You’ve spent three hours tweaking your resume. Your bullet points are sharp, your metrics are impressive, and you finally found the perfect font. Then you hit a wall. You stare at the blank space at the top of the page. How do I address a cover letter without sounding like a Victorian ghost or a corporate robot?
It’s a tiny detail that feels massive. Get it wrong, and you look lazy. Get it right, and the hiring manager feels seen before they even get to your first sentence. Honestly, most advice out there is outdated. Using "To Whom It May Concern" in 2026 is basically the professional equivalent of wearing a tuxedo to a backyard BBQ—it’s stiff, awkward, and shows you don’t really know where you are.
The Death of "To Whom It May Concern"
Let’s be real. That phrase is a relic. Recruiters today, like Amy Miller (a well-known recruiting veteran) or the team at Glassdoor, often emphasize that generic greetings suggest a lack of research. If you’re asking "how do I address a cover letter" because you want to stand out, you have to ditch the 1995 templates.
Why is it so bad? It’s passive. It tells the reader, "I have no idea who is reading this, and I didn’t care enough to check." In an era of LinkedIn, company "About Us" pages, and Twitter (X), finding a name is usually possible. If you absolutely cannot find a human name, there are way better ways to handle it than falling back on "Dear Sir or Madam." That one is even worse—it’s gendered and stuffy.
✨ Don't miss: The $10 Bacon Egg and Cheese: Why Your Morning Sandwich Costs So Much Now
If you're stuck, use the department name. "Dear Marketing Hiring Team" is infinitely better. It shows you know which group you’re trying to join. It’s specific. It’s functional. It doesn't make you sound like you're writing a letter to a 19th-century landlord.
Finding the Name: The Private Investigator Phase
Before you give up and go generic, do the "The Three-Click Rule."
First, check the job posting again. Seriously. Sometimes the contact person is buried at the very bottom in the "how to apply" instructions. If it's not there, head to LinkedIn. Search for the company name plus keywords like "Hiring Manager," "Talent Acquisition," or the specific head of the department. If you’re applying for a Graphic Design role, look for the "Creative Director" or "Head of Design."
Don't panic if you find two potential names. Pick the most senior one relevant to the department. If you address it to the VP of Marketing and it ends up on a Senior Manager's desk, they aren't going to be offended. They'll be impressed you knew who the VP was.
💡 You might also like: Why the Walmart Distribution Center Red Bluff Still Anchors the North State Economy
What about calling the company? People used to suggest this all the time. In 2026, it’s a bit of a gamble. Some smaller firms might find it proactive. A massive tech giant? You’ll never get past the automated phone tree, and you’ll just frustrate yourself. Stick to digital sleuthing first.
What if there are multiple hiring managers?
This happens a lot with collaborative startups or "pod" structures. If you’re facing a panel, "Dear [Department] Search Committee" is your best friend. It acknowledges that the decision isn't just up to one person. It feels professional but modern.
How Do I Address a Cover Letter for a Remote Role?
Remote work changed the etiquette. When companies are "headquarter-less," the formal address block (with the company's physical address) is starting to disappear. You can still include it if you want to be traditional, but many hiring managers don't care about seeing their own office address on a digital PDF.
Focus more on the salutation. If the company culture seems laid-back—think Slack, Discord, or a trendy tech startup—you can actually get away with "Hi [Name] Team." It’s risky, sure. But "Dear" can sometimes feel too formal for a company that mentions "dog-friendly offices" and "casual Fridays" in the job description.
You’ve got to read the room.
The Honorifics Trap: Mr., Ms., or Mx.?
This is where people get tripped up. If you found a name like "Jordan Smith," you might not know their gender. Don't guess. Please, don't guess.
The safest move in 2026 is to use the full name: "Dear Jordan Smith."
It bypasses the need for Mr. or Ms. entirely. It’s respectful, clear, and avoids any potential for accidental offense. If they have a title like Dr., absolutely use it. People worked hard for those Ph.Ds; acknowledge it.
Breaking Down the Header Format
While the salutation is the star of the show, the header still matters for the "scannability" of your document.
- Your Contact Info: Name, phone, email, and LinkedIn URL at the very top. Don't include your physical street address unless the job specifically requires you to live in a certain zip code. It's an old habit that just takes up space.
- The Date: Keep it simple. January 18, 2026.
- The Recipient Info: If you have the name and address, put it here. If not, skip the address and just use the company name.
- The Salutation: This is what we’ve been talking about.
Here’s a tip most people miss: Bold your own name. It’s a subtle branding trick. When a recruiter is flipping through fifty tabs, your name should be the thing that sticks in their visual memory.
When You Truly, Honestly, Can't Find a Name
Sometimes the company is "Stealth Mode" or it's a blind posting through a recruiting agency. In these cases, you literally cannot find a name.
Don't sweat it.
💡 You might also like: Palm Beach County Permit Struggles: What You Actually Need to Know Before Building
Use "Dear Hiring Manager."
It’s the standard. It’s boring, but it’s safe. It’s like a white shirt—it’s not going to win you any fashion awards, but it’s never "wrong." Just make sure you don't use "Dear Recruiter" unless you know for a fact a third-party recruiter is the only one seeing it. Most internal hiring managers prefer their actual title.
Real-World Examples of Salutations
- The Targeted Approach: "Dear Sarah Jenkins," (Best if you found the manager on LinkedIn).
- The Departmental Approach: "Dear Content Strategy Team," (Best for creative or collaborative roles).
- The Leadership Approach: "Dear Director of Engineering," (Best when you know the title but not the name).
- The Safety Net: "Dear Hiring Manager," (Best for blind ads or third-party recruiters).
Avoid "To Whom It May Concern" or "Greetings." "Greetings" sounds like an automated email from a bank. It’s weirdly robotic.
The "How Do I Address a Cover Letter" Checklist for 2026
- Check the Job Description (JD) again. Look for a "Reporting to..." line.
- Scan LinkedIn. Check the "People" tab on the company page.
- Match the tone. Is the company formal or "move fast and break things"?
- Use full names. Skip the gendered titles unless you are 100% sure.
- Ditch the "To Whom It May Concern" habit. It’s dead. Let it rest.
Address the letter to a person whenever possible, but don't let the lack of a name paralyze you. The content of your letter—the part where you explain how you’re going to solve their problems—is what actually gets you the interview. The salutation is just the handshake at the door. Make it firm, keep it professional, and don't overthink it so much that you never hit "submit."
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit your current template: Open your go-to cover letter and delete "To Whom It May Concern" right now so you aren't tempted to use it again.
- Identify the "Department Head": For the next job you apply to, spend exactly five minutes on LinkedIn trying to find the department lead's name. If you find it, use it. If not, move on to "Dear [Department] Hiring Manager."
- Standardize your header: Ensure your LinkedIn profile is a live link in your contact information. Most recruiters will click it before they finish reading your first paragraph.
- Proofread the name: If you do find a name, double-check the spelling. Triple-check it. Spelling "Jon" as "John" is a faster way to the "no" pile than using a generic greeting.