Your cover letter provides you an opportunity to make a good impression on the hiring manager and demonstrate that you have done research on the company. The more customized the content is, the better! Avoid beginning your letter with an overly generic greeting such as “Dear Sir or Madam” or “To Whom it May Concern”. Instead, consider these ideas: 

• Begin the letter with a salutation to the hiring manager using their last name and including a “Mr.” or “Ms.” (e.g. Ms. Bryant). Consider calling the company and asking for the name of the hiring manager for the specific position, or reach out to your connections who might have that information.

• If you know the person’s name but are uncertain of their gender you can use their first and last name in the salutation (e.g. Dear Pat Smith). LinkedIn can also be a helpful resource as many individuals include a photo on their profile.

• If you are unable to find the hiring manager’s name, use a greeting such as “Dear Hiring Manger”. When applying for faculty positions in higher education, you may want to use the greeting “Dear Search Committee”.

Visit the cover letter section of the Career Center for additional tips on how to customize your letter. View our cover letter samples for examples of customized cover letters.