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How to Address a Cover Letter in 2024 (with Examples)

It always makes you think - how to address a cover letter? How to address a cover letter without a name? Worry not, our guide we'll show you how to do it like a pro.

There’s a right and wrong way to address a cover letter .

Way #1: The employer thinks, “This applicant’s got a brain.”

Way #2: She thinks, “Yuck. Another dud.”

It’s not rocket science. Just pick the right salutation and the right address cover letter format.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• Who to address a cover letter to.
• How to address a cover letter without a name.
• Addressing a cover letter—format + examples.
• How to dodge the worst cover letter address mistakes.

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Here’s how to address a cover letter with no name:

How to Address a Cover Letter Example

Briella Keijzers Software Engineer 1834 Candlelight Drive Alvin, TX 77511 917-940-0130 [email protected]

Software Engineer Hiring Manager Treble Frinchet, Inc. 3621 Adams Drive Houston, TX 77002

Dear Software Engineer Hiring Manager,

Raising user experience scores 32% at Cunning Ferb Solutions was a daunting challenge. However, when I led the team that...

That’s addressing a cover letter to unknown. Need more how to address cover letters samples? Want the proper address format on a cover letter for resumes? Read on.

1. How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Name

To address a cover letter without a name, you can use some variation of 'Dear Marketing Team Hiring Manager' or 'Dear Hiring Manager'. However, it is always better to find someone to address.

If you don't find the name of the hiring manager, you can address it to the head of the department for the position you’re applying for. Imagine you’re reading cover letters.

One starts, Dear sir or madam.  Trash can, right?

Of course you won’t do that. But if you don’t know how to address a cover letter without a name, you’ll look just as bad.

How to Address Cover Letters Without a Name—Examples

Who to address cover letters to if unknown:

• Dear PM Hiring Manager,
• Dear Software Engineer Hiring Team,
• To the Customer Service Search Committee,
• To the IT Recruitment Team,

Why do those addressing a cover letter examples work? They’re not generic. They show you’re not spraying resumes at a million jobs. Don’t like them?

Use Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Recruiter. You can even drop the cover letter greeting and start with the first paragraph.

2. How to Find Out Who to Address a Cover Letter To

“This one’s no dummy.”  What if you could make the hiring manager say that? You can. Just use their name.

But who do you address a cover letter to? In the XXI century, it’s easy to find.

Who Do I Address My Cover Letter To?

There are a few ways you can learn who to address your cover letter to:

• Check the job posting. If the name’s there and you don’t use it, hello trash can.
• Read the email address. If it’s [email protected], search “h hennequin” and “treblefrinchet.com.” You’ll likely find the name.
• Check the company website. Many companies list department heads under about us .
• Call the company. Ask the admin assistant who to address a cover letter to.
• Look on LinkedIn. Search the company name + manager job titles.
• Ask your network. See if a contact on LinkedIn or Facebook works there.

Still can’t find the name for addressing a cover letter?

Ditch the cover letter salutation and start with your first paragraph.

Expert Hint: Avoid Hello, Hi, Dear Sir or Madam, and To Whom It May Concern letters. They come off lazy and spammy.

3. Duck These Blunders in Addressing a Cover Letter

Avoid these common, deadly how to address a cover letter  bear traps:

• Double-check the gender. Are you writing to a gender-neutral name like Ari, Jules, or Pat? Peek at the LinkedIn profile pic for gender clues.
• Use Ms. —not Miss or Mrs . Ms works whether she’s married or single.
• Use titles. If it’s Dr., Rev, Prof, or Sgt they’ll appreciate the respect.
• Drop the last name only if they drop it first—in their response to you.
• Spell check. Don’t make employers think you’re sloppy.

Expert Hint: If you don’t like Dear Hiring Manager cover letters, drop the “Dear.” Employers are used to it, but you can start with, “Hiring Manager,”.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here .

4. Cover Letter Address Format

Here’s how to start cover letters with good presentation:

Your Name Title Street Address City, State, ZIP Phone Email Address

Hiring Manager Name (if possible) Hiring Manager Title Company Name Street Address City, State, ZIP

Dear [Manager Name or Title],

For specifics, see the addressing a cover letter example up top.

How to Address an Email Cover Letter

Use these tips for addressing a cover letter email:

• Subject Line: 5-10 words—“Job Application for” + position you’re applying to.
• Start with a cover letter salutation like Dear Dr. Manzanilla,
• Put your name, email address, and phone number at the end.

Email Subject Line:  Job Application for Engineering Position, referred by Karen Sheng

Cover Letter Email:

Dear Mr. Grohl,

When I slashed costs by...

Expert Hint: Did someone tell you about the job? Add her to your email cover letter subject line. Example: Job Application for Engineering Position—Referred by Karen Sheng.

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Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Just pick one of 21 resume templates and get started now .

Key Points:

Here’s a recap of how to address a cover letter:

• Who do you address a cover letter to? Use the hiring manager’s name. To find it, check the job posting, LinkedIn, and company website.
• How to address a cover letter without a name: Use Dear [XYZ] Hiring Manager. Example: Dear Sales Team Hiring Manager.
• Avoid obvious mistakes. Check spelling, gender, and titles. Use Ms. instead of Miss or Mrs.
• When emailing cover letters and resumes, write a subject line with “Application for” + job title. Start with “Dear.” Save contact info for the end.

Got more questions on how to address a cover letter? Still confused on how addressing cover letters works? Leave a comment. We’re happy to reply.

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At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines , ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets . Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Having published over 200 career-advice articles, Tom Gerencer is a career expert who covers the whole array of job-seeking topics for people at all career stages, from interns to C-suite members. His insights, commentary, and articles reach over a million readers every month. With inside knowledge of key industry players and in-depth research, Tom helps job seekers with advice across all professions and career stages. Tom holds a degree in English from Colby College.

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Blog Cover Letter Help How to Address a Cover Letter

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

Addressing your cover letter directly to the hiring manager is the best way to start it. No matter how you format your cover letter , begin it with a personalized greeting so the hiring manager sees you’ve researched the company.

As featured in *

Knowing how to address a cover letter properly is the first step toward starting your cover letter .

Our free-to-use cover letter builder can make you a cover letter in as little as 5 minutes. Just pick the template you want, and our software will format everything for you.

Who to address a cover letter to

You should address a cover letter to the hiring manager of the job you’re applying for, or the HR manager of the company. A basic cover letter salutation (or greeting) uses the hiring manager’s first and last name and includes a “Mr.”, “Ms.”, or other relevant professional title before their name.

But you’ll often find yourself in situations where there’s no personal contact information in the job post or if you’re cold emailing for a job, you’re unsure of who to contact. Either way, you’ll need to address your letter the right way, and addressing the hiring manager is the safest way to do so.

How to write a cover letter

Dread writing cover letters? Read our guide to learn how to write a great cover letter that convinces hiring managers you’re the ideal person for the job.

How to find out who to address a cover letter to

In many cases, the hiring manager’s name will be mentioned in the job description. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name in the job description, make the effort to find their name elsewhere. It’s worth the extra work, so use the following sources to help you find the hiring manager’s name:

• 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 : Browse the company’s LinkedIn page and use filters such as position title, location, and personal names to find out who heads the hiring team.
• Google search : A targeted Google search can help you uncover the name of the hiring manager. Simply insert the company website and relevant title into Google in the following format: site:resumegenius.com “position title”
• Contact the company : If you’re still unable to find the hiring manager’s name, call or 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.

Addressing your cover letter to the hiring manager directly allows you to quickly establish a personal connection and shows you’ve done your research. A cover letter addressed to the right person and tailored to the company you’re applying for is more likely to get noticed than a generic cover letter sent to multiple companies.

This is why it’s so crucial to address a cover letter the right way.

If you decide to use email, you can approach someone within the same department you’re interested in and ask for the hiring manager’s contact information.

How to address a cover letter without a name

If you’ve exhausted all your options and still can’t find the hiring manager’s name, or you’re not positive it’s the right name and don’t want to risk addressing the wrong person, it’s better to be on the safe side.

So don’t worry, there are plenty of options you can try if the hiring manager’s name is unknown. Here are the most common ways to address a cover letter without a name :

• To Whom It May Concern
• Dear Human Resources Director
• Dear Hiring Manager
• Dear Recruitment Manager

Additionally, if you want to add a personal touch, address your cover letter to your prospective department or manager. For example, “Dear Customer Service Department,”.

If you download a cover letter sample online, make sure you personalize the greeting. Many samples use “ To Whom It May Concern ” or “ Dear Sir or Madam ” which is considered old-fashioned and generic.  While it’s unlikely that any employer will hold your cover letter salutation against you, being specific in your cover letter address is still the best policy.

How to address a cover letter with a name

Even when you have the hiring manager’s name, there are still a few different ways to address your cover letter.

Use the right salutation

First thing’s first: you need to use the proper salutation. Usually, “Dear” followed by the hiring manager’s name is perfect because it’s traditional and professional.

However, “Hello” is also acceptable if you’re applying to a job with a casual office culture or you know the hiring manager personally.

Not including a salutation and just starting your cover letter with the hiring manager’s first and last name is also acceptable.

Use their academic, professional, or gendered title

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

If the hiring manager has a gender-neutral name, it’s best not to assume their gender and risk making a mistake. In this situation, simply avoid gender-specific titles such as “Mr.” and “Ms.” in your greeting.

Instead, do either of the following to make your cover letter salutation gender-neutral:

• Write out their first and last names in full (e.g. Jordan Reeves)
• Use the gender-neutral pronoun “ Mx. “, in the case that the hiring manager explicitly wants to be addressed this way

An easy way to confirm the gender of the hiring manager is by doing a quick search for their name on LinkedIn . In some cases, hiring managers list their gender pronouns at the top of their profile to clarify.

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.

Here are some examples of a few different ways to address your cover letter:

• Dear Sam Jones,
• Dear Mx. Lopez,
• Dear Ms. Patel,
• Dear Prof. Tsai,

If you’re addressing your cover letter with “Dear” you should always use the hiring manager’s last name.

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.

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How to Address a Cover Letter to Recruiter or Hiring Manager

5 min read · Updated on November 24, 2021

Knowing how to effectively address a cover letter makes you a very visible and appealing candidate.

Did you know that the cardinal rule of cover letters is personalization? It impresses a hiring manager or recruiter because it tells them you took time to research the specific information for the letter rather than sending a generic version.

What many people forget, however, is that the greeting or salutation in a cover letter must also be personalized with the hiring professional's first and last name whenever possible.

There are several effective ways to find the hiring manager's name for your greeting — and some acceptable back-up strategies when you can't. Either way, knowing how to address a cover letter effectively can prevent you from ending your hiring chances before they even begin. 

When you know the hiring manager's name

More often than not, you'll be given the name of the hiring professional or the manager that you'll work for. Whoever it is, use their full name (first and last name) in the greeting. 

If you cannot definitively tell the gender of the hiring person, do not use a gender-based title such as “Mr.” or “Ms.” in the greeting. Instead just use the person's full name.

For example, Alex Johnson could be male or female. To avoid a gender mistake, use Dear Alex Johnson, Hello Alex Johnson, or simply Alex Johnson .

However, professional titles such as “Professor” or “Dr.” are definitely acceptable as a cover letter salutation and should be used as a sign of respect. Be on the lookout for these and other titles to include.

How to find a hiring manager's name for your cover letter

If you're not given the name of the hiring manager, here are some effective ways to discover their name by using:

The job description: Check this document for the hiring manager's name. While it's not generally listed, you never know. If it's not obvious, there's also a trick to quickly discover an email in the job description that might contain the name; while in the document, press Ctrl +F or run Command + F and search for the @ symbol.

An email address: If you discover an email address, it may not have a full name but rather a first initial and last name or just a first name like [email protected] or [email protected] . A Google search combining the person's name as shown in the email and the company name might find you the person's full name.

 A LinkedIn post: A name connected to the LinkedIn job posting is probably that of the hiring professional who posted it, so use that name in your greeting.

The supervisor's title: It's more likely that a job description will list who the new hire will report to — such as the director of accounting — without listing a name. In this case, there are several search options:

Search the company's website for listings of staff members by title.

Run an advanced LinkedIn or Google search for all directors of accounting at that specific company.

Check with your network for someone who might know the person's name or search the appropriate professional networking sites.

Contact the company by phone or email. Tell them you're applying for [job title] and want to address your cover letter to the right person.

In the end, this research can be the difference between making a great first impression and getting noticed for the position — or getting totally ignored by the hiring manager. 

Acceptable options in lieu of a name

If you try the steps above and come up empty, there are still some alternative greeting options that will put you in a professional light.

The idea is to show that you've read the job description and tailored your greeting based on the company department where the job is located, the hiring manager's title, or the team with which you'll potentially work.

Some good examples include:

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

If you still can't find any specific name or department information, go with “Dear Hiring Manager.” It sounds professional and it's not gender-specific. In fact, a recent survey of over 2000 companies by Saddleback College showed that 40 percent preferred “Dear Hiring Manager” as the best greeting when a manager's name can't be found. 

“Dear Sir or Madam” is another option that works because it's gender-neutral and respectful. However, it sounds a bit old-fashioned and may signal a hiring professional that you're an older worker or just not aware of other greeting options. It's perfectly acceptable, but the better choice is “Dear Hiring Manager.” 

In the end, an actual name or any of the alternative examples will let you stand out from the crowd, so do your best to find and use those whenever you can.

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 lazy or 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.

When you spend the time and effort to personalize your cover letter, you don't want to come across as “just another candidate” by using a generic greeting or no greeting at all.

A personalized greeting will impress any hiring professional, increasing the chance they'll read your entire cover letter — and ask you for an interview.

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

Recommended Reading:

Do Hiring Managers Actually Read Cover Letters?

5 Things to Say in Your Cover Letter If You Want to Get the Job

How To Write a Cover Letter (With Example)

Related Articles:

How to Create a Resume With No Education

From Bland to Beautiful: How We Made This Professional's Resume Shine

See how your resume stacks up.

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How to Address a Cover Letter With Examples

Options for Addressing a Cover Letter

• Letter Without a Contact Person
• Non-Gender-Specific Names

What Title to Use

• Address an Email Cover Letter
• Review a Sample Cover Letter

Before You Send Your Letter

One of the trickiest parts of writing a cover letter comes at the very beginning. Much of the time, you won’t know exactly who will read your letter. How do you address your cover letter when you don’t have the contact person’s name and/or gender ?

First of all, try to find out the name of the contact person. Some employers will think poorly of an applicant who does not take the time to learn the hiring manager’s name. Also, take care not to assume that you know the gender of the recipient based on the name. Many names are gender-neutral, and some hiring managers may identify as a gender other than male or female.

It’s also possible that you’ll do your research and still be unable to figure out to whom you are addressing your letter. In that case, it's better to be safe and use a generic greeting . It's also acceptable to start a letter without a greeting and start with the first paragraph of your letter .

You have a lot of options when addressing your letter. Learn more about the possibilities before you make your choice.

How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Contact Person

There are a variety of general cover letter salutations you can use to address your letter. These general cover letter salutations do not require you to know the name of the hiring manager.

In a survey of more than 2,000 companies, Saddleback College found that employers preferred the following greetings:  

• Dear Sir/Madam (27%)
• To Whom It May Concern  (17%)
• Dear Human Resources Director (6%)
• Leave it blank (8%)

Do keep in mind that terms like "To Whom It May Concern" may seem dated, so the best options may be either to use "Dear Hiring Manager" or not to include a greeting at all. Simply start with the first paragraph of your letter.

How to Address a Cover Letter for a Non-Gender-Specific Name

If you do have a name but aren't sure of the person's gender, one option is to include both the first name and the last name in your salutation, without a title that reveals gender:

• Dear Sydney Doe
• Dear Taylor Smith
• Dear Jamie Brown

With these types of gender-ambiguous names,  LinkedIn  can be a helpful resource. Since many people include a photo with their profile, a simple search of the person's name and company within LinkedIn could potentially turn up the contact's photograph.

Again, you can also check the company website or call the company’s administrative assistant to get more information as well.

Even if you know the name and gender of the person to whom you are writing, think carefully about what title you will use in your salutation.

For example, if the person is a doctor or holds a Ph.D., you might want to address your letter to “Dr. Lastname” rather than “Ms. Lastname” or “Mr. Lastname.” Other titles might be “Prof.,” “Rev.,” or “Sgt.,” among others.

When you address a letter to a female employer, use the title “Ms.” unless you know for certain that she prefers another title (such as “Miss” or “Mrs.”).

“Ms.” is a general title that does not denote marital status, so it works for any female employer.

How to Address an Email Cover Letter

Hiring managers get a lot of emails each day. Make it easy for them to scan your email and follow up by including a clear subject line and a signature with your contact information. It's important to address the email cover letter correctly, including the name of the person hiring for the position if you have a contact, to ensure that your letter gets noticed.

Subject Line of Email Message

Never leave the subject line blank. There is a good chance that if a hiring manager receives an email with no subject line, they’ll delete it without even bothering to open it, or it could end up in their spam mailbox. Instead, write a clear subject indicating your intentions.

List the job you are applying for in the  subject line of your email message , so the employer knows what job you are interested in. They may be hiring for multiple positions, and you will want them to identify the position you’re interested in easily.

How to Address the Contact Person

There are a variety of  cover letter salutations  you can use to address your email message. If you have a contact person at the company, address the letter to Ms. or Mr. Lastname. If you aren’t given a contact person, check to see if you can  determine the email recipient's name .

If you can’t find a contact person at the company, you can either leave off the salutation from your cover letter and  start with the first paragraph  of your letter or use a  general salutation .

How to Format the Salutation

Once you have chosen a salutation, follow it with a colon or comma, a space, and then start the first paragraph of your letter. For example:

Dear Hiring Manager:

First paragraph of the letter.

Body of Email Cover Letter

The body of your cover letter  lets the employer know what position you are applying for, and why the employer should select you for an interview. This is where you'll sell yourself as a candidate. Review the job posting and include examples of your attributes that closely match the ones they are looking for.

When you're sending an  email cover letter , it's important to follow the employer's instructions on how to submit your cover letter and resume.

Make sure that your email cover letters are as well-written as any other documents you send.

If you have attached your resume, mention this as part of your conclusion. Then finish your cover letter by thanking the employer for considering you for the position. Include information on how you will follow up. Include a closing, then list your name and your  email signature .

Your email signature should include your name, full address, phone number, email address, and  LinkedIn Profile URL  (if you have one) so it is easy for hiring managers to get in touch.

Firstname Lastname  Street Address  (optional) City, State Zip Code  Email  Phone  LinkedIn

Sample Cover Letter

This is a cover letter example. Download the cover letter template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more examples.

Sample Cover Letter (Text Version)

Mary Garcia 12 Rogers Avenue Townville, New Hampshire 03060 555-555-5555 mary.garcia@email.com

February 17, 2021

Franklin Lee

CBI Industries 39 Main Street Townville, New Hampshire 03060

Dear Mr. Lee:

I was excited to see your ad for the operations assistant position in your Townville offices.

I have five years of experience as an operations assistant/associate. In my most recent role at ABC Corp., I fulfilled orders, resolved customer issues, ordered supplies, and prepared reports. In previous roles, I’ve done bookkeeping, data entry, and sales support. Basically, anything your department needs to run smoothly, I can do – and most likely, I already have experience doing it.

My other skills include:

• Strong communication skills, in person, in writing, and on the phone
• Excellent attention to detail and organization skills
• Top-notch customer service
• Experience in the industry and passion for the product
• Adept at all the usual professional software, including Microsoft Office Suite

I’ve included my resume for your review. Please contact me if you have questions or would like to schedule an interview. Thank you for your consideration.

Signature (hard copy letter)

Mary Garcia

Review Cover Letter Samples: It’s hard to write cover letters from scratch. To make life easier – and to make sure you don’t forget any of those pesky formatting rules —start by reviewing cover letter samples . Sending an email version instead? Look at a few examples of email cover letters to get started.

Customize Your Cover Letter: Why personalize your cover letter every time you apply for a job? Because even similar job titles have different requirements. The goal of a cover letter is to show the hiring manager that you’re the best candidate for this particular job. Customizing your cover letter will help you emphasize your skills and experience and how they fit with the job requirements .

Spell-Check Names: Before sending your cover letter, make absolutely sure that you have spelled the hiring manager’s name correctly. That is the kind of small error that can cost you a job interview.

Carefully Proofread Your Letter: Whether you're sending an email or uploading or attaching a printable cover letter, it's important to make sure that your cover letter and resume are written as well as any other business correspondence. If you can, have a friend proofread before you hit send, to pick up any typos or grammatical errors.

Saddleback College. " Your Resume is Your 1st Interview ," Page 14. Accessed Feb. 17, 2021.

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How to address a cover letter?

I'm sure that you had to create a cover letter at some point in your job search. And like most other job seekers, you probably came across this problem: "How to address a cover letter?"

Most of the time, you have no idea who is going to read the cover letter.

So, how to address a cover letter without a name?

Hiring managers get roughly 100-200 resumes every day. And, they are already under a lot of pressure to sort the resumes.

On top of that, if they get cover letters that do not have proper formatting and do not address the hiring manager in the cover letter header, mark my words; they will surely throw your resume away.

In a resume cover letter, minute details make or break your chance of being hired.

So, you need to make sure that you know how to address cover letter correctly.

Don't worry!

In this blog, we will tell you everything you need to know about:

• Who to address cover letter to?
• How to address a cover letter without a name?
• How to find out who to address a cover letter to?
• How to address an email cover letter?
• How to address a cover letter for internal position?
• What should you not do when addressing a cover letter?
• Example of Proper Cover letter address format?
• Some common question about how to address cover letter

Who to Address a Cover Letter To?

Ideally, you need to address your cover letter to hiring managers , not the recruiters .

In many job postings, the name or email address of the hiring manager is given.

If you are lucky enough to find such job listings, then you are sorted. You can write a personalized cover letter addressing the hiring manager directly.

Unfortunately, not many job listing sites give the name and email address of the contact person.

Do not quit and send the cover letter without a name.

Go to the company website/about page and see if it has the list of staff.

That way, you can probably get the hiring manager's name or someone from the talent acquisition department to whom you need to address your cover letter.

The critical aspect is to do a lot of research .

Suppose you still don't find any name or contact information of anyone in the hiring department. In that case, you can also address your cover letter to someone in authority in other departments, such as the senior manager or the head of the department you are applying for.

It is a hundred times better to address your cover letter to someone in the organization than not addressing it at all.

At least, this way, they will understand that you are not throwing rocks in the dark. You have done your research and have good ideas about the organization.

Also Read: How to write a stellar cover letter in 2022?

How to Address a Cover letter Without a Name?

There are plenty of generic cover letter salutations you can use in your cover letter. These generic cover letter salutations eliminate the need to know the name of the contact person.

The only drawback is that you have no option to personalize your cover letter.

A survey conducted by Saddleback College has seen that only 8% of hiring managers are ok with a cover letter without name. But 92% of hiring managers prefer to have some address in the cover letter.

• Dear Hiring Manager (40%)
• Dear Sir/Madam (27%)
• To Whom It May Concern (17%)
• Dear Human Resources Director (6%)

However, we don't recommend you to use to whom it may concern in your cover letter address.

Instead, the best general salutation can be "Dear Hiring Manager."

If you want to personalize the address, you can address your cover letter to the specific department you are applying for. For example, "Dear Digital Marketing Department."

How to Address Cover Letter When You Don't Know Hiring Manager's Gender?

There will be times when you will find the gender-neutral name of the hiring manager. In that case, altogether avoid using gender-specific cover letter addresses. Instead, address with their both name and last name in the salutation like this:

• Dear John Doe,
• Dear Charlie Brown ,
• Dear Taylor Paisley,

Hiration Pro Tip : In this type of gender-neutral name, you can search for the person on Linkedin to find out their gender. Alternatively, you can search on the company page or call the company reception to get more information about the hiring manager.

How to Address Cover Letter When You Know Hiring Manager's Gender?

If you know the hiring manager's gender, things will be much easier for you. For men, you can address the hiring manager with "Mr.," but things get a bit tricky for female hiring managers.

Imagine this,

You have addressed the hiring manager with "Miss.," and if she turns out to be married, it will not look good on your part. You definitely do not want to offend your hiring manager.

Instead of "Miss" or "Mrs.," use " Ms.," which does not focus on their marital status.

• Dear. Ms. Moore,
• Dear Miss Jane,
• Dear Mrs. Black,

Should You Address the Hiring Manager With Only Their First Name?

If you know the hiring manager personally, only then can you use their first name to address the cover letter. Else, address the letter with their full name.

How to Use Professional Titles When Addressing a Cover Letter?

If the hiring manager has a professional or academic title, don't forget to address them by their title. You can write the full title like this:

• "Dear Doctor Taylor,"

Or you can use the abbreviated form like this:

• Dear Dr. Taylor ,
• Dear Sgt. Park,
• Dear Prof. Hoverman,
• Dear Principal Fury,

Also Read: How long should a cover letter be?

How Do You Find Out Who to Address a Cover Letter To?

If you don't find the hiring manager's name and contact information on the job description, don't just leave it like that! Do some research and put some effort into finding the name and email id of the hiring manager.

It may take some extra effort, but it shows that you are interested in this job. This section will tell you everything you need to know about finding the hiring manager's name and to who you address a cover letter.

Call the Company

Calling the company to ask for a hiring manager's details is the best way to accurately determine the hiring manager's name and number.

• Call the company desk
• State who you are and why you are calling
• Tell that you are applying for a job position and confirm who the hiring manager is for addressing in the cover letter.
• Most of the time, the hiring manager will happily give you the information you need.

Tip : When taking their name, ask for the spelling of the hiring manager's name. You do not want to screw up the spelling.

If the company desk refuses to give information for any reason, don't worry; we have four other ways in our arsenal.

Network With People Working With Prospective Employer

The second best way to get the hiring manager's name and contact information is to connect with your prospective employer's employees.

This way, you can ask your connection to refer you to the hiring manager or ask for the hiring manager's contact information when a job becomes available.

It is easier than you think.

Just do a quick Linkedin search and see the employers active on Linkedin.

Now, slowly start engaging with the person you want to connect with.

After a couple of days, send them a personalized connection request and slowly build a rapport.

You do not want to ask right out for reference after introducing yourself. Instead, add some value to the conversation, and show genuine interest in them.

This process takes some time, but the connection you will make with these people will take you a long way in your professional journey.

Read the Job Description Carefully

It is a sad truth that most job seekers do not read the job description carefully. In this way, they miss vital information and potentially the hiring manager's contact name and details.

Most of the job descriptions contain the email address of the hiring manager at the end. And you can easily find the name of the contact person with the email address.

Most professional email ids contain the name of the person and the company name. For example, [email protected] has two parts- Judy.M and hiraiton.com.

And if you search on Google by the first part of the email address "Judy.M" and the company name, there is a high chance that you will find the Linkedin profile of the respective person. And you can get to know other information about them as well.

Find Out Who Will Become Your Superior or Manager

Many job descriptions include the details about the reporting manager. In such cases, you need to address your cover letter to the reporting manager.

You can find more information about the reporting manager by a quick Linkedin search with the reporting manager's job title and the company.

If the company is larger, there may be multiple individuals with the same job title. In that case, you can further narrow down your search by location.

Do an Online Search

Another easy way to search for the hiring manager is by simply doing a Google search. Google will show you the most relevant results for your search query. Example: See in this example how the first result itself answered your question.

Also Read: How to address a cover letter without name?

How to Address a Email Cover Letter?

We live in a digital age now.

Nowadays, most candidates send email cover letters to the hiring managers. And hiring managers get 100s of email cover letters daily.

To stand out from these 100s of email cover letters, you need to make sure your email cover address is perfect.

1. Subject Line of Email Cover Letter

The first thing the hiring manager will see is your email cover letter subject line. So, never leave the subject line blank.

Hiring managers sort the email cover letters by the job title. And if your cover letter does not have a subject line, it will not show in the hiring manager's list.

Here is an example cover letter subject line :

Subject line: Job Application for Video Editor Position, Ref: Hanna Moore

2. Address the Cover Letter in the Correct Way

The rules of a formal cover letter and an email cover letter salutation are similar. You can refer to the previous section of this blog to know more about it. Here is an example of an email cover letter address

• "Dear Mr. Doe,"

Note : Recent trends have seen many job seekers do not include "Dear" in the salutation. You can do that too. There is nothing wrong with it.

Also Read: How to start a cover letter for maximum impact?

How to Address a Cover Letter for Internal Position?

If you address the cover letter to higher management or hiring manager, always use their name to address in the cover letter.

luckily, since it's an internal position, you can easily find the name of the person by asking your colleagues.

What Not to Do When Addressing a Cover Letter

Even if you did everything right on your resume and cover letter, starting it wrong may cost you a chance to get a call for an interview.

Let's see what you should not do when addressing a cover letter.

Do Not Address the Cover Letter to the Recruiter

" Recruiters do not read cover letters. "

Recruiters only sort the resumes by keywords and forward the same to the hiring managers.

This is the golden rule you need to keep in mind when addressing a cover letter. Always address the cover letter to the hiring manager.

Do Not Address the Cover Letter to an Ex. Hiring Manager

Company websites do not get updated regularly. If a hiring manager leaves the company, you may still find their name and contact information on the website or other third-party websites. So, be extra careful when addressing a cover letter.

Spelling the Hiring Manager or Company Name Wrong

Do not sabotage your first impression by making a spelling mistake on the hiring manager's name or the company name. It demonstrates a lack of attention to detail.

Do Not Start With a Bland Greeting

Avoid using to whom it may concern cover letter address. It is very generic and shows utter laziness on your part. It projects that you did not put much effort into writing the cover letter.

Example of a Cover Letter Address Format

Here is an example of a proper cover letter address format:

Frequently Asked Questions

How to address a cover letter to a large company.

If you have to address a cover letter to a large company, and you don't know the hiring manager's name, you can always address the cover letter to the department you are applying job to. For example:

• Dear Finance Department
• Dear Marketing Team
• Dear Customer Service Department

Can I get creative with my cover letter address?

There is no restriction on being creative with addressing a cover letter. It is essential to research and understand who your audience is and if he/she will appreciate your creativity.

For example, if you do something creative with your cover letter salutation to apply in a creative field, it will get the hiring manager's attention.

On the other hand, if you apply for a technical position, you might hold off from showing your creativity on the cover letter address.

Should a cover letter address the company location?

It is a traditional practice to include the company address in the cover letter. Primary because it is a formal document, it would be better to add the company address before starting your cover letter.

Should a cover letter header include the candidate's address?

The candidate's address is an essential part of the cover letter. If not the whole address, at least City, Country should be mentioned in the cover letter. Example:

• "Pine Bluff, AR"

This helps the hiring manager sort the candidates based on location.

Also, the Application Tracking Softwares sort the resumes and cover letters based on their locations. And if your location is not mentioned in the cover letter, it might get unnoticed by the ATS software.

Should a cover letter header, and resume header be the same?

Ideally, your cover letter header should be the name of the role you are applying for. And resume heading should be your current job title. For example, if you are currently working as a data analyst, your Resume headline should be something like:

• "Jr. Data Analyst."

And you are applying for a Data Scientist position, then your cover letter heading should be,

• "Data Scientist"

There is no hard and fast rule, but this is the approach we at Hiration follow, and it has been working for our clients.

You can also write the same heading for the cover letter and resume if you like. It has some added advantages. If the cover letter gets misplaced, it will be a lot easier to trace it back to the resume.

How to write the intro to a cover letter?

If you want to hook the hiring manager to read your cover letter, you need to write a professional intro explaining why you are applying and what role you are applying for.

You need to remember that hiring managers are often dealing with recruitment for more than one position. And it will help them if you specifically mention what role you are applying for.

Key Takeaways

With that, we have come to the end of this blog. By now, you should get all of your questions answered. But still, if you have any questions regarding how to address a cover letter and who to address a cover letter, let's go over the key takeaways of the blog:

• Do not send the cover letter without addressing someone.
• If you do not know who to address, call the company desk or go to LinkedIn to search the hiring manager's name.
• If you do not know the name, you can address the cover letter with "Dear Hiring Manager,"
• Alternatively, you can address the cover letter to the head of the department you are applying for. For example: "Dear Sr. Marketing Manager,"
• Make sure to use accurate professional and academic titles with the name of hiring managers.
• Do not use "To whom it may concern." It is old-fashioned and does not impress the hiring manager nowadays.

Go to Hiration career platform which has 24/7 chat support and get professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries. You can also write to us at [email protected] and we will make sure to reach out to you as soon as possible.

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How to Address a Cover Letter: Tips + Examples for Every Type

Learn how to address a cover letter under different circumstances and how to find a contact to send the letter to when you don’t have a name.

When you're applying for a job or contacting an employer speculatively, the format of your cover letter will vary depending on whether you have a named contact and the reason for your letter. It's important that you address a cover letter properly as it's the first thing the reader will see, so you should strive to make a good first impression with it.

In this article, you'll learn what a cover letter is and why it's important along with tips on how to address different recipients for various types of cover letters.

What is a cover letter and why is it important?

A cover letter is a document sent in conjunction with your resume or application for a job opening. A great cover letter expresses your reason for applying and pulls together all the main evidence supporting why you're the best person for the job, as outlined in your resume, application, and any other supporting documents.

Each cover letter you write is highly tailored to the position you’re applying for and the hiring company. It should address essential criteria and elaborate on important points in your resume. Consider your cover letter to be your sales pitch. A great cover letter will be an invitation for a recruiter to read your resume or application.

Who do you address a cover letter to?

Your cover letter should be addressed to the person responsible for recruitment. If you don’t know the name of the person, there are ways to find out. Getting this can be the difference between your letter being read or lost in the pile, so follow the guidelines below to make sure you address your cover letter most effectively.

Addressing a cover letter with a name

If you have a name for your recipient, this is the best start. It means the letter will likely be delivered to the appropriate person, rather than get lost or sent to someone without the decision-making power you require.

A cover letter is a formal document, and so it should be addressed as such. The most professional way to do this is with “Dear.” For example:

Dear Mr. Miller,

Dear Ms. Jones,

Dear Dr. Lopez,

If you don’t know the person’s gender or preferred pronouns, you can use their first name. For example: “Dear James Miller.” Follow the salutation with a comma. 

What about "Mrs."?

Traditionally, "Mrs." was used to address married women who took their partner's surname after they tied the knot. Today, though, it's less common in professional settings and likely best to avoid, unless your recipient has explicitly used it to refer to themselves in their correspondence with you.

For female identifying recruiters, u se "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

If the recipient of your cover letter has a professional title, always include it. Someone with a PhD will be "Dr." rather than "Mr./Ms." This also makes things easier if you are unsure of which personal pronoun to use.

Addressing a cover letter without a named recipient

When you're uncertain what the name of your recipient is, it’s definitely worth taking the time to find it. This is covered in more detail in our "First steps in determining a recipient" section below.

But, if you absolutely can’t find a name, address your cover letter to the appropriate department within the company or organization. For example: “Dear [Department] Hiring Team.” If you know the job title of the person you need to send your letter to and it’s just their actual name that eludes you, address their position instead. For instance: “Dear Head of [Department]” or “Dear Director of [Department].”

Addressing a speculative cover letter

When writing a speculative cover letter—one that isn't in response to a job posting—the principles are much like the above. You may or may not know the name of the person you're trying to reach. If you do, so much the better. Include the name.

The difference with a speculative letter is that you may have been given the name of the appropriate recipient by a mutual connection. If this is the case, mention that 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.

Addressing a cover letter sent by email

Addressing a cover letter to send via email is slightly different from a printed letter. A printed letter would include the address of the recipient and the date, which is not necessary in an email, as the letter will simply be the body of the email.

However, your email still needs to be as professional as a traditional cover letter. Use a formal way of addressing the letter, just as you would in a printed cover letter. 

The subject line is all-important with an email cover letter in order to be noticed amid the hundreds of emails a recruiter might receive. Include your name, the job title you’re applying for or reason for contact, and what is included in the documents you're 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

If you don’t have a recipient for your cover letter, you'll need to do some research. It might even be the case that you have a name, but not an email address. Here are some tips for hunting down elusive contacts and their addresses.

1. Research websites

Check out the company website and social media sites. Use Google to piece together what you know and find details on lesser-known websites, such as About pages. For example, if you know the desired department to contact, you can search for, “Head of Marketing for [Department]” and see what it brings up.

If you have a name but no contact address, you can search your contact: “Mr Jones, Head of Marketing at [Company].” You may be lucky enough to find a social media page this way, if not a contact email address.

2. Call the company

The good old-fashioned telephone is an excellent way to find out a contact for your cover letter. Call the company, explain why you are calling, and ask them to whom you should send your cover letter and resume.

3. Check LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great tool for finding people thanks to its built-in and highly effective search function. You can search by the person's name if you have one, and for more advanced searches, you can even add in the company and location. If you find the person you’re looking for, you will see a ‘Contact info’ link on their profile under their name, so you can attempt to message them and ask. 

If you don’t have a name, you can search the company and see who is listed as an employee. If the person you want isn’t listed, you may be able to contact someone in a related department, such as HR, and ask for assistance. You may even be able to get an introduction from a mutual connection.

Read more: Letter of Introduction Writing Guide + Samples

Formatting your cover letter

The format of your letter is as important as who you send it to. When you’ve put in the effort of tracking down the most appropriate recipient, you’re going to want the rest of the letter to stand out, too.

Address and date

Your letter should be professionally formatted with your name, address, phone number, and email address in the top left. On the next line down, add the date, followed by the name and address of the recipient. As with any document, you begin writing the cover letter with ‘Dear [Name]’ on the left of the page.

If you are sending your letter digitally, which is far more common these days, your letter should be in the body of the text and you need to include the date, your city/state, phone number and email address at the top, but not the recipient's name and address. 

Cover letter template

Using a cover letter template can be very helpful. Generally, cover letters follow the same format (aside from the address at the top) and should ideally be no longer than a page, whether they are printed or emailed. Feel free to download this cover letter template for your use.

Get started

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. For further help on crafting cover letters that get you noticed, you can check out the Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters course offered by the University of Maryland on Coursera. 

Keep reading

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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

Your Complete Guide to Writing a Cover Letter (Plus Bonus Tips and Examples)

Ah yes, the familiar cycle: You sit down to write a cover letter, open a blank document, check your email, browse cover letter examples , do some chores, watch that cursor blink a few more times, and finally Google something like “how to write a cover letter”—which hopefully brought you here. But you still might be thinking something to the effect of: Does anyone really read cover letters? Why do they even exist?

First off: Yes, we can assure you that cover letters do, in fact, get read . To some hiring managers, they’re the most important part of your job application . And regardless, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to tell prospective employers who you are, showcase why they should hire you, and stand out above all the other candidates.

To ensure your letter is in amazing shape (and crafting it is as painless as possible), we’ve got easy-to-follow steps plus examples, a few bonus tips, and answers to frequently asked questions

What is a cover letter and why is it important?

How to write a cover letter hiring managers will love, what do examples of cover letters look like, bonus cover letter tips to give you an edge over the competition, cover letter faqs (a.k.a., everything else you need to know about cover letters).

A cover letter is a brief (one page or less) note that you write to a hiring manager or recruiter to go along with your resume and other application materials. Done well , a cover letter gives you the chance to speak directly to how your skills and experience line up with the specific job you’re pursuing. It also affords you an opportunity to hint to the reviewer that you’re likable, original, and likely to be a great addition to the team.

Instead of using cover letters to their strategic advantage, most job applicants blabber on and on about what they want, toss out bland, cliché-filled paragraphs that essentially just regurgitate their resume, or go off on some strange tangent in an effort to be unique.

Given this reality, imagine the leg up you’ll have if you learn how to do cover letters right.

OK, you’re sold on how important cover letters are. Here are eight steps to writing one that screams, “I’m a great hire!”

Step 1: Write a fresh cover letter for each job (but yes, you can use a template).

Yes, it’s way faster and easier to take the cover letter you wrote for your last application, change the name of the company, and send it off. But most employers want to see that you’re truly excited about the specific position and organization—which means creating a custom letter for each position.

While it’s OK to recycle a few strong sentences and phrases from one cover letter to the next, don’t even think about sending out a 100% generic letter. “Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply to the open position at your company ” is an immediate signal to recruiters and hiring managers that you’re mass-applying to every job listing that pops up on LinkedIn.

At the same time, there’s nothing that says you can’t get a little help: Try out one of our free cover letter templates to make the process a bit easier.

Step 2: Add your contact info.

At the top of your cover letter, you should list out your basic info. You can even copy the same heading from your resume if you’d like. Some contact info you might include (and the order you might include it in) is:

• Your pronouns (optional)
• Your location (optional)
• Your email address
• Your phone number (optional)
• Your Linkedin, portfolio, or personal website URL (optional)

Note that only name and email are mandatory, and you don’t need to put a full address on a cover letter or resume anymore. A city and state (or metro area) are more than enough.

So your header might look like this:

Inigo Montoya he/him Florin Metropolitan Area [email protected] 555-999-2222

If the job posting tells you to submit your cover letter in the body of an email, you can add your contact info at the end, after your name (and if you’d like to forgo the email address here, you can—they have it already).

So your sign off could look like this:

Violet Baudelaire she/her [email protected] 123-123-1234 https://www.linkedin.com/in/violet-baudelaire/

Step 3: Address your cover letter to the hiring manager—preferably by name.

The most traditional way to address a cover letter is to use the person’s first and last name, including “Mr.” or “Ms.” (for example, “Dear Ms. Jane Smith” or just “Dear Ms. Smith”). But to avoid accidentally using the wrong title, or worse, inadvertently misgendering someone—first and last name also work just fine. And if “Dear” feels a bit too stiff, try “Hello.” But never use generic salutations like “ To Whom it May Concern ” or “Dear Sir or Madam.”

For more help, read these rules for addressing your cover letter and a few tips for how to find the hiring manager .

Step 4: Craft an opening paragraph that’ll hook your reader.

Your opening sets the stage for the whole cover letter. So you want it to be memorable, friendly, conversational, and hyper-relevant to the job you’re pursuing.

No need to lead with your name—the hiring manager can see it already. But it’s good to mention the job you’re applying for (the hiring manager may be combing through candidates for half a dozen different jobs), and yes, you could go with something simple like, “I am excited to apply for [job] with [Company].” But consider introducing yourself with a snappy first paragraph that highlights your excitement about the company you’re applying to, your passion for the work you do, and/or your past accomplishments.

This is a prime spot to include the “why” for your application. Make it very clear why you want this job at this company . Are you a longtime user of their products? Do you have experience solving a problem they’re working on? Do you love their brand voice or approach to product development? Do your research on the company (and check out their Muse profile if they have one) to find out.

For instance, say you’re applying for a marketing job with a company known for its incredible pies and baked goods. You might want to use your opening to mention how you love pie so much that when you were in the 4th grade, you took the blue ribbon in the National Cherry Festival pie-eating contest. Or take a look at this cover letter hook by a client of career coach and Muse writer Jenny Foss , who was working to land a leadership role at a nonprofit specializing in fire prevention:

“I have a personal interest in fire prevention that dates back to my youth. As the daughter of a nurse who worked in a hospital burns unit for many years, I grew up with significant exposure to those impacted by fire. I’d spend hours thinking about my mom’s patients, wishing there were some way to better protect people from fire.”

Read More: 30 Genius Cover Letter Openers Recruiters Will LOVE

Step 5: Convey why you’d be a great hire for this job.

A common cover letter mistake is only talking about how great the position would be for you . Frankly, hiring managers are aware of that—what they really want to know is what you’re going to bring to the position and company.

So once you’ve got the opening under wraps, you should pull out a few key ideas that will make up the backbone of your cover letter. They should show that you understand what the organization is looking for and spell out how your background lines up with the position. Study the job description for hints . What problems is the company looking to solve with this hire? What skills or experiences are mentioned high up, or more than once? These will likely be the most important qualifications.

Select the three to five important qualifications that you feel you exemplify best. For instance, maybe you’re looking for an account executive role and come across a posting that excites you. You might pull out these details that match you well:

• The job description mentions meeting and exceeding quotas several times.
• The company has a very collaborative, cross-departmental approach to solving problems.
• The sales department requires a fast learner so the account executive can get up to speed quickly on leads and tailor pitches to their needs.

If you tend to have a hard time singing your own praises and can’t nail down your strengths, here’s a quick trick : What would your favorite boss, your best friend, or your mentor say about you? How would they sing your praises? Use the answers to inform how you write about yourself. You can even weave in feedback you’ve received to strengthen your case (occasionally, don’t overuse this!). For example:

“When I oversaw our last office move, my color-coded spreadsheets covering every minute detail of the logistics were legendary; my manager said I was so organized, she’d trust me to plan an expedition to Mars.”

Step 6: Back up your qualifications with examples and numbers.

Look at your list of qualifications from the previous step, and think of examples from your past that prove you have them. And go beyond your resume . Don’t just regurgitate what the hiring manager can read elsewhere. Simply put, you want to paint a fuller picture of what experiences and accomplishments make you a great hire and show off what you can sashay through their doors with and deliver once you land the job.

For example, what tells a hiring manager more about your ability to win back former clients? This: “I was in charge of identifying and re-engaging former clients.” Or this: “By analyzing past client surveys, NPS scores, and KPIs, as well as simply picking up the phone, I was able to bring both a data-driven approach and a human touch to the task of re-engaging former clients.”

Having trouble figuring out how to do this? Try asking yourself these questions and finding answers that line up with the qualifications you’ve chosen to focus on:

• What approach did you take to tackling one of the responsibilities you’ve mentioned on your resume?
• What details would you include if you were telling someone a (very short!) story about how you accomplished one of your resume bullet points?
• What about your personality, passion, or work ethic made you especially good at getting the job done?

Come up with your examples, then throw in a few numbers. Hiring managers love to see stats—they show you’ve had a measurable impact on an organization you’ve worked for. Did you bring in more clients than any of your peers? Put together an impressive number of events? Make a process at work 30% more efficient? Work it into your cover letter!

Going back to the example from the last step. How could you prove that you’ll meet and exceed sales quotas if they hire you? Try something like:

“ I’ve always been very goal-oriented—whether that goal was hitting a new personal best on the swim team in college or smashing my quotas as a sales development rep for ZZZ Inc. As an SDR, I break my quarterly sales goals down month-by-month and then week-by-week—so that I always know whether I’m ahead, behind, or on-track. I also take an hour every Friday to reflect on what I could’ve done better in the previous week—so that I’m always improving. With these strategies, I’ve met my goals for meetings set 10 out of the last 10 quarters and actually averaged 114% to goal for finding leads that eventually turned into sales over every quarter last year. As an account executive for your company, I’d bring that same drive and systematic approach for meeting longer-term targets to my sales quotas. ”

Do this for each of the qualifications you want to focus on, and feel free to connect your accomplishments directly to the company. Pro tip: Use your space wisely. For more important qualifications, you might dedicate an entire paragraph, while others may only need a sentence or two.

Step 7: Finish with a strong conclusion.

It’s tempting to treat the final lines of your cover letter as a throwaway: “I look forward to hearing from you.” But your closing paragraph is your last chance to emphasize your enthusiasm for the company or how you’d be a great fit for the position. You can also use the end of your letter to add important details—like, say, the fact that you’re willing to relocate for the job.

Some advice might tell you to go with a hard close: Boldly insist that you’re the one, and that you’re going to call them within a week to set up a meeting. But with over 10 years of experience as a recruiter, Foss finds this annoying. It’s one thing to be proactive and confident but, to her, this approach feels like a cheesy tactic stripped out of an old school “How to sell yourself” textbook.

Instead, try something like this:

“I believe my energy, desire to innovate, and experience as a sales leader will serve OrangePurple Co. very well. I would love to meet to discuss the value I could add as your next West Coast Sales Director. I appreciate your consideration and hope to meet with you soon.”

Then be sure to sign off professionally , with an appropriate closing and your first and last name.

Read More: 3 Cover Letter Closing Lines That Make Hiring Managers Grimace (Plus: Better Options )

Step 8: Reread and revise.

We shouldn’t have to tell you to run your cover letter through spell-check, but remember that having your computer scan for typos isn’t the same as editing . Set your letter aside for a day or even just a few hours, and then read through it again with fresh eyes—you’ll probably notice some changes you want to make.

You might even want to ask a friend or family member to give it a look. In addition to asking them if they spot any errors, you should ask them two questions:

• Does this sell me as the best person for the job?
• Does it get you excited?

If the answer to either is “no,” or even slight hesitation, go back for another pass.

Here’s an example cover letter that follows this advice:

Alia Farhat San Francisco Bay Area [email protected] 444-000-1111

Hello Danny Tanaka,

If I’m being honest, I still haven’t fully gotten over the death of my first Tamagotchi pet when I was six years old. (His name was Tommy, and I’ve gotten far more creative since then, I promise.) When I was older, I discovered NeoPets and I was hooked for years—not just on the site, but on the community that surrounded it. So when I heard about FantasyPets last year, I immediately started following news about your development process, and that’s how I saw your post looking for a marketing strategist. Not only do I have eight years of experience in digital marketing, but as a lifelong gamer with a passion for pet-focused titles who’s spent years in online communities with like-minded people, I also know exactly what kind of messaging resonates with your target audience.

You’re looking for someone to help you craft a social media marketing campaign to go along with your game launch, and I’ve been a part of three launch-day marketing campaigns for mobile and web-based games. In my current role as social media manager at Phun Inc., I proposed a campaign across Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok based on competitor research and analysis of our social campaigns for similar games to go along with the launch of the mobile game FarmWorld. Using my strategy of featuring both kids and adults in ads, we ended up driving over one million impressions and 80k downloads in the first three months.

I’ve always believed that the best way to find the right messaging for a game is to understand the audience and immerse myself in it as much as possible. I spend some of my research time on gaming forums and watching Twitch streams and Let’s Plays to see what really matters to the audience and how they talk about it. Of course, I always back my strategies up with data—I’m even responsible for training new members of the marketing team at Phun Inc. in Google AdWords and data visualization.

I believe that my passion for games exactly like yours, my digital marketing and market research experience, and my flair for turning data into actionable insights will help put FantasyPets on the map. I see so much promise in this game, and as a future player, I want to see its user base grow as much as you do. I appreciate your consideration for the marketing strategist role and hope to speak with you soon.

Alia Farhat

Looking for more cover letter examples? Check out these from across our site:

• 4 best cover letter examples for different types of job seekers
• Pain point cover letter example
• Internship cover letter example
• Recent graduate cover letter example
• Career changer cover letter example
• Stay-at-home parent returning to work cover letter example
• Sales cover letter example
• Email marketing manager cover letter example
• No job description or position cover letter example (a.k.a., a letter of intent or interest)
• Buzzfeed-style cover letter example
• Creative cover letter example (from the point-of-view of a dog)

As you write your cover letter, here are a few more tips to consider to help you stand out from the stack of applicants:

• Keep it short and sweet: There are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, for resumes and cover letters alike, don’t go over a page. Need help? Check out these tips for cutting down your cover letter .
• Never apologize for your missing experience: When you don’t meet all of the job requirements, it’s tempting to use lines like, “Despite my limited experience as a manager…” or “While I may not have direct experience in marketing…” But why apologize ? Instead of drawing attention to your weaknesses, emphasize the strengths and transferable skills you do have.
• Strike the right tone: You want to find a balance between being excessively formal in your writing—which can make you come off as stiff or insincere—and being too conversational. Let your personality shine through, for sure, but also keep in mind that a cover letter shouldn’t sound like a text to an old friend.
• Consider writing in the company’s “voice”: Cover letters are a great way to show that you understand the environment and culture of the company and industry. Spending some time reading over the company website or stalking their social media before you get started can be a great way to get in the right mindset—you’ll get a sense for the company’s tone, language, and culture, which are all things you’ll want to mirror—especially if writing skills are a core part of the job.
• Go easy on the enthusiasm: We can’t tell you how many cover letters we’ve seen from people who are “absolutely thrilled for the opportunity” or “very excitedly applying!” Yes, you want to show personality, creativity , and excitement. But downplay the adverbs a bit, and keep the level of enthusiasm for the opportunity genuine and believable.

The bottom line with cover letters is this: They matter, much more than the naysayers will have you believe. If you nail yours, you could easily go from the “maybe” pile straight to “Oh, hell yes.”

• Are cover letters still necessary?
• Do I have to write a cover letter if it’s optional?
• Can I skip the cover letter for a tech job?
• What does it mean to write a cover letter for a resume?
• How can I write a simple cover letter in 30 minutes?
• How can I show personality in my cover letter?
• What should I name my cover letter file?
• Is a letter of intent different from a cover letter?
• Is a letter of interest different from a cover letter?

Regina Borsellino  and Jenny Foss  contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article.

How to address a cover letter | with examples

The way you start your cover letter counts.

It’s the first thing a hiring manager sees when they open your application so you need to make them excited to peek into your CV .

In our guide, we’ll show you the ropes on how to address your cover letter, and even teach you how to find the recruiter or hiring manager’s name for maximum impact.

CV templates 

Address the hiring manager or recruiter directly

Address the hiring manager or recruiter by name to start building a rapport with them.

Something simple like, “Hi Lucy” will do the trick.

According to recent research , simply seeing your own name can trigger a strong response in the brain. So, be sure to do this, to captivate the recruiter’s attention.

How to find the recruiter or hiring manager’s name

You may be wondering, “How do I figure out their name?”

There are several ways to find out the name of the person handling the job opening, which we’ll look at below.

When you’re reading a job advert, you’ll sometimes find the name and email address of the person you need to get in touch with directly in the ad.

Look out for the section that says “For enquiries” or “Contact person”.

For example, the advert might say something like:

“For more info, please contact Susan Wright at [email protected].”

Usually, this person manages that job vacancy.

If you see this information, it’s your lucky day – job adverts are the simplest way to find the correct name.

Company website

If you can’t find the recruiter’s name on the job advert , and you’re applying for a job directly via a company, check out their website.

Keep an eye out for a “Who We Are” , “About Us” or “Our Team” section.

Here, you’ll usually be able to find the info about the people who work there, including the head of the department or hiring team connected to the position you’re applying for.

Look at the people’s profiles to get the one that fits your job’s department.

If you have trouble finding it directly, use the search bar on the company’s website and type in “Head of [Department Name]” or “HR Manager”.

You could also run a Google search for “[Company name] + team” for a quick way of finding an About Page for a particular team or department.

LinkedIn is one of the best ways to find a hiring manager or recruiter because millions of them are registered on the platform.

Firstly, ascertain the company that posted the position and the team it’s connected with from the information provided in the job advert.

When you know the department and organisation, head over to LinkedIn . Here, you can use the search bar to look for the company name, department or job title associated with the job opening.

Let’s say you’re applying for a marketing vacancy at Tesco. You can search for “Marketing Manager” in the search bar like this:

Once the search results appear, click the “People” filter button to narrow down your findings further so that you’re only seeing people (and not companies or groups).

Then make sure you choose your target company under “Current Company” – this ensures you only view people who are current employees.

You will need to type the name of the company into the text box like this:

Click on the name of the company you typed in. In this case, it’s “Tesco.”

Then hit the blue “Show results” button.

And examine the profiles that come up.

You’ll be able to find the person handling the job applications by looking for titles such as “recruitment manager” or “team leader” .

And once you view their profiles you may even be able to get hold of their phone number or email address.

Contact info

Here is how you can find a person’s email address via the contact details, if they have entered them.

Click on their profile then seek out the “Contact info” section.

This sits under their profile picture and headline.

If the user has made their contact info visible, you’ll see it here.

About section

Often, you can locate additional contact info, such as email addresses, in the “About” or “Summary” section of their profile.

To do this, scroll down to the user’s “About” section.

If the user has decided to include their email address, you’ll see it here.

If you can’t find an email, you can contact them directly through LinkedIn.

Here’s how you’d do this:

• Send a connection request – Send the person a connection request and a message. When they accept your request, you’ll be able to write an accompanying message.
• Use InMail – If this specific individual isn’t in your network, use the LinkedIn InMail. This is a premium feature which lets you send messages to LinkedIn members outside of your network – it’s useful but do. Of course, there is a fee to use this feature but it’s a useful tool.

What if you can’t find a name?

Don’t panic if you can’t find the name of the individual you’re trying to address. This will happen a lot during your job search .

In such cases, it’s absolutely fine to begin with a friendly “Hi.”

But don’t use expressions like “Dear Sir or Madam” – this sounds extremely outdated and aloof.

If you use the word “Hi”, this ensures your cover letter is more amicable and modern , even when you’re unsure of the person’s name.

This is a courteous and simple way to start if you have difficulty locating the specific hiring manager’s name.

How to write a cover letter email subject line

A recruiter’s inbox gets flooded with applications, so when you write your cover letter email , your initial goal is to entice them to read your email.

You must catch their attention with a compelling subject line and give a captivating reason for them to click on your message.

Avoid using generic subject lines, such as:

• “Check This Out” – Subject lines like this sound spammy, and hiring managers may ignore it.
• “Important” – Recruiters won’t know why your email is important – they might deem it clickbait.
• “CV Attached” – This subject line doesn’t offer any context or engage the recruiter in any way at all.
• “Hire Me” – This comes across as too blunt and provides no context.
• “I Need a Job” – This sounds too direct and may sound a little too desperate.
• “Looking for Work” – While you’re being upfront, this isn’t an engaging subject line.

Instead of including any of these generic subject lines, you must promote your selling points right off the bat.

For instance, use subject lines that highlight your skills and expertise in a concise, screen-friendly title.

Determine your main strengths as an applicant and invent a way to integrate them into your subject line.

You could say something like:

• “Veteran Graphic Designer with a Portfolio of Projects”
• “Registered Nurse with Intensive Care Unit Expertise”
• “Committed Secondary School Teacher with 10 Years’ Classroom Expertise”
• “Certified IT Professional with Experience in Network Security”

These subject lines are effective because they communicate key information and value to hiring managers clearly and concisely. Each tells the recruiter about your qualifications and expertise and is tailored to the specific job or field.

A recruiter is more likely to open an email from someone who can potentially meet their requirements.

A quick tip: Remember, subject lines have a limited amount of space – you’ll probably only be able to squeeze in between 30 and 35 characters.

How not to address a cover letter

When you’re addressing your cover letter , some things simply aren’t worth including. These old-fashioned or overly formal ways of starting a cover letter can make a negative first impression.

So, avoid the below phrases in your cover letter greeting:

• “Dear Sir or Madam” – This is far too old-fashioned and doesn’t show much effort. It’s also fairly impersonal.
• “What’s up, [Department Name]?” – This is excessively informal and will probably give hiring managers the wrong impression about you. It also doesn’t address the specific person.

Steer clear of these unimpressive ways to address your cover letter and plump for a more personal, engaging approach, like “Hi James” or “Hello Sarah”. Don’t forget, you need to get the perfect balance of friendliness and professionalism.

How to Address a Cover Letter When Applying for a Job

While addressing your cover letter may seem like a small part of your job application, your salutation may be the first thing an employer reads on your application. An appropriate opening can leave a good first impression and set the tone for a successful application that engages the interest of an employer. This article explains how to address a cover letter depending on the information available to you about the job you are applying for.

Who should you address a cover letter to?

While you may not be certain who will read your cover letter when applying for jobs, there are a few best practices for addressing a cover letter. Unless a job description includes information on a different person to send application materials to, you should address your cover letter to the hiring manager for the position. ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ is an appropriate greeting for situations when you don’t know the hiring manager’s name, but seeking out details about the team you would be working with shows that you have a strong interest in the company and pay attention to details.

Methods for finding the hiring manager’s name

The following methods can help you find the hiring manager’s name when applying for a new job:

Check the application materials

Sometimes a job posting or other application materials have the name and title of the person reviewing your application listed. Many companies include information about who to contact in order to streamline the job search process, so read the job listing carefully for any instruction on who to address your letter to. Look at email addresses or social media profiles linked to the posting and see if the hiring manager’s name is listed. If you previously communicated with someone at the company about your application, consider reaching out and asking who you should address your cover letter to.  

Look at the company website 

Some companies keep a list of key employees or even a full directory of their employees available on their website. They may have a separate careers page with information on a hiring manager, or you may be able to find the name of a human resources representative for your position. Look for who the managers are for the department are applying to work with and determine who would work most closely with your position. You can also search for the company online and find outside information on their hiring structure.

Call the business

You can call the front office of a company and ask for the name of the contact person for the position you are applying for.  Be sure to call during business hours and be as specific as possible so that you get the name of the correct person. If you are still not able to confirm the name of a contact, the company will likely expect applicants to use the name of their hiring manager’s position or even leave off the greeting entirely.

How to address a cover letter

Use these steps as a guide toward addressing your cover letter:

1. First, verify your information

Once you have the name or title of the person receiving your cover letter, make sure that all of your information is accurate. Do a quick search to see if they have any honorifics such as Dr. or Prof. that you can include in your greeting Avoid using gendered language such as ‘Mr.’ or ‘Ms.’ unless you have confirmed that they prefer to be addressed by that term.

2. Second, choose a salutation

Including a salutation is optional and based on personal preference. One option for beginning your cover letter is to simply list the name of the hiring manager followed by a comma. ‘Dear’ followed by their name and a comma is also a professional way to open your greeting. You should avoid less casual greetings such as ‘hey’ and ‘hello.’

3. Third, use a consistent format

When addressing your cover letter, use the same font and style as the rest of your application materials. Your greeting should be above the body of your letter and below a header that includes your name and contact information. Use consistent spacing before and after the greeting to make the letter easier to read for the hiring manager while devoting most of the page to the content of your letter.

4. Lastly, proofread

Every time you send out a cover letter, proofread every part of it including the address. Proofreading can help you avoid accidentally sending one company a cover letter with another company’s hiring manager listed in the greeting. Confirm the spelling of any names or titles and have another person check your work for typos. You should also make sure that you are using proper capitalization for their name and title.

Template for how to address a cover letter

Here is a brief template you can use when crafting a new cover letter or adding to an existing one:

[First name] [Last name] [Address] [City, State ZIP code] [Email] [Phone number]

Dear [Honorific]. [First name] [Last name],

Examples of how to address a cover letter

These are all examples of an acceptable greeting for a cover letter:

• Dear Hiring Manager,
• Dr. Alison Choudary,
• Dear Human Resources Manager,
• Dear Revolve Marketing Team,
• Dear Prof. Rivera,
• Dear Sierra, 
• Ms. Cleo Thet,

Regardless of whether you can find the name of the hiring manager or not, you can still include a professional greeting when addressing your cover letter. While the way you address your cover letter will not likely convince someone to hire you, a greeting with dated or unprofessional language can easily discourage a hiring manager from taking your application seriously. You can use only a first name or add a salutation and honorific depending on your preference. 

Tips for addressing a cover letter

Use these tips to make sure your greeting is relevant and appropriate to the position:

• Avoid phrases like ‘to whom it may concern’ or any other excessively formal language when possible.
• Consider addressing the team you will be working with as a group if you do not have the name of your contact for the job.
• If you have already communicated with the hiring manager, look at their email signature to see how they prefer to be addressed. For example, if the hiring manager signs their emails as ‘Mr. Dunlap,’ that is an indication that you should call him that as opposed to his full name.
• When writing your cover letter or adapting it for a new position, make sure that every section including the greeting is professional and purposeful.

To Whom it May Concern? How to Address and End a Cover Letter

We’ve put together a few tips to help you personalize your cover letter, whether you know the hiring manager’s name or not.

Customers Interviewed by:

In our modern age of personalization, To Whom It May Concern is both an antiquated and detached way to address a cover letter . It may also imply that you haven’t researched the company or that you assume the letter can be read by anyone. Below, we’ve put together a few tips to help you personalize your cover letter , whether you know the hiring manager’s name or not.

When it comes to addressing a cover letter, advice columns frequently spotlight these two pitfalls:

• Mistake 1 : Failing to address your cover letter to a specific person
• Mistake 2 : Addressing a cover letter to the wrong person

Most job postings don’t specify who will be reading your cover letter. This puts job seekers in a tricky situation. Fixing the first mistake could cause you to make the second. So what’s the best way to replace “To Whom It May Concern” on your cover letter?

Get instant feedback on your cover letter with Jobscan’s cover letter optimization tool. See it in action .

3 Key Tips for Addressing Your Cover Letter

1) don’t address your cover letter to the recruiter.

For many job openings, the first person you need to impress is a corporate recruiter. That doesn’t mean you should address your cover letter to them.

“Recruiters do not read cover letters,” a long-time healthcare recruiter told Jobscan . “Bottom line.”

That might be an overstatement — most don’t, some do — but many recruiters would admit that they aren’t the intended audience of a cover letter. “It’s mostly for the hiring manager,” said a recruiter in the non-profit industry. “For us [recruiters], it’s just an extra step in an already elongated process.”

The healthcare recruiter agreed: “If you’re sending it straight to a hiring manager who’s looking at a much lower number of applicants, they might actually read that.”

2) Search for the Hiring Manager’s Name

The best way to personalize your cover letter is to address the hiring manager by name. However, it can be difficult to identify the hiring manager, and your educated guess could cause you to address your cover letter to the wrong person. Here are some tips for finding the hiring manager.

Search the Company Website

Few job postings list the hiring manager by name but many will tell you the position to which you’d be reporting.

With this information, a little detective work can reveal the name of the hiring manager.

Start off by browsing the company’s website. Look for an about page, company directory, or contact page. These pages are frequently linked at the very bottom of the website. Companies that feature employees on their about page make it much easier to figure out who will be reading your cover letter.

You can also try searching the website. If the website doesn’t have a built-in search bar, use this syntax in Google:

“[position you’ll be reporting to]” site:company website

This will reveal hard-to-find about pages or other mentions of the position in the company’s blog posts, press releases, and other pages.

Search LinkedIn

If a company doesn’t list the hiring manager on their website, LinkedIn is your next best resource.

Start off by searching for the company page on LinkedIn. Once you’re on the company’s LinkedIn page, click “See all X employees on LinkedIn” near the top.

Depending on the company size, you can either browse all positions or narrow your results by adding search terms to the search bar (e.g. “Marketing Manager”) and utilizing the “Current companies” filters on the right side of the screen.

Search for the “reports to” position from the job listing. If it wasn’t provided in the listing, search for keywords related to your prospective department (e.g. “marketing”). If the company uses an intuitive corporate hierarchy you should be able to determine who will be reading the cover letter.

Contact the Company Directly

There is nothing wrong with calling or emailing the company to ask for the name of the hiring manager. Be polite and honest with the administrative assistant or customer service representative. Explain that you’re about to apply for a job and you’d like to know who you should address in your cover letter.

If they aren’t able to provide an answer or transfer you to someone who knows, let it go. The last thing you need is word getting back to the hiring manager that you were pushy with one of their colleagues.

3) Use a More Personalized “To Whom it May Concern” Alternative

You can still personalize your cover letter, even when you don’t know the identity of the hiring manager. Instead of “To Whom It May Concern,” which casts a wide net and is specific to no one, try addressing your cover letter to one specific person.

The most generic version of this is:

Dear Hiring Manager,

But job seekers can often be more specific. Take a look at these examples:

Dear Customer Experience Manager, 

Dear Customer Experience Hiring Team Manager, 

Some other alternatives include addressing your cover letter to an entire department:

• Dear Engineering Department,

Dear Engineering Team, 

OR addressing the entire team:

Hi Jobscan Team,

Dear Jobscan Team,

As with many aspects of the job application process, demonstrating that you put in some extra effort can make a difference. Doing some research before addressing a cover letter contributes to a positive first impression.

8 cover letter salutation examples

Here are eight standard cover letter openings you can choose from. Select the one that best suits the energy of the company you’re applying to and use either a specific name or department depending on the information you have available.

• Hi Mr. Smith,
• Hello Jobscan Team,
• Dear Ms. Whittaker and Team,
• Good morning, Mr. Kennedy
• Good afternoon, Louise, 
• To the Jobscan hiring manager, 

How to end a cover letter

Just as important as beginning your cover letter is ensuring you end it on a strong note. Your cover letter ending should not be underestimated in its ability to help you move forward in the hiring process. After making your case in the previous paragraphs, you need to end your cover letter with a strong call to action to entice the recruiter to invite you for a job interview.

Madeline Mann , an HR leader in the technology industry and creator of Self Made Millennial , says that while no conclusion will save a bad cover letter, it can distinguish you from another good candidate.

It’s all about enthusiasm, according to Madeline. “Companies want people who want them,” she says. If you can draw to the company’s values and show how interested in working with them you are, that’s a substantial advantage. You want to create a lasting impression by incorporating that enthusiasm in your cover letter ending.

“Companies want people who want them” – Madeline mann

A good conclusion, in fact, should reflect the rest of your cover letter.

Set up the end of your cover letter with a strategic middle section

If you want your cover letter ending to be effective, you first need to build momentum. Most recruiters and career coaches agree that by the time you get to the end of your cover letter, it needs to possess the following three elements:

• It tells a story about yourself
• It shows your value concretely
• It calls the recruiter to action

Julia Reiter, a career coach based in Toronto, suggests that you lead up to your cover letter ending by showing that you understand the company’s current challenges and are equipped to solve them. This will make your cover letter call to action all the more effective.

Although the job description will give you information about what the company is looking to accomplish, it will not help you distinguish yourself from other applicants. Show the company you are willing to go the extra mile by researching the key industry challenges and the particular issues they might be facing (beyond the obvious ones).

For example, you can read articles from industry-related publications and get acquainted with the numbers and statistics about the particular business areas your company is engaged in. By being aware of the particular issues they are facing, you can more easily make your skillset and experiences relevant.

When you talk about your past experiences and accomplishments , make sure you mention the problems the company is facing. For example, if you are applying for a customer success manager position at a Software-as-a-Service company, a relevant issue might be high churn rates.

Instead of writing something like “my experience in customer success makes me confident I will be a great addition to your team,” write something like “When I worked at XYZ company, I was able to reduce the churn rate by 30%. With this experience and my deep knowledge of B2B consumer psychology, I am prepared to ensure we have one of the lowest churn rates in XYZ industry.”

End your letter with a call to action

You may be tempted to write that “I’m looking forward to hearing from you” for your cover letter ending. That isn’t a call to action. For Madeline, the end of a cover letter serves to give one last push and show interest and enthusiasm in a way that stands out.

Likewise, Julia says, “now that the company knows you are aware of their current challenges and are equipped to solve those challenges for them, don’t leave them hanging. Tell them how they can make your skills and experiences a reality on their team. What number can they reach you at for an interview?”

How do you conclude a cover letter? Here are 3 examples

• “I’m excited to have the opportunity to talk about how I could join your team in its quest for XYZ value. I’m particularly thrilled about XYZ project and would love to know how I can contribute to it.
• “I am keen on meeting with you to see what I can contribute to XYZ company as it moves on in its journey to XYZ goal. I am available at your convenience for a phone call or in-person meeting.”
• “I would love to get your thoughts on what I mentioned. I am happy to hop on a phone call at your earliest convenience to discuss how I can help XYZ company with XYZ issue.”

Mistakes to avoid when ending a cover letter

The mistakes people make when they end their cover letter are often the same ones they made earlier in the piece. However, they can be particularly detrimental to your chances of landing an interview if they constitute the final impression a recruiter has of you.

When ending a cover letter, avoid:

Making it about yourself instead of the company: use sentence constructions that make the recruiter see how the company is going to benefit from hiring you. For example, try to use “you” or “we” instead of “I.”

Sounding generic or robotic: we’ve all seen these cover letters that end with the same plain paragraph. If you write one of those, the last impression you’re giving is not different from those given by all other applicants.

Selling yourself short: the conclusion is your last chance to show off the value you can bring to the company. Emphasize it and use it as a segue into your call to action.

How to end a cover letter with the appropriate salutations

Always remember that recruiters review hundreds of applications for each position. When you are competing with that many candidates, the slightest mistake will disqualify you immediately Although you may not think too much of the salutations, they can hurt your chance of landing an interview.

Make sure your salutations are formal and polite. You should be respectful not only by indicating your appreciation of the recruiter’s time but also by being concise. Do not overdo your salutations and do not employ informal greetings. “Sincerely,” “Thank you for your consideration,” “kind regards,” are all safe options.

When ending your cover letter, you want to balance confidence, respect, and appreciation.

17 cover letter ending examples

Depending on the energy of the business you are applying to, and your own personality, select one of the following 17 cover letter closing options.

• Best wishes,
• Sincere thanks,
• Many thanks,
• Thanks in advance,
• Thank you for your consideration,
• Thank you for your time,
• Respectfully, 
• Sincerely, 
• Sincerely yours, 
• Yours truly, 
• Kind regards,
• With best regards,
• Looking forward to speaking with you, 
• With gratitude,

One Final Important note: Cover letters aren’t what they say they are

Cover letters don’t introduce your resume, they supplement it.

In order to get your cover letter into the hands of a hiring manager who cares, your  resume has to get past the recruiter and, in many cases, the applicant tracking system they’re using.

Try analyzing your resume below to receive instant optimization tips and recruiter insights from Jobscan so that the time you spend crafting your cover letter isn’t a waste.

The keyword analysis also shows exactly what to focus on in your cover letter.

Jobscan Premium (one month free)  even has a cover letter scan feature.

Editor’s Note: A section of this article was originally written in a separate blog post by Léandre Larouche on June 9, 2020. It has been updated and combined with this article as of June 10, 2021.

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How to Address a Cover Letter in 2024

Yes, how you address your cover letter matters.

After all, this is the first thing the recruiter reads when going through your cover letter, and yes, there is a right and wrong way to do it.

In this article, we’re going to teach you how to address your cover letter in such a way that you leave a positive impression on any recruiter!

• How to address a cover letter to a recruiter? (Casual or formal)
• What title to use when addressing the hiring manager
• How to address a cover letter without a contact person/to a company
• How to address a cover letter without an address
• How to address a cover letter in an email

How to Address a Cover Letter To a Recruiter (Casual or Formal)?

As we already mentioned, the way you address your cover letter is important because it is the very first thing recruiters see upon opening your cover letter. 

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 put some research into who you’re addressing your cover letter to and do so in a formal way.  

And yes, the formal part is important too. The recruiter isn’t your best friend - you want to maintain a sense of professionalism.

If this is how you address the recruiter in your cover letter:

• What’s up Hiring Manager
• Hi there Hiring Team

Then you say goodbye to the job.

Now, you’re probably wondering, how can I find out whom to address my cover letter to?

That’s what we’re about to teach you:

Who Am I Addressing My Cover Letter To?

Here are some tricks to find the full name of the hiring manager: 

• Check the job listing. The job listing may have information about the recruiter or the department doing the hiring. Make sure to read through the entire job listing, as it might not be at an entirely obvious place.
• Check the company website. Some websites feature the names of the hiring managers or heads of departments that may go through your cover letter. Alternatively, LinkedIn is another place where you can look for this information.
• Check the company’s LinkedIn. You can look up who works in the company you’re applying for on their LinkedIn page.
• Ask around. Do you have friends that work for the company? They could provide you with valuable inside info.

To avoid making a bad impression, head over to our guide on cover letter mistakes to learn about what NOT to do when writing your cover letter.  

Addressing a Cover Letter With a Name

By now, you have probably found the hiring manager’s full name and gender. With this information available, it’s best to address the hiring manager formally, as follows: 

• Dear Mr. Brown,
• Dear Miss Fitzpatrick,
• Dear Mrs. Lockhart,
• Dear Ms. Walters,

If, for some reason, you are unsure about the person’s title, gender, marital status, or preferred pronouns, just address them using their entire name to avoid any mistakes. For example:

• Dear Alex Brown, 
• Dear Blair Fitzpatrick,
• Dear Jesse Lockhart,
• Dear Madison Walters,

Addressing someone with a title 

Now, if you found out that the hiring manager has a professional or academic title, then it’s more appropriate to address them using that title. If, for example, the hiring manager has a Ph.D., then it’s more respectful to address them as “Dr. Last Name,” instead of “Mr. Last Name.”  

Here are some professional titles and how they’re abbreviated: 

• A professor is Prof. 
• A reverend is Rev. 
• A sergeant is Sgt. 
• Honorable is Hon. 

If, however, you are uncertain about how a title is abbreviated, then avoid it altogether. 

Here are a few examples to give you an idea: 

• Dear Prof. Welsch,
• Dear Director Smith,
• Dear Rev. Owen,

Dear Dr. Leonard,

When addressing women and you don’t know their marital status, always go with Ms., because it doesn’t comment on marital status. Some women prefer not to be addressed with Miss or Mrs. even when they’re married, so sticking with Ms. is the best choice. 

Want to learn more cover letter tips ? Our guide has all you need to ace your cover letter!  

How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Contact Person

It might happen that, no matter how hard you search, you can’t find the name of the hiring manager or department head that will read your cover letter.

In that case, you can address your cover letter to the department, faculty, or the company.

• Dear Software Development Hiring Team,
• Dear Customer Service Department Hiring Team,
• Dear Head of the Literature Faculty,
• Dear Director of Marketing,
• Dear Human Resources Recruitment Team,

Alternatively, if you don’t have enough information either about the department or the team, you can opt for addressing the cover letter directly to the company’s hiring staff, as follows: 

Dear [Company Name] Hiring Team 

Dear [Company Name] Recruiting Staff

If all else fails (meaning, you don’t know the name of the department head or even the exact department, in addition to the recruiter) then you can use one of the good, old-fashioned:

Dear Hiring Manager,

...but NOT the impersonal and way outdated “To whom it may concern” and “Dear Sir/Madam.” 

Starting a cover letter can be challenging. Our guide can show you how to start a cover letter that will get you results from the get-go. 

How to Format the Company’s Address

Before you reach the salutation, you have to make sure that the header with the recipient’s contact information is formatted correctly. 

It might not be the deciding point of whether you’ll secure an interview or not, but it will cost you points if it’s off. 

So, the first thing you want to do is add your name and surname on the upper left side of the cover letter. Underneath, you should write your professional title (if applicable), your email , and your phone number . 

Now, after you’ve also added the date, you should leave one more space and add the recipient’s contact information and, most importantly, the company’s address. 

It should look something like this on your cover letter: 

When You Can’t Find the Company’s Address 

Some companies might have several addresses listed (as per their branches, for example), or even none at all. 

Since an application that doesn’t have an address line could end up lost or misplaced, make sure you do one of the following before skipping the company’s address completely:

• Check all your resources, (pretty much like when you were looking for the hiring manager’s name) to find the company’s address. 
• Use the company’s headquarter address. This is sometimes easier to find, especially if the company has several branches. 
• Use the P.O. Box number for the company. This is not as specific as an actual address line, but if all else fails, it’s still something. 

Frequently, you’ll be asked to submit your job application (including your cover letter) electronically, or by email. In those cases, you can skip the address line altogether. 

Here’s how you’d go about addressing a cover letter in an email.

How to Address an Email Cover Letter

If you’re sending your job application through email, chances are you’ll need to format your cover letter in the body of the email, or as an attachment along with your resume.

First and foremost when you’re addressing a cover letter in an email is the subject line, which should be between 6-10 words long. 

Considering that hiring managers receive countless emails daily, you want to make sure that yours is a job application immediately. And the way to do that is straight through the subject line, which should indicate exactly the position you’re applying for and your name so that it’s easier to find through the recruiter’s swarmed mailbox. 

Here’ what we mean by that:

• Subject Line:   John Doe - Software Development Job Application 
• Subject Line: John Doe - Job Application for Marketing Manager Position   
• Subject Line: John Doe - Stock Manager Job Application 

Afterward, if you’re including your cover letter in the body of the email (as opposed to attaching it as a document), begin by using a salutation, add space, and start your letter. 

If someone referred you for the position, make sure to mention that in the subject line of your email as well as in your opening paragraph.  

So, let’s see how all the above plays out in practice: 

Subject Line: John Doe - Carl Jacob’s Referral for Software Developer

I was very glad that Mr. Jacobs, a long-time partner at your firm who also happens to be my mentor from college, referred me for the Software Developer position. 

Do you want your style, personality, and overall personal brand to shine through your application? With Novorésumé, you can match your cover letter with your resume to make a lasting impression! 

Key Takeaways 

And that’s all there is when it comes to addressing a cover letter! You should feel much more confident in doing so by now. 

Either way, let’s go over the main points we covered throughout the article: 

• Your cover letter address should be formal and well-researched. Don’t address the hiring manager with “hey,” “what’s up,” “hi there,” or even the old-fashioned “Dear Sir/Madam” and “To Whom It May Concern.”
• Always try to find the hiring manager’s full name and professional title through the company’s website, LinkedIn, by calling, or by asking someone who works there.
• If you know the hiring manager’s name, go with “Dear Mr./Miss Last Name,” but if you’re unsure about their gender, marital status, or preferred pronoun, just address them using their full name.
• If the recruiter has a professional or academic title, it’s more appropriate to address them using their title.
• If you can’t find the contact person’s name, then address the department, faculty, or company (i.e. Dear Microsoft Hiring Team , or Dear Software Development Recruitment Team ).

Related Readings: 

• Do I Need a Cover Letter in 2024
• Entry-Level Cover Letter
• Cover Letter for Internship
• How to Write a Cover Letter in 2024

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How To Write A Cover Letter For A Job In 2023 (With Examples)

• How To Write A Cover Letter
• When Is A Cover Letter Necessary
• Free Cover Letter Templates
• Cover Letter Mistakes To Avoid
• Cover Letter Tips
• How To Sell Yourself In A Cover Letter

Find a Job You Really Want In

Cover letters aren’t required with every application, but the majority of managers pay more attention to a candidate who includes a cover letter. This is especially so if you make an effort to tailor your letter to the specific position. It’s important not to just change the names and job positions, but also to show how your professional experience fits with the job.

A good cover letter greatly increases your chance of getting an interview. If you’re looking to write a cover letter, rework a letter that you have, or just want to know what’s involved in the job application process, then keep reading.

Key Takeaways:

A cover letter should be a maximum of one page long, with three to five paragraphs.

Before writing your cover letter, it’s important to reread the job description and include keywords from it.

Do research to figure out who you are addressing, and make sure to keep your greeting gender neutral if you don’t know.

Tailoring your resume to each job can help you stand out from other candidates.

What is a cover letter?

Why cover letters are important, how to write a cover letter, cover letter examples, cover letter template, do’s and don’ts in a cover letter, cover letter faq, expert opinion.

• Sign Up For More Advice and Jobs

A cover letter is a one-page document that describes your professional background, fitness for the role, and interest in the company. Cover letters are a way of introducing yourself to hiring managers in a more engaging way than resumes can.

While your resume spells out the “who, what, where, when” of your relevant experience, a cover letter fills in the “why” and “how.” A good cover letter not only expands on your resume’s accomplishments but also highlights the soft skills that make you an excellent person to work alongside.

While there are no official formatting guidelines for cover letters, hiring managers and recruiters do have certain expectations regarding structure, length, and content.

Writing a good cover letter is important because it is your chance to stand out from other potential candidates. Showing your personality while also matching the tone of the company will help recruiters to visualize how you could fit into the role.

Simply submitting a cover letter isn’t enough though. Each cover letter you write should be specifically tailored to the job you’re applying for (just like resumes). It’s essential that you show the reader that you’ve done your homework and understand exactly what function you’d be serving if hired. You do that by providing examples of past work experiences that directly relate to the responsibilities of the new job.

Cover letters are inherently unique based on who’s writing them and for what position. However, as a cover letter is a business letter, it has an expected format that it should follow. This is important because you want the hiring manager to be able to look over your cover letter quickly and understand your qualifications and interest in the position.

Here’s the standard way that a cover letter should be formatted and what to include:

The header. The header of your letter is where you should input all of the contact information for yourself and the hiring manager . Do you best to address it directly to the person who’ll be reading the letter — typically either the hiring manager or HR manager.

Traditionally, you should include both your name and address and the employer’s name and address. However, as the majority of applications are online, the employer’s address is often omitted. But a traditional cover letter’s heading would look like this:

Page Roman 444 Frog Rd. Marigold, TX, 10987 August 27th, 2021 Chris Morgan Marketing Manager New Media Company 833 Rune Rd. Marigold, TX, 10987

If you’re emailing your cover letter, you can simply include your name, telephone number, email address, and fewer address details (just your city and state will suffice). You can also include a zip code if you live in a big city with multiple zip codes.

Jessica Dancer jessica. dancer @email.email | (555)-444-3333 | Colombus, OH 43110

Be sure to use a professional-sounding email address that’s not associated with your current or past employer. It’s disrespectful to both your current employer and the company you’re applying to, and will likely hurt your chances of being invited for an interview.

The greeting or salutation. Traditionally, the best salutation would be to use Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name]. Make sure that you know the person’s gender when doing this, however, as you don’t want to misgender the hiring manager. Using “Dear [First Name] [Last Name]” is becoming more popular for this reason, patriotically among younger workers.

Dear Mr. Morgan, Dear Mrs. Smith Dear Ms. Conner

Avoid using generic greetings such as “To whom it may concern” as it’ll look like you didn’t bother to personalize the letter (even if you did.) That particular phrase has become somewhat controversial as well, so if you need to put a generic address — if you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, for instance — use something else, such as:

Dear Hiring Manager Dear [Department] Manager Dear [Title of the Person You’d Report to if Hired] Dear [Department] Hiring Team

Opening paragraph. The opening of your professional cover letter should instantly grab the attention of your reader . Try to lead off with one of your most relevant and impressive accomplishments.

Open strong . Open with a statement other than your name or stating your interest in the position. Lead with an interesting experience or achievement that directly relates to the new position.

Convey your personal value. There are always other qualified applicants with similar skills, so it is key to express why you personally would bring value to the organization. Give specific details as to the value you brought in a previous position, and how that could transfer to the new role.

Show your enthusiasm. Recruiters want to hire candidates who are excited about the position. Express enthusiasm and convey why you are passionate about the role. This is another opportunity to share a quick personal anecdote related to the job.

Keep it short. All of these points in your opening paragraph shouldn’t be more than a sentence or two each. You don’t want your introduction to be too long, as you want the reader to be able to quickly go through your cover letter.

As a Content Writer with a passion for travel and literature, I was thrilled to see the Senior Content Writer position open up at BookFly. My past experience driving organic traffic by 23% YoY to the travel website, XTravel, would translate perfectly into the position’s stated goals from the job description.

First body paragraph. Here is where you should really sell yourself across several areas. Showcase how your personality traits, such as being honest or having the ability to work under pressure, make you a good fit.

Emphasize transferable skills. Explain how the skills you’ve cultivated make you the perfect fit for the role. This can include collaborative work you’ve done in the past, a leadership role you had that drove results, or interpersonal skills.

Revisit the job description. Make sure to pull relevant skills from the job description and put them in your cover letter. If the hiring manager spent the time to list those skills, they’re going to be looking for candidates that have them.

It also helps with applicant tracking systems that may sift through cover letters looking for keywords.

Don’t skimp on personality traits. These are especially important if you don’t have a lot of experience. Desirable skills such as ambition, dedication, and getting work done on time are good for both entry-level positions and if you’re making a career change.

I have a passion for content creation and a deep understanding of the content cycle, from ideation to promotion. My years in the digital publishing world have crafted my ability to drive killer CTR and resonate with an audience. Not only did CTR jump by 2.1% in the months after I was brought on board, but it had a knock-on effect on social media engagement, which rose by 8% in the same time frame. I believe good content has its roots in good data. This is why while at Media Company I created a content-marketing dashboard to highlight KPIs like those mentioned above. The dashboard allowed us to take advantage of wins more rapidly and avoid repeating losses.

Second body paragraph. Just as an employer wants to know why you’d want the role, they also want to know why you’d want to work at their company. Do your research and learn more about the core values of the company. Discuss how they align with your own.

Check the company’s website but also start to explore LinkedIn for greater insights. Employers want to make sure that you fit into the overall culture, and this is also something you should consider for yourself. However you feel you fit into the work culture, explain to the recruiter why. Paint a picture of how you’ll be better from the company, and how the company will also benefit.

I thrive in a fast-paced environment and excel at creating structures from scratch. I spearheaded our SEO efforts, developing workflows and systems to ramp up content production from zero. BookFly’s commitment to core values of “collaboration and imagination” aligns with my own preferred approach to tackling projects and dreaming of big ideas.

Closing. The closing of your letter is your final impression to the hiring manager, and therefore should clearly express your eagerness to take on the position. You don’t need to rehash all of the accomplishments and skills highlighted in previous sections. Consider this more of a statement of intent.

First, express gratitude that they took the time to consider you for the job by making it all the way through your letter. Then, quickly remind them of the benefits that you can bring to the role and company.

Finally, your closing should state a clear call-to-action (CTA) for the recruiter to take next, such as calling you to schedule an interview. Being confident and direct at the end of your cover letter helps to close the deal.

I look forward to learning more about how the Senior Content Writer operates within BookFly and the current content process. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. Sincerely, Jessica Dancer

With thousands of cover letter templates on the internet, you want to make sure you choose the right one. Here’s a basic format of what a good cover letter will contain:

Jessica Dancer [email protected] | (555)-444-3333 | Colombus, OH 43110 Dear Mr. Morgan, As a Content Writer with a passion for travel and literature, I was thrilled to see the Senior Content Writer position open up at BookFly. My past experience driving organic traffic by 23% YoY to the travel website, XTravel, would translate perfectly into the position’s stated goals from the job description. I have a passion for content creation and a deep understanding of the content cycle, from ideation to promotion. My years in the digital publishing world have crafted my ability to drive killer CTR and resonate with an audience. Not only did CTR jump by 2.1% in the months after I was brought on board, but it had a knock-on effect on social media engagement, which rose by 8% in the same time frame. I believe good content has its roots in good data. This is why while at Media Company I created a content-marketing dashboard to highlight KPIs like those mentioned above. The dashboard allowed us to take advantage of wins more rapidly and avoid repeating losses. I thrive in a fast-paced environment and excel at creating structures from scratch. I spearheaded our SEO efforts, developing workflows and systems to ramp up content production from zero. BookFly’s commitment to core values of “collaboration and imagination” aligns with my own preferred approach to tackling projects and dreaming of big ideas. I look forward to learning more about how the Senior Content Writer operates within BookFly and the current content process. Thank you for taking the time to consider my application. Sincerely, Jessica Dancer

If you’re putting the cover letter in an email, you can omit putting the contact information at the top and instead include it below your signature. You want to make sure to include your name, phone number, and LinkedIn link, as well as a professional portfolio , if applicable.

Dear hiring manager: I am writing about the position of veterinary receptionist at Pet Care Clinic posted on indeed.com. I am a certified dog trainer with both Petsmart and Petco, allowing me insight into animal behavior. I’m also an aspiring novelist , making me a fast, experienced typist as well as adept with Microsoft Word and Apple Pages. Since I’ve worked at pet stores for several years, I am familiar with different kinds of animal and animal care, as well as building a rapport with pet owners. While I enjoy working with animals and my coworkers, I would like to move into a business where I can continue to learn and build on my experience. I would also like to work for a smaller business. Veterinary medicine has always interested me, and I very much enjoy learning new things. I’m eager to learn more about it in order to help customers make the best choices for their pets. I’ve always enjoyed working with animals, even before I was able to get a job that allowed me to. I grew up with dogs and cats, so I’m comfortable and familiar with their behavior. Being a pet owner myself, I’m able to understand what customers are looking for in a veterinary clinic and tailor the experience to their needs. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Michelle Bolivar Email: [email protected] Phone: (555) 545-9706

[your contact information] [date] Dear [Hiring Manager], I’m writing to apply for the open [position] at [company] that you posted [place job ad was found]. I believe that my [relevant experience] would be an excellent fit with [company name]. I have long been interested in [specific industry/department], and particularly your company because [why you’re interested in the company/awards they have won/accomplishments]. That experience and [relevant skills] that I’ve cultivated as a [current position] for [time worked in position or industry] will be an asset to the company as it’ll make me effective [at the job/particular aspect of the job]. The [responsibilities required in the job description] will be a [challenge/interesting task] and I look forward to making use of my [relevant skills]. I excel at [working with a team/working alone] and I want to use my expertise to further [company’s] success. I am excited about the possibilities this position holds, and I believe that my qualifications ensure I’d be an asset to your team. I look forward to being able to further discuss the details of the position and my qualifications with you in an interview. Please let me know if you require further information from me. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your contact information (if it’s an email)

Knowing the proper format of a cover letter is the most important factor, of course, but there are some additional dos and don’ts that if you follow can make your cover letter better. It’s during the editing process, it’s important to go over and make sure that you haven’t made any common mistakes that’ll hurt your chances.

Here are 10 dos and don’ts for writing a good cover letter:

Do’s:

Do start by scanning the original job posting for keywords you can include in your letter.

Do be proud of your accomplishments and make sure to highlight them.

Do clearly express why you would be an asset to the organization.

Do tailor your cover letter to every hiring manager and position that you apply for.

Do try to find unique experiences, but make sure to always discuss measurable and relevant results.

Don’ts:

Don’t feel the need to lie about your skills or accomplishments. One of the worst mistakes to make is being caught in a lie.

Don’t copy and paste a template and only change your name and job titles. Recruiters will not see the value in a plug-in-play cover letter that has been used by multiple applicants.

Don’t forget to be direct and include a call to action.

Don’t make your cover letter too long. Similar to your resume, you want the reader to sum up who you are and get a quick explanation of why you’re a good fit.

Don’t forget to proofread. Grammatical errors on a cover letter and resume are a quick way to get your packet in the “no pile”.

What do you write in a cover letter?

In a cover letter, you should mostly write about impressive accomplishments from past jobs or academic experiences that relate to the job you’re applying for.

What is the purpose of cover letter?

The purpose of a cover letter is to help a hiring manager see why your background makes you suitable for the role in question. While a resume lists achievements, educational background , and skills , it doesn’t give the reader an idea of your actual expertise or personality.

A cover letter allows you to share your approach to work, as well as your ability to communicate your value effectively. A good cover letter makes it easy for a reader to think “I could imagine this person working for us.”

How do you write a simple cover letter?

To write a simple cover letter, start with the header and greeting we outlined above. Next, state your interest in the position (give the exact job title as listed in the job description) and mention your years of industry/job experience.

To keep your cover letter simple, you can now briefly mention in 1-2 sentences or 3-4 bullet points what parts of your background are most important for the hiring manager.

Finally, thank the reader for considering your application, and sign off as usual (e.g., “Sincerely, [full name]”).

What is the best way to start a cover letter?

The best way to start a cover letter is with an accomplishment that speaks directly to your ability to provide value for the company. Other good strategies include describing your long-standing passion for the field, mentioning an important reference at the company, or referring specifically to challenges the company is currently facing.

Do you introduce yourself in a cover letter?

No, you do not introduce yourself in a cover letter. By that we mean you do not say “My name is so-and-so” — you simply jump into your background and why you’re interested in the position.

Your name can be found at the bottom of the cover letter, as well as the header, your email address, and your resume, so there’s no need to force it awkwardly into your cover letter’s opening.

How do you end a cover letter?

To end a cover letter, thank the reader for their time and/or consideration, express enthusiasm for further correspondence and conversation, and sign off with a standard closing like “Sincerely.”

How long should a cover letter be?

A cover letter should be a maximum of one page long, with three to five paragraphs. Half a page is the shortest that your cover letter should be.

Harvard Business Review — How to Write a Cover Letter

University of Washington — Writing the Cover Letter

What’s a quick cover letter tip?

Michael Akbar Vice President Certified Professional Career Coach

Use your six seconds to show the employer in a tailored cover letter and resume that you understand their pain and will make their lives better if put in the position.

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Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.

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Free cover letter templates

Stand out and get hired faster with our collection of free professional cover letter templates expertly-designed to land you the perfect position.

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General cover letter template.

A general cover letter template is the perfect starting point for writing your next job-winning cover letter. In the example below, you’ll find a cover letter that can be modified to suit just about any position or industry. 

Make sure to update it to include key examples from your own experience and education. Each cover letter is a chance to convince the employer that you’re the best candidate for their role, so make it count!

You’ve developed an excellent resume. What a relief! But you’re not finished with your job application package. It’s time to write a stellar cover letter. That blank page can be scary, but the tips below will help you grab that interview.

Why use our cover letter templates

Resume.io’s cover letter templates offer several advantages when it comes to completing your application and landing your next great position. We take pride in creating fresh and professional designs that stand out and make a positive first impression in today’s competitive job market. 

Here are a few reasons why our free cover letter templates are a cut above the rest:

• Expertly crafted templates: Our team of professional graphic designers is constantly creating and updating our templates to make sure they meet the needs of today’s job seekers. Our collection of templates ranges from minimalist and modern to bold and creative to ensure that we offer the perfect cover letter template for every candidate.
• Approved by recruiters: We work with career HR and recruitment professionals to make sure our cover letter templates meet the strict standards of today’s employers. We follow the latest hiring trends to update and adapt our cover letter templates for the needs of modern job seekers.
• Customize with ease: Not only do we provide expertly designed free cover letter templates, but we also offer an intuitive cover letter builder to help job seekers customize their application letters with ease. Our cover letter builder is easy-to-use and full of helpful features and advice to help you craft a cover letter that’s a cut above the rest.
• AI-powered tools: Even the best writers could use a hand sometimes. That’s why we’ve introduced AI-powered sample sentences that can be inserted directly within the cover letter builder and updated for your own experience. Our powerful spelling and grammar checker also helps to eliminate costly cover letter errors.

Most job applications specify whether they’d like to receive your cover letter as a PDF or Word Docx format. We’ve made it easy to download either option within our cover letter builder.

Choosing the right cover letter template

Every candidate and every position is unique, meaning the same cover letter won’t work for everyone. That’s why we’ve created an extensive collection of cover letter templates with designs ranging from clean and classic to modern and attention-grabbing. 

Within our cover letter builder, you can also easily switch from one template to another, meaning the perfect cover letter design is always within reach. Our free cover letter templates are divided into four categories:

• Simple: Our simple cover letter templates are go-to classics that can work for a wide variety of positions and applicants. These templates are best-suited for students and first-time job seekers, along with applicants working in fields like hospitality, transportation, logistics, and retail. Our simple templates are highly versatile and can serve as a great starting point for any cover letter.
• Modern: If fresh ideas and innovation are the keys to your industry, our modern cover letter templates are the right choice. These designs feature minimalistic lines, clean fonts, and a refreshing balance of white space to text. Our modern cover letter templates are perfect for candidates in IT, marketing, administration, and sales.
• Creative: If your industry or job title calls for a bold approach, look no further than our collection of creative cover letter templates . These designs feature bright colors, striking fonts, and larger-than-life headers to draw attention to your cover letter. Our creative cover letter templates are perfect for candidates in fields like film and television, design, photography, art, architecture, content creation, and any job where your personality should be in the spotlight.
• Professional: Sometimes, tried-and-true is the only option, and that’s where our professional templates come into play. These are classic designs with traditional font choices and the organized sections recruiters expect to see. When in doubt, a professional cover letter template is the way to go, especially in fields like business, medicine, education, engineering, accounting, and finance.

What makes a good cover letter template?

A good cover letter template is a combination of elements that work together to highlight and emphasize a candidate’s experience and qualifications for the role. 

Here are a few factors that make a good cover letter template:

Header: An excellent cover letter template features a header that draws attention to the applicant’s name and contact information. The header may be located at the top or on the side of the page, but it must contain key details like a phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile or portfolio website.

Balance of white space to text: A great cover letter template is easy to read and carefully balances the amount of white space in the text to avoid visual fatigue for the reader. Paragraphs should be divided in a logical way, and margins should not be shrunk to cram in more text.

Font choice: The best cover letters use font styles and sizes that are both legible and appropriate for the industry or job title. A good cover letter builder eliminates the guesswork by automatically choosing the right font and size for the cover letter template.

Color or design elements: While not appropriate for every industry, a touch of color or a dividing line can help create a more attractive page design and make the candidate stand out in a crowded applicant pool. Resume.io’s cover letter templates that feature color give several options so that you can choose the hue that works best for your application.

Different jobs can require different cover letter formats , which is why we’ve made it easy to switch colors, line spacing, or even whole templates directly inside our cover letter builder.

Cover letter template frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is a good format for a cover letter.

A good format for a cover letter is one that catches the hiring manager’s attention with an attractive layout, easy-to-read font, and clear and concise information about the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

What are the three parts of a cover letter?

The four parts of a cover letter are as follows:

• The greeting: The way the hiring manager is addressed at the start of the cover letter.  
• Introduction: The first one or two sentences that introduce the candidate and the role they are applying for.  
• Body: The main paragraphs of the cover letter where the candidate discusses their experience and the reasons why they’re right for the job.  
• Conclusion and sign-off: The final sentences that express interest for the role and include the candidate’s full name as a signature.

How long should a cover letter be?

A good cover letter should be around 300 words or within the range of 250-350 words. This equals roughly three paragraphs. Any shorter and the reader may not fully understand why you are qualified for the role. Any longer, and you risk losing the reader’s attention before they get to the end of your letter.

What are three do’s and three don’ts with a cover letter ?

• Include a header that aligns with the design and information on your resume
• Use numbers and concrete information to show your accomplishments
• Leave a balance of white space to text to increase readability
• Change the document margins to cram in more text or make your cover letter appear longer
• Add a full street address to your cover letter
• Go overboard with images, design elements, or colors

What are two things that should always be in a cover letter?

Two things that should always be in a cover letter are the name of the company and the role you are applying to. Hiring managers often look for candidates for multiple openings at once, so this helps the employer identify who you are and the job you are looking for.

Are cover letters necessary?

Cover letters are one of the best ways to increase your chances of landing your desired position. That’s because they give you the opportunity to expand on key experiences from your resume. 

While not every hiring manager reads cover letters, the ones that do can often use them to determine who is on the shortlist for an interview. We recommend every applicant write a cover letter to show their interest and qualifications for the position.

How to end a cover letter

We recommend always ending your cover letter with a call to action. This sentence expresses your enthusiasm for the position and politely suggests that the hiring manager get in touch with you for an interview. 

You can also leave your name and contact information in this section once again, space permitting. Then, sign off with a phrase like “Sincerely” or “Best regards” and your full name.

How do you address a cover letter without a name?

While using the hiring manager’s name on your cover letter is the best way to establish a personal connection, some companies do not share information about who will be reading your cover letter. In that case, a more general greeting like “Dear (Company Name) Hiring Team” or “Dear (Department Name) Team Lead” can do the trick.

Try our professional Resume builder now!

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Find out how to send mail. 1:53

Video Description: How to Send a Letter or Postcard (TXT 4 KB)

How to Send a Letter or Postcard: Domestic

Sending mail with USPS is easy! Our video will help you with most letters, cards, and postcards you send domestically (inside the U.S.), including U.S. territories and military bases in the U.S. and abroad.

For how to ship a package, see How to Send a Package: Domestic .

Send Mail: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Choose Envelope or Postcard

Envelopes are for sending flat, flexible things, like letters, cards, checks, forms, and other paper goods. For just 1 $0.68 First-Class Mail ® Forever ® stamp , you can send 1 oz (about 4 sheets of regular, 8-1/2" x 11" paper in a rectangular envelope) to anywhere in the U.S.!

Envelopes must be rectangular and made of paper to qualify for letter prices. Your envelope can be a maximum of 11-1/2" long x 6-1/8" high. (A standard No. 10 envelope is 9-1/2" long x 4-1/8" high.) You can fold what you put in your envelope, but it needs to stay flat—no more than 1/4" thick.

If you want to send letter-sized papers without folding them, you can use a large envelope (called a "flat"); the postage for flats starts at $1.39 . If your large envelope is nonrectangular, rigid (can't bend), or lumpy (not uniformly thick), you'll have to pay the package price.

TIP: If your envelope can't fit through USPS mail processing machines, or is rigid, lumpy or has clasps, string, or buttons, it's "nonmachinable" and you'll have to pay $0.44 more to send it. ( See additional postage in Step 3 .) You'll also have to pay more if your envelopes are square or vertical (taller than they are wide).

Postcards are for short messages that you don't need to put in an envelope. Save money using a $0.53 postcard stamp to send a standard-sized postcard anywhere in the U.S. Standard postcards are usually made of paper, are between 5" to 6" long and 3-1/2" to 4-1/4" high, and are between 0.007" and 0.016" thick.

Step 2: Address Your Mail

Envelopes: Write your address (the "return" or "sender" address) in the top left corner. Write the delivery address (the "recipient" address) in the bottom center.

Postcards: Postcards come in different formats, so write the delivery address in the space it gives you (on the same side you write your message and put the stamp).

Print your return address and the delivery address clearly, in the correct spots, to make sure your mail is delivered on time.

Address Format Tips

• Use a pen or permanent marker.
• Do not use commas or periods.
• Include the ZIP+4 ® Code whenever possible.

Write Sender Address

Write your address (the "return address") in the top-left corner. Include the following on separate lines:

• Your full name or company name
• Apartment or suite number
• Full street address
• City, State, and ZIP+4 Code

Write Delivery Address

Write the delivery address (the "recipient" address) in the bottom center of the envelope. Include the following on separate lines:

• Recipient's full name or company name

If the apartment or suite number cannot fit on the delivery address line above the city, state, and ZIP+4 Code, place it on a separate line immediately above the delivery address line.

Write the sender's address in the top-left corner. Include the following on separate lines:

• Full street address and apartment or suite number, if applicable

Special U.S. Addresses

Puerto rico.

Some Puerto Rico addresses include an urbanization or community code for a specific area or development. Addresses with an urbanization code, abbreviated URB, should be written on 4 lines:

MS MARIA SUAREZ URB LAS GLADIOLAS 150 CALLE A SAN JUAN PR 00926-3232

More Puerto Rico Address Examples

U.S. Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands addresses have the same format as standard addresses. The right abbreviation for this territory is "VI," not "US VI" or "USA VI":

MS JOAN SMITH RR 1 BOX 6601 KINGSHILL VI 00850-9802

Military and Diplomatic Mail (APO/FPO/DPO)

Mail to military and diplomatic addresses is treated differently:

• Do not include the city or country name when you send something to an APO/FDO/DPO address in another country. This keeps your mail out of foreign mail networks.
• Do include unit and box numbers if they're assigned:

SEAMAN JOSEPH SMITH UNIT 100100 BOX 4120 FPO AP 96691

More Details on Military Addresses

When you're done addressing your envelope, put what you're sending inside the envelope, then close and seal it (using the envelope's glue or tape).

Step 3: Calculate Postage (& Add Insurance or Extra Services)

A First-Class Mail ® Forever stamp costs $0.68 and goes in the upper right corner of the envelope. (You can also use any combination of stamps that adds up to $0.68.)

If your letter is heavier or bigger, or if you want to add insurance or extra services like Certified Mail ® service, you'll pay more.

A standard postcard stamp costs $0.53 . (Large or square postcards will cost more.) Put the postcard stamp in the space provided near the delivery address.

Postage for letters mostly depends on weight and size/shape. You can weigh your letter with a kitchen scale, postal scale , at a self-service kiosk, or at the Post Office ™ counter.

TIP: As a rule of thumb, you can send 1 oz (4 sheets of printer paper and a business-sized envelope) for 1 First-Class Mail ® Forever ® stamp (currently $0.68).

The postage for a large envelope (or flat) starts at $1.39 for 1 oz.

Where Can I Buy Postage?

• The Postal Store ® Shop online for all stamps and add-on postage for oversized or heavier envelopes.
• Post Office Locations Buy stamps at Post Office locations , self-service kiosks , or at National Retailers such as grocery and drug stores.

TIP: If you're sending larger envelopes (flats) using Priority Mail ® or Priority Mail Express ® service, you can use Click-N-Ship ® service to pay for and print your own postage online.

Additional Postage

If your envelope weighs over 1 oz, you can buy additional postage in the amount you need:

• Each additional 1 oz is $0.24, for letters up to 3.5 oz and large envelopes up to 13 oz.
• Nonmachinable items, including envelopes that are lumpy or rigid, or have clasps, string, or buttons will cost $0.44 more to send. You'll also have to pay more if your envelopes are square or vertical (taller than they are wide).
• You can also buy 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 4¢, 5¢, and 10¢ stamps at The Postal Store .

TIP: Put the stamp on last; that way, if you make a mistake at any other point, you won't waste a stamp.

Calculate a Price

Add-On Services

If you want insurance, proof of delivery, signature services, or other optional services, you'll have to pay extra.

Our Insurance & Extra Services page has more details; some of the more common add-on services for letters include:

• Certified Mail ® : Get proof that you mailed your item and that the recipient signed for it.
• Registered Mail ® : USPS's most secure mail service–mail is processed manually, handled separately and securely, and signed for along every step of its journey. The recipient must sign for the mail to confirm delivery (or attempted delivery).
• Return Receipt: You'll get a printed or emailed delivery record showing the recipient's signature. You can combine Return Receipt with other services, including Certified Mail, Registered Mail, Priority Mail Express ® service, and more.
• Adult Signature Required: Only an adult (age 21+) can sign for the mail after showing a valid government ID .

Postage Options

There are several ways to get postage for your envelope.

• The Postal Store ® --> ® and Priority Mail Express ® envelopes.
• Post Office ™ Locations --> ® such as grocery and drug stores.

Step 4: Send Your Mail

Once your envelope or postcard has the correct addresses and postage, you can send it several ways, including putting it in your mailbox or dropping it in a blue collection box or at a Post Office ™ location.

• Put your letter inside your mailbox and raise the flag (if you have one).
• If you have a cluster mailbox, drop it in the outgoing mail slot.
• Drop it off in a blue collection box.
• Take it to a Post Office lobby drop.

Important Note: If your envelope has postage stamps and weighs more than 10 oz or is thicker than 1/2", you can't put it in a collection box; you have to give it to an employee at a Post Office location. See more details on What Can and Cannot be Deposited in a Collection Box?

Bonus: Sending Mail Pro Tips

The Postal Service uses high-speed sorting machines to help process and deliver 425.3 million mail pieces each day. Here are some extra tips to improve your mail sending experience:

• Stay flexible : Don't send rigid (hard) objects in paper envelopes.
• Sending embellished invitations (for weddings, graduations, etc.)? Get them hand-canceled or put them inside another envelope.
• Need tracking? Learn about your options.

Stay Flexible

Postcards, letter envelopes, and large envelopes (flats) all need to bend to fit through USPS ® high-speed sorting machines.

• OK: Flexible, flat things like stickers, photos, trading cards, etc. should be okay—as long as your envelope stays flat, not lumpy, and less than 1/4" thick.
• Not OK: Don't put rigid objects (like flash drives, coins, keys, hard plastic card cases, etc.) loose in unpadded paper envelopes: They could get torn out of the envelope, jam the sorting machines, cause a delay, or even get lost.

Instead, for rigid and odd-shaped objects (or things you don't want to get bent), we recommend using a padded envelope or small box and sending it as a package .

Sending Embellished Invitations (for Weddings, Graduations, etc.)

If you want to send a specially decorated envelope (like some wedding invitations):

• You can pay the extra fee for nonmachinable First-Class Mail ® items, bring your mail to the Post Office™ counter, and ask the retail associate to hand-cancel your embellished invitations.
• For externally decorated invitations: If you use wax seals, strings, ribbons, etc. on your envelopes, don't try to send them exposed. Instead, to make sure your envelopes arrive looking the way your designer intended, put them inside another envelope .

Need Tracking?

Tracking is not available for First-Class Mail items. If you'd like to get tracking information for your letter:

• You can pay extra to send your letter using Priority Mail Express ® or Priority Mail ® service.
• You can get delivery confirmation by adding Certified Mail ® or Registered Mail ® service. (You can even combine it with Return Receipt if you want the recipient's signature.)

Notices/letters (alphabetically listed) Personal and business

What is a notice or letter.

The Franchise Tax Board will send a notice or letter to personal taxpayers and business entities for issues that may include but not limited to:

• You have a balance due.
• You are due a larger or smaller refund.
• We need to notify you of delays in processing your return.
• We have a question about your tax return.
• We need additional information.
• We changed your return.

Top 5 searched notices or letters

Additional documentation required – refund pending (ftb 4502), demand for tax return (ftb 4601), notice of tax return change (ftb 5818), california taxes – how you can help, demand for tax return (ftb 4684/4685), how to respond to a notice or letter.

• Read your notice or letter carefully as it contains valuable information. If you agree with your notice or letter, you don't need to contact us. Just follow the instructions on the notice or letter.
• Respond as outlined on your notice or letter by mail, fax, or online.
• Pay as much as you can, even if you can't pay the full amount. See our Payment options page for details and payment types.
• Keep a copy of all notices or letters with your tax records for later use.
• Access tax account information and online services for individuals, business representatives, and tax professionals by creating a MyFTB account.

Not all notices or letters are available for response by Electronic Upload. Refer to the notice or letter you received for instructions on how to respond. You can also sign up for a MyFTB account to send a message related to a recent notice.

To quickly search for a notice or letter on this page, you can press Ctrl-F in most browsers and type in the number or name, then press Enter.

Personal notices and letters

Your notice or letter includes detailed instructions specific to your situation. Below are a selection of common personal notice and letter instructions.

Why you received this notice

We do not have enough information to approve the California Earned Income Tax Credit (Cal EITC), the Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) and/or the Foster Youth Tax Credit (FYTC) you claimed on your tax return.

What you need to do

Send us the required supporting documents listed on your notice by fax or mail:

If you do not send the required supporting documentation within 30 days of the date on your notice, we may deny all or some of your Cal EITC, YCTC and/or FYTC.

Allow 8 weeks for us to review and respond to the documents you send. If you have questions about your notice, call 916-845-7088.

Related links

• Cal EITC, YCTC, and FYTC

Audit Issue Presentation Sheet (AIPS) (AUD 1541B)

This form is used to present FTB's position on an issue.

Respond by electronic upload or by mail:

Audit Letter

We’re examining your tax return.

Respond to the notice and provide supporting documentation requested in the letter by the due date.

Visit Your tax audit for more information.

Authorization to Release Information to FTB (AUD 9921)

This form is sent to the taxpayer to obtain authorization to release information to FTB.

Authorized Representative/Individual Request on Hold (FTB 1183)

We are not able to verify the relationship upon initial processing of your client’s Power of Attorney (POA)/Tax Information Authorization (TIA) relationship request.

You do not need to take any action at this time.

Your client needs to confirm the relationship requested. If we do not hear from your client within 20 days, we will not be able to process the POA/TIA request.

California Audit Position Letter – AIPS Summary (AUD 1527)

This letter is issued when an auditor is presenting the determination on the audit issues.

California Audit Position Letter – No AIPS (AUD 1527A)

California tax audit - information request (aud 1515a).

This letter is used as a coversheet when sending multiple IDRs to a taxpayer or representative.

We have no record of your [YEAR] California income tax return(s) and our records indicate you may have a filing requirement.

Did you know that Californians’ income tax dollars provide over 75 percent of the state’s General Fund? Your tax dollars are used to fund education, fire protection, police, and transportation. With 17 million tax returns filed each year, there are still individuals and businesses that do not file their tax return by the due date.

File your California income tax return(s) directly with us for free. Use CalFile or go to Forms and Publications to print tax forms to mail.

If you already filed your return(s) or have questions, contact us at the phone number by the date on your notice.

Cover Letter Appeal Stipulation (LEG 2191)

This reflects the stipulation to the amount at issue. The stipulation also will serve as dismissal of the appeal if signed by the taxpayer.

Demand for Payment – Vehicle Registration (FTB 2205 VRC)

You have a past due vehicle registration balance or an unpaid parking citation(s). We collect delinquent fees and unpaid parking citations for the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Pay the amount you owe or you will be subject to collection action.

Contact our office for an itemized account breakdown of the amount due on your notice, at 888-355-6872, between 8 AM and 5 PM weekdays, except state holidays .

• Vehicle registration collections
• Help with Vehicle registration collections

Demand for Payment - Court-Ordered Debt (FTB 2227 COD)

You have a past due balance on a court-ordered debt.

• Court-ordered debt collections
• Pay your court ordered debt
• Help with court-ordered debt

Demand for Requested Information (AUD 1506)

This letter is used when an auditor has sent a request for information and one or more follow up letters to the FTB Customer, and the FTB Customer has not responded.

We do not have a record of your California personal income tax return. You have 30 days from the date on the Demand for Tax Return to respond.

• File your tax return
• Fill out the "Reply to FTB" form included with your notice. It allows you to tell us that you (A) already filed a tax return or (B) you do not have to file or you are unsure if you have to file.
• Visit Demand for Tax Return for self-serve options and more information

If you do not respond by the date on your notice, we’ll estimate your income and issue a Notice of Proposed Assessment. This assessment will include tax, a demand penalty, a delinquent filing penalty, and a cost recovery fee.

Demand to Furnish Information (FTB 4973 ENS)

This demand is issued to furnish information.

Determining Your Estimated Tax (FTB 4114 PC)

We identified that you may not be paying enough to cover your estimated tax liability.

Call the number on your notice to let us inform you about your estimated tax requirements and discuss how to make sure you are paying enough in estimated tax payments.

Determining Your Wage Withholding (FTB 4113 PC)

We identified that you may not have enough state income tax withheld from your wages to cover your state tax liability.

Call the number listed on your notice so we may provide you with information about adjusting your wage withholding.

Docketed Protest Initial Contact Letter (LEG 2163)

This letter is sent when the assigned staff member for the docketed protest is ready to make initial contact.

Earnings Withholding Order - Vehicle Registration (FTB 2204 VRC)

We sent this to employers to garnish wages for employees that have a past due vehicle registration balance. This orders the employer to send us up to 25% of your wages until your balance is paid in full.

Comply with this order. Visit garnishments for more information.

• Pay the balance due.  
• If you have a financial hardship,  contact us .
• If you've paid the balance in full, you can  contact us to close the account  and release the garnishment (no appeals).
• Vehicle Registration Collections - Billing Notices

Earnings Withholding Order - Court Ordered Debt (FTB 2229 COD)

We sent this to employers to garnish wages for employees that have a past due court ordered debt balance. This orders the employer to send us up to 25% of your wages until your balance is paid in full.

• Pay the balance due .
• If you have a financial hardship call 916-845-4064. Make sure you have your company's payroll fax number available in case we modify or release (if paid in full) your order.
• If you've paid your balance in full,  contact us to close the account and release the garnishment. Be sure to have proof of payment and your company's payroll fax number.
• You can also create a  Court-Ordered Debt Account  to view your balance due, your last 25 payments, make a payment, and more.

Earnings Withholding Order - Taxes (FTB 2905 PIT)

We sent this to employers to garnish wages for employees that have a past due personal income tax balance. This orders the employer to send us up to 25% of your wages until your balance is paid in full.

• If you have a financial hardship, contact us .
• If you've paid your balance in full, contact us to close the account and release the garnishment.
• Wage Garnishment Earnings Withholding Order

Final Request for Federal Information - Pending Claim for Refund (FTB 1526Q)

This notice is sent when FTB did not receive a response to the request(s) for federal information related to the claim for refund.

Send us the completed questionnaire by electronic upload or by mail:

Follow Up Letter – Information Request (AUD 1511)

This letter is used as a cover sheet when the FTB Customer did not respond to a request to provide information.

Free Form Letter Shell (LEG 2124)

This is sent when a user needs a freeform letter template.

Hold Pending Federal Action (FTB 1581B)

The Hold Pending Federal Action letter informs the taxpayer their audit is being held until a final federal determination is made.

Send us the requested documentation by electronic upload or by mail:

Information Document Request (FTB 1515)

This letter is used to request information and/or documents from the taxpayer.

Information Missing from Settlement Request (LEG 2183)

The letter notifies the recipient that information was missing from a settlement request.

Information Returns

This letter is a reminder to file your 2017 tax year information returns with us if you have a filing requirement. We received information returns from you for 1 or more previous tax years but we did not receive information returns for tax year 2016.

File your information returns electronically . If you file 250 or more information returns, you are required to file electronically.

Visit Information Returns for more information.

If you’ve already filed your return(s), contact us at the phone number and by the date on your notice .

Install Agreement Request - Incomplete (FTB 4111 ENS)

Your installment agreement application is incomplete, and we are unable to process.

Intent to Offset Federal Payments (FTB 1102)

You have a past due California income tax debt. If the debt is not paid in full, we will submit the debt to the U.S. Treasury Offset Program. This allows us to offset eligible federal tax payments due to you (such as your federal tax refund) and may result in an additional offset fee.

If the full amount owed is not collected in one year, we may offset future federal payments to satisfy your tax debt.

To prevent the offset, pay the amount you owe .

Intercept Notice (FTB 4141)

You owe money to another government agency.

Your California income tax refund, lottery winnings, or unclaimed property payment (up to the amount you owe) was sent to the government agency you owe.

If you agree with this, you do not need to do anything.

If you disagree, contact the agency listed on your notice. Do not contact us. We do not have information about your debt.

• Why did you send my refund to another agency?

Letter Brief (Opening – Appeals) (LEG 2136)

This non-ENS letter is initiated in case management manually by an FTB User. The letter is used as an opening brief for some audit cases that go to appeals.

Letter Template (AUD 1521)

This letter is used when an auditor requires a free form template to contact a taxpayer.

Notice of Proposed Assessment (FTB 5830)

Based on audit results, we made adjustments to your account for the tax year shown on your notice. The Notice of Proposed Assessment informs you of our intention to assess additional tax and/or penalty. You have a right to protest the proposed assessment within 60 days.

If you agree with the assessment, follow the instructions provided on your notice.

If you do not agree, visit disagree with an NPA (Protest) or follow the instructions provided on your notice on how to protest our assessment. View Notice of Proposed Assessment Information (FTB 7275) for more information.

Notice of State Income Tax Due (FTB 4963)

You have a past due balance on your personal income taxes.

Pay the amount you owe .

Notice of Tax Lien (FTB 4921)

You have a past due balance on your personal income taxes. We filed a lien against your real or personal property to collect the amount you owe.

Pay the full amount you owe .

Visit  how to resolve tax liens for more information.

We changed/corrected your tax return during its processing. Your notice provides an explanation of the specific changes to your tax return.

If you agree, follow the instructions on your notice. You do not need to contact us.

Visit Notice of Tax Return Change if you disagree or want more information.

Order to Withhold - Vehicle Registration (FTB 2201 VRC)

We send this to financial institutions or other payers (e.g., bank) and order them to withhold the debtor’s assets to pay past due vehicle registration.

• Financial institution or payer: Comply with the order.
• Individual: Pay the amount you owe .

Visit  Vehicle Registration Collections - Billing Notices for more information.

Order to Withhold - Court-Ordered Debt (FTB 2230 COD)

We send this to financial institutions or other payers (e.g., bank) and order them to withhold the debtor’s assets to pay past due court-ordered debt.

Contact the referring court or agency that imposed the debt if you have case-specific questions, need details about your debt, or want to dispute the amount due.

Order to Withhold Personal Income Tax (FTB 2900A ENS)

This order requires employers to withhold taxpayer funds.

Order to Withhold Personal Income Tax (FTB 2900F ENS)

Order to withhold personal income tax (ftb 2900v ens), order to withhold personal income tax - effective for one year (ftb 2910a ens).

This order requires employers to withhold taxpayer funds for delinquent debt owed.

Personal Income Tax Earnings Withholding Order for Taxes (FTB 2905 ENS)

Please call us about your california income taxes (ftb 4505).

You have a past due balance on your California personal income taxes.

You can contact the representative listed on your notice if you need help.

Power of Attorney – Active Representatives on File (FTB 3912)

You have one or more power of attorney (POA) declarations on your account. We sent you a summary of all active POA representatives.

Review the active POA representatives listed in your notice to verify you still want each representative to act on your behalf and review your account information.

If you need to revoke one or more of the listed POA representatives, visit Manage your power of attorney relationships for more information.

If you do not need to make any changes, no action is required.

Preliminary Request for Information (PRI) Letter (AUD 1528)

This letter is issued when an auditor requires preliminary information related to a tax return before deciding whether to open an official audit.

Protest Initial Contact Letter (AUD 1530)

This letter is sent when the hearing officer is assigned to a protest.

Request for Federal Information - Pending Claim for Refund (FTB 1535Q)

This notice is sent when FTB is requesting information regarding a federal claim for refund.

Request for Pending Federal Status Update (FTB 1581Q)

This notice is sent when FTB is requesting an update on the status of the federal examination or claim for refund.

Request for Tax Return (FTB 4600)

We do not have a record of your California personal income tax return. You have 30 days from the date on your notice to respond to the Request for Tax Return.

Respond to us by the date listed on your notice. Either:

• File your tax return .
• Fill out the “Reply to FTB” form included with your notice. It allows you to tell us that you (A) already filed a tax return or (B) you don’t have to file or you are unsure if you have to file.

If you do not respond within 30 days of the date on your notice, we'll assess your tax based on available information that will include interest and a delinquent filing penalty.

Review Your State Tax Return Letter

You claimed deductions on one or more of your recent tax returns and some of the deductions were higher than expected. (Due to our system limitations, if you filed joint returns, our system sent the letter to only one spouse.)

Review your most recent tax returns and the deductions claimed to ensure that the amounts are correct and deductible. To correct any items on your return, please file an amended tax return. To find the necessary tax forms and instructions, refer to Correct an income tax return .

Settlement Program Acceptance Letter (LEG 2173)

This letter is used to notify the recipient their request for settlement consideration has been accepted.

State Income Tax Balance Due Notice (FTB 4963)

Visit  Notice of State Income Tax Due for more information.

Statute of Limitations Waiver Cover Letter (AUD 3570)

This cover letter is used when a statute of limitations waiver is sent to the taxpayer.

Statute of Limitations Waiver - Individuals (AUD 3570D)

TThis waiver is used when a statute of limitations date is requested to be extended for an individual or for joint filers.

Subpoena - Letter to Third Party and Receipt (AUD 1586)

This letter is used when requesting confirmation of receipt of a document.

Substandard Housing Document Request (AUD 1575)

This letter is sent when the auditor needs additional information from the taxpayer related to their substandard housing audit.

Substandard Housing Forms Request (AUD 1573)

This letter is used when an FTB User is sending substandard housing forms to an external party.

Substandard Housing Initial Contact Position (AUD 1574)

This letter is used to notify a taxpayer of FTB's position on the substandard housing issue(s).

Substandard Housing No Notice of Noncompliance Return (AUD 1577)

This letter is sent when a substandard housing agency provided a notice of compliance, but FTB never received a notice of noncompliance.

Substandard Housing Notice of Noncompliance Return (AUD 1576)

This letter is sent to a substandard housing agency to notify them that FTB was unable to locate a taxpayer for the notice of noncompliance they sent.

Substandard Housing Notification of Notice of Noncompliance (AUD 1578)

This letter is sent to a taxpayer when FTB received a notice of noncompliance from a substandard housing agency.

Survey on Tax Filing Experience (FTB 858 EN/SP, FTB 859 EN/SP)

You were selected to provide your opinion on your prior experiences filing taxes and an important program called the California Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) . We are partnering with the University of California, Berkley on this survey. Participation is voluntary.

Fill out the survey to provide your feedback. If you received a paper survey, your response can be returned via the prepaid envelope. If you received a link to fill out the survey, type the URL into your web browser on your mobile device or a computer. Your response will be anonymous.

Your response matters and will help us to better deliver services to Californians who may qualify for the EITC.

Tax Information and Document Request (FTB 4734D)

Your tax return was selected for review as a security measure to protect against tax-related identity theft.

We need more information from you before we can approve your tax refund.

Gather the required items and complete the Request for Tax Information and Documents form (FTB 4734D) and send it to us:

If you do not send the required supporting documentation within 30 days of the date on your notice, we may disallow (not approve) your claim for refund.

Allow 8 weeks for us to review and respond to the documents you send. If you have questions about this notice, call 916-845-7088.

Tax Return Filed - Confirmation Required (FTB 3904)

Your tax return was selected for review as a security measure to protect against tax-related identity theft. We need to confirm you filed a specific tax return.

Call us at 916-845-7088.

If we do not hear from you within 30 days of the date on your notice, we may not be able to process your tax return or issue a refund (if applicable).

Unable to Process Tax Return (FTB 4737)

You received this notice because we cannot verify the information provided on your tax return.

If we do not hear from you within 30 days of the notice date, we may not be able to process the tax return as filed. We may assess income tax based on the information available to us and impose applicable penalties, interest, and fees.

Verify Power of Attorney (FTB 1181)

We cannot verify your relationship with the authorized individual(s) on your Power of Attorney (POA) form.

Confirm the relationship requested. Call the number listed on your notice within 20 days of the date on your notice to authorize or deny the authorization requested on your POA form.

If we do not hear from you within 20 days, we will not be able to process your POA request.

Verify Tax Information Authorization (FTB 1182)

We cannot verify the relationship with the authorized individual(s) on your Tax Information Authorization (TIA) form.

Confirm the relationship requested. Call the number listed on your notice within 20 days of the date on your notice to authorize or deny the authorization requested on the TIA form.

If we do not hear from you within 20 days, we will not be able to process your TIA request.

Business notices and letters

Your notice or letter includes detailed instructions specific to your situation. Below are a selection of common business notice and letter instructions.

We’re examining your tax return.

Collection notice from a private collection agency on behalf of Franchise Tax Board

Your account has been referred to a private collection agency. Contact the agency at the number on the notice.

Collection Referral

If you don’t pay the balance in full or contact us within 30 days from the date of the notice, we may refer your account to a private collection agency.

We do not have a record of your California business entity income tax return. You have 30 days from the date on the Demand for Tax Return to respond.

Demand to Furnish Information (FTB 4579)

We need you to confirm California wage/income and State withholding information for one of your employees or an individual who received income from your business.

You need to send us a complete and signed notice by fax or mail:

Earnings Withholding Order

We issue you this order because you need to send us a percentage of your employee’s wages to pay their debt.

Related Links

• Court-Ordered Debt (COD) - Earnings Withholding Order for Court-Ordered Debt (Employer Information)
• Earnings withholding calculator
• Withholding orders
• Earnings Withholding Orders for Taxes (EWOT) - Employer Information
• Vehicle Registration Collections - Earnings Withholding Order (Employer Information)

First Notice of CalSavers Noncompliance Penalty

The CalSavers Retirement Savings Board notified us that you either haven’t registered or have yet to comply with the requirements of the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program.

• Visit the FTB CalSavers webpage for instructions on how to register or complete your CalSavers Retirement Savings Program requirements
• Pay the penalty amount

Final Notice of CalSavers Noncompliance Penalty

The CalSavers Retirement Savings Board notified us that you either haven’t registered or have yet to comply with the requirements of the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program specified in the first notice.

Notice of Proposed Assessment (FTB 6830)

If you do not agree, visit disagree with an NPA (Protest) or follow the instructions provided on your notice on how to protest our assessment. View Notice of Proposed Assessment Information (FTB 5830C) for more information.

Notice of Tax Lien

You have a past due balance on your business income taxes. We filed a lien against your real or personal property to collect the amount you owe.

• Liens - Notice of State Tax Lien

Order to Withhold

We issue this order to financial institutions or other payers (e.g., contractors) to withhold assets to pay a past due debt.

• Order to Withhold (Bank Garnishment / Bank Levy) - Business Entities

Help finding DLN

Many FTB letters and notices contain a document locator number (DLN). The DLN is alphanumerical and is located at the top center of the page.

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If you have any issues or technical problems, contact that site for assistance.

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This Google™ translation feature, provided on the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) website, is for general information only. Consult with a translator for official business.

The web pages currently in English on the FTB website are the official and accurate source for tax information and services we provide. Any differences created in the translation are not binding on the FTB and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes. If you have any questions related to the information contained in the translation, refer to the English version.

We translate some pages on the FTB website into Spanish. These pages do not include the Google™ translation application. For a complete listing of the FTB’s official Spanish pages, visit La página principal en español (Spanish home page).

We cannot guarantee the accuracy of this translation and shall not be liable for any inaccurate information or changes in the page layout resulting from the translation application tool.

This tool will not translate FTB applications, such as MyFTB, or tax forms and other files that are not in HTML format. Some publications and tax form instructions are available in HTML format and can be translated. Visit our Forms and Publications search tool for a list of tax forms, instructions, and publications, and their available formats.

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