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Table of contents

How to Address Your Cover Letter
How to Find the Right Name to Address Your Cover Letter
Why Does Addressing Your Cover Letter Matter?
How to Address Your Cover Letter Without a Name
Key Takeaways
Resources to Help With Your Job Search

A cover letter is a letter and should be addressed like one. But what do you do with your cover letter if you don't know the name of the person who will read your letter? Learn how to address a cover letter without a name to create a professional and persuasive letter, even if you're missing a key piece of information.

Our guide will cover:

How to address a cover letter.
How to find the right name to put on your cover letter.
Ways to address a cover letter without a name.

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How to Address Your Cover Letter

Addressing a cover letter is a lot like addressing any other letter. You should provide your name and contact details at the top of your letter and your potential employer's details beneath them.

You don't need to list your exact address, but your cover letter should provide your city and state, phone number and email address.

Sample cover letter address with an employer's name:

Your Name
City, State
555-555-5555
example@example.com

Date (e.g. January 1, 2025)

John Doe, Team Lead
Organization Inc.
City, State

Dear Mr. Doe,

Because most candidates submit their cover letters digitally, you don't need the employer's address, but your letter should still be addressed to a specific person if possible. In most cases, this person will be the recruiter or hiring manager associated with the job listing. However, determining who to address becomes difficult when the job listing has no name associated with it.

Pro tip

Even if you submit your cover letter via email, it should still be addressed professionally. In this case, you can leave your contact details until the end when you sign your letter, but you should still open by politely addressing the hiring manager or recruiter. Maintaining professional standards, even in email form, goes a long way toward establishing you as a reliable candidate who ought to be called in for an interview.

How to Find the Right Name to Address Your Cover Letter

Addressing your cover letter to the right person is an important step, but how can you tell who to address it to? Let's look at all your options for finding the addressee for your cover letter. It may take some research skills, but the right name is often available if you dig for it.

Step #1

Read the job listing carefully

Start by looking closely at the job description. Your cover letter should be written to target the specific role, so a careful reading of the job listing is already a key step. Look for a name within the description. This is your first chance to identify the right person to address your cover letter to.

Step #2

Check with the job board

If you found the role on LinkedIn or a similar job board, check if the job listing is associated with a particular profile. On LinkedIn, some jobs display the profile of the person who made the listing. In this case, that's who you should address.

Step #3

Research the role and organization

If the job listing is not associated with a particular name, try looking into the organization. Some companies may have a publicly available company directory that lists employees. Look for hiring managers or recruiters associated with the team you hope to join.

Pro tip

If you aren't confident that the recruiter or hiring manager you've found will be the one to read your letter, err on the side of caution and use a generic and professional address.

Why Does Addressing Your Cover Letter Matter?

In an increasingly digital job market, knowing who is on the other side of the application process is never guaranteed. Considering this, why don't we address all cover letters with a generic greeting like "Dear hiring manager"? Why bother addressing them directly to an employer?

Taking steps to look into the role you're applying to can greatly impact your chances. Learn the names of your recruiter or potential future manager to:

Forge professional connections. A recruiter in your field is a great person to know. Address them by name and communicate professionally so that the next time a role opens up that's perfect for you, your network of contacts will notice and refer you.
Demonstrate interest. It's common to send out a generic cover letter with minor changes for each role, but this strategy doesn't always pay off. Employers want to see that you've researched the role, that you're interested in the organization and the position, and that you're willing to put in the work to research the role and update your cover letter to reflect that.
Communicate efficiently. While a generic cover letter address certainly works, it won't always be accurate for the person reading your letter. What if you use "Dear hiring manager," but your letter is read by a recruiter? Learn who to address, and you'll be able to address your letter politely and correctly without wondering if your word choice is perfect.

How to Address Your Cover Letter Without a Name

Once you've done some research, if you still aren't sure who to address your letter to, it's time to come up with a generic address that doesn't require a name. Whatever you choose should be polite, gender-neutral and appropriate for the role. Here are some potential ways to address your cover letter without a name:

Option #1

Address your letter to the role of the person who will read it

Even if you don't have a specific name in mind, you may have a solid idea of who within the organization will be responsible for hiring for your role. For example, an applicant for a server role at a restaurant can safely address a letter as "Dear General Manager" because the restaurant's general manager is most likely responsible for hiring decisions.

Option #2

Address your letter to the broader team

It's not always clear who will read your letter, but you should be relatively confident about which team you intend to join. Try addressing your letter to the entire team using an address like "Dear Graphic Design Team."

Option #3

Address the letter to the hiring manager

If all else fails, "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Hiring Team" are effective addresses you can use without more specific information about the role.

Key Takeaways

Address your letter professionally.
Whether you're emailing, submitting digitally, or handing in a paper cover letter, addressing it professionally is non-negotiable. Ensure that the employer receives up-to-date and accurate contact information for you and that you address them politely.
Address your letter to an individual if you can.
Researching the appropriate name to address your cover letter may seem unnecessary, but it makes a bigger impact than you think. Addressing an individual helps you build your professional network and shows that you've researched the role.
Do your research.
Investigate the job description, organization and job board to find out who your letter should address.
Try a generic address.
If you can't find a specific name to use, try addressing your letter to the particular role or team within the organization. Still not sure how to address your cover letter? When in doubt, addressing the hiring manager or hiring team broadly works, too.