So you’ve been invited to interview for a job. You’ve prepared your resume, practiced your answers to common job interview questions, and even got yourself a new suit. Now it’s time for the hardest part: writing the cover letter. But what should you say?
How do you format it? What if I don’t know to who to address my cover letter? Well, never fear! We’ve put together this handy guide so that no matter what stage of the process you’re at from submitting applications online or sending thank-you notes after an interview you’ll have all the tools necessary to get hired by one of our partners today!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Your cover letter should introduce yourself, highlight your relevant skills and experiences, explain why you’re interested in the job, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role and company. |
| Address your cover letter to the hiring manager or recruiter by name, if possible. If you don’t know their name, you can use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern.” |
| A cover letter should be no longer than one page. Keep it concise and to the point. |
| It’s generally not recommended to include your salary requirements in your cover letter. It’s better to discuss salary during the interview process. |
| After writing your cover letter, take a break and come back to it later with fresh eyes. Read it aloud to catch any awkward phrasing or errors. You can also ask a friend or mentor to review it for you. |
Can I Start A Cover Letter With a Dear?
If you want to begin your cover letter with “Dear Sir or Madam,” it’s a good idea to begin the rest of the letter with a reference to their name, i.e., “Thank you for inviting me to interview for the position of [job title].” If they don’t provide contact information in their job posting, ask them for it.
You can also ask if there are any special instructions about the application process sometimes, these sorts of things are included in an email along with the job posting itself.
If you’ve already received an invitation via email (or if they’ve given out their names when talking on the phone), feel free to address them by name in your cover letter.
A well-crafted cover letter can make or break your job application. Check out our article on why cover letters are important to learn more about how they can help you stand out in a competitive job market.
How Do You Start A Cover Letter With No Name?
You have a couple of options for addressing your cover letter. You can address it to the hiring manager, or you can address it to the company as a whole.
If you choose to address your cover letter directly to the company, you don’t need to include both names of the interviewer and their title on every page. Instead, just use “Dear [Hiring Manager]” throughout as this will make sure that they get copies of all correspondence with potential employees.
If you want your resume or portfolio included with your application materials and addressed separately from other documents then simply include their contact information where appropriate in the body of your message (see below).
Please note that some people prefer putting their name at the top rather than the bottom so feel free to follow suit if feels more natural for them!
Can I Start A Cover Letter With To Whom It May Concern?
When you’re writing a cover letter, it is usually best to address your cover letter directly to the hiring manager. The salutation “To whom it may concern” is generally used when you don’t know the name of that person or if they are not specifically mentioned in the job posting. It is not an appropriate salutation for a cover letter, however.
A better option would be to look at the company website and find out to who you should be addressing your application materials (resume, references) and/or cover letters. You can also research their social media profiles or LinkedIn pages; they might have information available on their accounts that will reveal their title and name!
If there isn’t any information available online about who oversees hiring at this particular company then send your resume/application materials directly to HR – but do so only if explicitly instructed by them via email (this often happens when companies post openings through job aggregators like Indeed).
How Do You Start A Cover Letter When You Don’t Know Who To Address It To?
When you’re writing a cover letter, you should always address it to the company. This means that if you are applying for a job with Company X and the hiring manager’s name is John Smith, your cover letter should begin with “Dear Mr. Smith.”
If there is no specific person listed as being responsible for hiring new employees or no one who has been identified by HR as having those responsibilities and assuming this person will be reading your application
Try addressing it to the company itself and then including an introduction that includes how much you would like to work there. In this situation, something along these lines might work well:
I have had my eye on Company X since I was in high school because of its reputation as one of the best companies out there. After reading about all of [insert positive characteristics here], I am now even more convinced that working at Company X would be a wonderful experience!
Formal letters can be used in a variety of situations, from professional to personal. Learn more about when to write a formal letter with our guide on what is a formal letter and when should you write one.
Is It Okay To Email A Cover Letter?
In a professional tone, you should email your cover letter. If you’re applying for jobs that are not physical, like working from home or remotely, it is perfectly acceptable to email your cover letter along with your resume.
When emailing a cover letter, make sure that the subject line of the email is clear and concise. It should not be something generic like “application” or “resume.” Instead, use the position title and company name in the subject line so that it’s clear what information needs to be read first.
What Is The Proper Way To Send A Cover Letter Via Email?
There are three major pitfalls to avoid when sending a cover letter via email:
Make sure you have the correct contact information for the hiring manager. It’s always better to call the company and ask for their correct contact information, but if you can’t get through by phone or don’t want to take that step, there are a few online resources that allow you to search for email addresses.
One example is The Ladders (link). You can also try using Google’s “People” search option (search engine) or LinkedIn’s advanced search options (website).
Check your spelling and grammar carefully as well as your formatting; use spellchecker tools if necessary, but also proofread carefully yourself before hitting send! Pay attention especially if you’re writing in a non-native language, for example, an Arabic speaker writing in English may not spot misspellings like “their” instead of “they’re.”
How Long Should A Cover Letter Be?
The answer to this question depends on the industry and position you’re applying for. If you are applying for a job in an office environment, then a one-page cover letter is typically appropriate.
However, if you have many years of experience (e.g., 20+ years), then it’s acceptable to write more than one page but make sure that each paragraph is no longer than two sentences per paragraph.
If you are applying for a creative field such as graphic design, writing, or film editing, then your skillset may be so extensive that they can’t be contained within one page of text!
In these cases, I recommend using bullet points instead of paragraphs to keep things concise without losing any detail about your qualifications or why we should hire you over the other candidates who applied for this position. For example: “I’m currently working on my novel about how millennials struggle with life after college graduation.”
What Do You Do When You Don’t Have A Person To Address The Cover Letter To?
When you don’t know the name of the person you’re addressing in your cover letter, it can be hard to figure out how to do so. Here are some options:
Address the cover letter to the hiring manager. This is a great option if they are listed on their website or multiple people might be in charge of hiring for that position. In this case, using “Dear Sir/Madam” is not necessary because it’s obvious that you’re writing about a specific person and not just “to whom it may concern.”
The only downside with this approach is that if your contact information doesn’t match up with the recipient’s (i.e., if they move jobs), then your resume might get lost in their inbox for months before making its way into another person’s hands.
Address the cover letter directly to an individual within HR at an organization or company if one exists and ask them where you should send your resume or CV (curriculum vitae) so that someone can review it promptly; this approach is best used when there isn’t clearly defined departmental structure at said organization!
If nothing else, getting someone from HR on board will give them visibility into who has been contacted by candidates looking for work within their company; this knowledge could eventually lead to connecting two parties who share mutual interests!
First impressions are crucial when it comes to job applications, and your cover letter is no exception. See our article on starting a cover letter with “Hello” to discover tips on how to create an engaging introduction.
Should My Cover Letter Say ‘dear’?
Dear Sir or Madam is outdated, and even in today’s job market, you may not be able to find a position that uses it.
Use more appropriate salutations for the job and the person you are addressing in your cover letter to. For example, Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Human Resources Director would be more appropriate than Dear Sir or Madam.
If you can’t remember what’s appropriate for a particular company or situation, Google “salutation” plus the name of the company and find their website address. This will usually tell you what they like people to call them (e.g., “Ms.,” “Mr.,” or “Mrs.,” etc.).
How Do You Start A Follow-Up Email For a Job Application?
How do you follow up after an interview? What’s the best way to get feedback? How can you initiate a conversation with someone who has not responded to your emails or messages?
These are all questions that a lot of job seekers are asking themselves. In this article, we’ll answer all of those questions and more!
How Do I Check My Application Status Online?
It is important to check your application status online because you can receive an email at any time that says “we have decided not to move forward with your application.” Most companies will send this out within a few days of receiving your resume.
If you have not received this email after two weeks, it is likely that they either did not receive it or they do not plan on contacting you.
If you have applied for a job and have not heard from the company after three weeks, it is best to reach out to them yourself. You may need to follow up with different departments depending on how large the company is or if there is more than one position available within their organization.
Using “I” in a cover letter can be a tricky decision for many job applicants. Learn more about the dos and don’ts of using “I” in your cover letter with our guide on Can You Use “I” in a Cover Letter?
How Do I Check My Job Application Status After Interview?
If you have been invited to an interview, likely, the company has already done a background check on you. This means that it is likely your resume has been reviewed and approved for the position. If this is the case, then there are several ways to check your application status:
Visit the company website and click on “Careers” or “Jobs.” The job application status should be listed under “Open Jobs.” If there isn’t any information available about open positions at this time, try visiting again in another week or two.
Check social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to see if they are advertising jobs in your field of interest. These sites allow companies more freedom with posting jobs without giving out too much information about themselves (like company name). They also allow hiring managers some control over what details they share with potential applicants (such as salary range).
Can You Apply For Multiple Jobs At Walmart?
Yes, you can apply for multiple jobs at Walmart.
When applying for a job at Walmart, there are many different ways you can do so. First of all, you can apply for one specific position in an area of your choice (such as grocery or electronics).
Or, if you’re interested in multiple positions within one department or location, you can use the keyword “and” between them to let us know this is the case.
You could also apply for any number of positions across departments whether that means applying for both cashiers and stockers or even roles like customer service representatives (CSRs) throughout multiple stores nationwide!
Finally, since we have over 8500 stores worldwide (the majority located in North America), there are also plenty of opportunities outside your local market should they be available within our company!
So if needed/wanted by both parties involved here: go ahead and submit another application under the “Job Search Settings” tab found below near the top left corner while logging into the Walmart webpage once logged the account the first time logging into the site using the email address linked account then clicking on “Search Jobs” button located on the left side panel
Next, click the search button again after entering the city name followed by selecting the state then entering keywords from the list provided then hitting enter key until desired results appear below the screen scroll down the page until seeing the category titled “Jobs” followed by clicking the link text labeled “
View All Openings” which will bring users back page where they started looking up positions related specifically
Learn about how to start and send your cover letter.
You’ve got a great resume, but you don’t know how to start your cover letter.
You’re not alone I hear this question all the time! There are many ways to begin your cover letter, but when it comes down to it, there are only two important questions:
Is it okay to email my cover letter?
How do I start my cover letter with no name?
Sending out multiple job applications can be a daunting task, but it’s important to tailor your cover letter to each specific job. Check out our article on using the same cover letter for every job to learn why a one-size-fits-all approach can hurt your chances of landing the job.
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you a better understanding of how to start and send your cover letter. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. We would love to help!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to help you improve your cover letter:
Powerful Ways to Start a Cover Letter: Indeed’s guide provides examples of attention-grabbing opening lines and tips on how to customize your introduction.
How to Write a Cover Letter: Zety’s comprehensive guide covers all aspects of writing a cover letter, from structure to content.
How to Start a Cover Letter: 7 Tips & Examples: Novoresume’s guide offers tips on how to make a great first impression with your opening sentence.
FAQs
What should I include in my cover letter?
Your cover letter should introduce yourself, highlight your relevant skills and experiences, explain why you’re interested in the job, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role and company.
How do I address my cover letter?
Address your cover letter to the hiring manager or recruiter by name, if possible. If you don’t know their name, you can use “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom It May Concern.”
How long should my cover letter be?
A cover letter should be no longer than one page. Keep it concise and to the point.
Should I include my salary requirements in my cover letter?
It’s generally not recommended to include your salary requirements in your cover letter. It’s better to discuss salary during the interview process.
What’s the best way to proofread my cover letter?
After writing your cover letter, take a break and come back to it later with fresh eyes. Read it aloud to catch any awkward phrasing or errors. You can also ask a friend or mentor to review it for you.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.