How to Address a Cover Letter Without a Name

A job posting that doesn't name a hiring manager is the norm, not the exception, so this is one of the most common cover letter questions people run into. The good news is that the right answer is simple once you know where to look and when to stop looking.

Look before you default to "Dear Hiring Manager"

Spend a few minutes checking for a name before you settle on a generic greeting. The job posting itself sometimes names a recruiter or hiring manager, even if it's buried near the bottom or in the "how to apply" section. If it doesn't, the company's LinkedIn page often does: search for the relevant department (marketing, engineering, finance) and look for a manager or director title that matches the seniority of the role you're applying for. Our guide on finding the hiring manager on LinkedIn walks through the exact search technique if you want the full method.

What to do when there really is no name

"Dear Hiring Manager" is the standard, professional default when you can't find a name after a reasonable search. It's neutral, it's expected, and no recruiter reads it as a sign of laziness. What reads badly is guessing at a name and getting it wrong, or addressing the wrong person because you found an outdated LinkedIn profile. If you're not confident the name you found is current and correct, "Dear Hiring Manager" is the safer choice.

Addressing a team or department instead

If the job posting names a department but not a person, "Dear Marketing Team" or "Dear Engineering Hiring Team" is a reasonable middle ground between a named individual and a fully generic greeting. It shows you read the posting closely enough to know who you'd be writing to, even without a specific name.

What to avoid

"To Whom It May Concern" is the one greeting worth avoiding entirely. It reads as outdated and impersonal, more suited to a formal legal letter than a job application. Also watch the time you spend on this: five minutes of looking is reasonable, twenty minutes isn't. Past that point, you're better off writing a strong opening paragraph than continuing to search for a name that isn't easily discoverable.