letter without a name:

Salutations to avoid

To ensure you make a professional first impression on recruiters, avoid generic, old-fashioned greetings like these:

How to address a cover letter with a name

You can address your cover letter in a few different ways if you have the employer's name.

Use the right salutation

The proper salutation is “Dear” followed by the hiring manager's name.

“Hello” plus the first name is acceptable if you're applying to a job with a casual office culture or you know the hiring manager personally.

Use their academic, professional, or gendered title

In some cases, it might be unclear what title to use when addressing the hiring manager.

When you address a cover letter to a hiring manager with a professional or academic title (like Doctor or Professor), include their title in your salutation. You can write out the full title or use an abbreviation. For example, "Reverend" and "Rev." are both fine.

The only time it's acceptable to address the hiring manager with only their first name (for example, “Dear Mollie,”) is if you're writing a cover letter for an internal position or promotion in the same company, and you already know the hiring manager.

How to write a cover letter

Read our guide to learn how to write a cover letter that convinces employers you are the ideal person for the job.

Read Our Guide

Frequently asked questions about how to address a cover letter

Below, we answer some of the most common questions about addressing a cover letter.

How must I address a company in a cover letter?

Remember that an individual at a company will read your cover letter and be responsible for following up, so try to personalize your greeting with their name or their department.

Do cover letters need an address?

No, cover letters do not need an address. Traditionally, cover letters were sent in the mail or submitted in person, so they included both the applicant’s and the recipient’s addresses. These days cover letters are almost exclusively submitted electronically, meaning physical addresses are no longer needed.

Additionally, if you’re applying for a job in a different city or country, including an address on your cover letter (or resume) could put you at a disadvantage when compared to local candidates.

Conversely, if you're already local to the area, you can add your town and state in your cover letter header to communicate to employers that you don't need to relocate for the job.

How do I address a generic cover letter?

Always aim to make every cover letter as personalized as possible, and avoid sending out generic applications.

However, using “Dear Hiring Manager,” or “Dear [Name of] Department” is acceptable if you do not have the person’s name on hand.