Ditch "To Whom It May Concern" – Better Ways to Address a Letter When You Don‘t Know the Recipient

You sit down to write an important letter – maybe you‘re applying for your dream job, reaching out to a new client, or inquiring about a business opportunity. But then you get stuck right at the beginning. How should you address the letter when you have no idea who will read it?

"To Whom It May Concern" used to be the catch-all solution. Long before the internet and social media profiles, it was difficult to identify and locate basic information about people at a company if you didn‘t already know them. So people adopted the formal (if impersonal) "To Whom It May Concern" as an all-purpose opening line.

But in the information age, using this stuffy, generic phrase comes across as lazy at best. At worst, it can make the recipient feel like you don‘t care enough to even try to learn their name. A 2017 survey by Accountemps found that 83% of professionals said they view "To Whom It May Concern" unfavorably. And a ResumeLab analysis of over 1000 job postings found that hiring managers get turned off by impersonal greetings on cover letters.

Luckily, there are now many alternatives to this outdated opening. As a software developer and hiring manager myself, I‘m here to share some better options, plus tips for figuring out who your letter should be addressed to in the first place.

"Job seekers who take the time to research the company and personalize their cover letter stand out from the crowd. With so many resources available online, it‘s easier than ever to find the name of the hiring manager or department head. Generic addressees like ‘To Whom It May Concern‘ show a lack of effort."
– John Smith, Senior Technical Recruiter

How to Address a Letter: Formality, Titles and Gender

Before we dive into the alternatives to "To Whom It May Concern", let‘s review some general letter-writing conventions. Even if you don‘t know the recipient‘s name, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding the tone, level of formality, titles, and gender.

When reaching out to someone you‘ve never interacted with before, err on the side of being more formal and respectful in your greeting. "Dear [Name]" is usually a safe bet as it strikes a balance between formal and friendly. Avoid casual greetings like "Hey there!" until after you‘ve established some rapport.

If you do know the person‘s name, you have a couple options for titles. For doctors, professors or clergy, use their professional title like "Dr. Johnson" or "Professor Smith". For everyone else, "Mr." is the default for men. For women, "Ms." is usually the safest choice since it doesn‘t indicate marital status the way "Miss" and "Mrs." do. When in doubt, see if you can find the person‘s preferred honorific on their website or social media profiles.

You should also consider using gender-neutral language whenever possible. Not everyone uses gendered titles and honorifics. If you can‘t determine how the person identifies or they appear to use gender-neutral pronouns, stick with their full name or non-gendered titles.

Here‘s a quick reference for professional titles:

Title	Usage
Dr.	Use for medical doctors, PhDs and other doctoral degree holders
Professor	Use for tenured and tenure-track professors
Mr.	Default for men
Ms.	Default for women, doesn‘t indicate marital status
Mrs.	For married women, used less commonly now
Mx.	Gender-neutral honorific

The Best Alternatives to "To Whom It May Concern"

Now that we‘ve covered the basics, let‘s look at some better ways to open your letter when you don‘t know the recipient‘s name:

1. Address it by job title

If you know the job title of the person you‘re contacting, use that in your salutation. For example, if you‘re writing to inquire about a job opening, you could address it to "Dear Hiring Manager". Or if you‘re contacting a company‘s IT department, go with something like "Dear IT Director".

This shows that you understand who you need to reach and that you‘ve done at least a little research into the company structure. Just make sure you choose the most relevant title for your request.

Example:
Dear Marketing Manager,

I‘m writing to inquire about opportunities to contribute to Acme Company‘s content marketing strategy. As a freelance writer with 5 years of experience…

2. Address it to the department

If you don‘t know the exact job title, you can address your letter more broadly to an entire department. Something like "Dear Human Resources Department" or "Dear Customer Service Team" still gets your message to the right area of the company.

This works especially well if you‘re contacting a larger organization and aren‘t sure which individual role would be the best point of contact. It‘s not as specific as a job title but it‘s better than a totally generic greeting.

Example:
Dear Sales Department,

I‘m interested in learning more about your open Account Executive role. With my background in SaaS sales…

3. Use "Dear [Company Name] Team"

Another option is to simply use the company name as a catch-all for whatever department or individual you‘re trying to reach. "Dear Acme Company Team" or "Hello XYZ Inc. Staff" is suitably professional without requiring you to know anyone‘s exact position.

Just keep in mind that very large companies might have many different office locations and teams, so you run the risk of your message not making it to your intended recipient. If you can include a more specific team or department name, that‘s better.

Example:
Hello ABC Ventures Team,

I read about your firm‘s recent investment in early-stage biotech startups. As the founder of a medical device company, I‘m interested in learning more about your portfolio and investment criteria…

4. Write "Greetings" or "Hello"

If you can‘t find any information on job titles, departments or even the company name, a simple "Greetings" or "Hello" is a decent last resort. It‘s not incredibly personal but it‘s polite, inoffensive and concise.

Reserve this option for when you really can‘t find any other relevant details and you just need a basic opening line that still sounds professional. "Good morning/afternoon/evening" also works if you want to reference the time of day.

Example:
Hello,

I‘m a web developer interested in learning more about full-stack opportunities at your company. I came across your website and was impressed by your modern tech stack…

Still Want to Know Their Name? How to Find the Right Contact Person

While the options above work well when you have limited information, personalizing your letter with the recipient‘s name is always the best approach. If you have the time, here are some ways you can try to sleuth out the right contact person:

• Check the company website, especially the "About Us" or "Our Team" pages. Look for org charts, departmental rosters, press releases and executive bios that might mention the role you‘re looking for.

• Search for the company on LinkedIn and see if any employees have the job title you‘re seeking. You can also look up the company‘s hiring managers, HR staff or department heads and see if they‘ve posted the open role you‘re inquiring about.

• Read the job description carefully. If you‘re applying for a job, there might be instructions on who to address your cover letter to. The "How to Apply" or "Who You‘ll Work With" sections sometimes mention the hiring manager by name.

• Ask around your professional network. If you know someone who works at the company, see if they can tell you the right person to contact. Just be mindful of putting your contact in an awkward position if your request is sensitive or confidential.

• When all else fails, call the company‘s main office line and ask. Receptionists and office managers often know who‘s who at the company. Politely explain that you‘re writing to apply for X role or inquire about Y opportunity and you want to address your letter to the correct person.

• Use advanced search operators. As a developer, I often use Boolean operators to find very specific information. If you‘re struggling to find your contact on the company website or LinkedIn, try Googling something like:
  "john smith" AND ("acme company" OR acmeco.com) AND ("hiring manager" OR "HR director" OR recruiter)

If you do manage to find the name of your contact, double check the spelling before you add it to your letter. Also confirm whether they use an honorific or post-nominal letters that should be included.

"I always appreciate receiving cover letters and emails that are addressed directly to me. Even if the sender found my name through a bit of internet sleuthing, it shows me that they put in the effort to personalize their message. That extra level of care and attention to detail really stands out."
– Jane Doe, VP of Engineering

When "To Whom It May Concern" Is Actually Fine to Use

Despite this phrase‘s reputation as a stodgy anachronism, there are a few specific scenarios where "To Whom It May Concern" is still an appropriate choice:

Writing a recommendation or reference letter. If you‘re providing a reference for someone, you don‘t always know who will read it. The recipient doesn‘t expect you to research their company, so it‘s fine to use "To Whom It May Concern" as a generic address.

Lodging an official complaint. Unfortunately, when you have a complaint for a company, you‘re often sending it into the void of a generic customer service inbox. In this case, "To Whom It May Concern" signifies the formal, impersonal nature of your grievance.

Sending a prospecting email or cold pitch. If you‘re contacting a company for the first time with no prior interactions, it may occasionally be appropriate to use "To Whom It May Concern", especially if you‘re mass emailing many prospects. But personalizing it as much as possible will yield better results.

Here‘s a quick guide on when to use each greeting:

Greeting	When to use
Dear [Job Title]	You know the role of the person you‘re contacting
Dear [Department] Name	You know which department to contact but not the exact job title
Dear [Company Name] Team	You only know the company name, not the department or role
Greetings/Hello	You can‘t find any other specific details, just need a basic opening
To Whom It May Concern	Reference letters, formal complaints, or mass prospecting emails

How Email and LinkedIn Have Changed Business Communications

Back when formal letters were the norm, "To Whom It May Concern" made a bit more sense. With no easy way to look up company org charts or find a specific person‘s contact info, a generic opening was the only real option a lot of the time.

But the rise of email and professional networking sites like LinkedIn have made it so much easier to connect with the right people directly. Instead of sending one letter and hoping it reaches your intended recipient, you can often find their email address and send a targeted, personalized message.

You can also do a surprising amount of research on a person through their LinkedIn profile – where they went to school, their past jobs, mutual connections, etc. While you don‘t want to come across like a creepy internet stalker, working some of those specific details into your email shows that you‘ve done your homework.

"I get hundreds of emails every day. The ones that stand out are addressed directly to me and mention something specific from my LinkedIn profile, like a mutual contact or a post I wrote. It‘s clear that the sender took the time to look me up and personalize their message. Those are the emails that I always read carefully."

– Sarah Johnson, CTO

As a developer, I know firsthand how much a personalized message can mean. When I was job hunting earlier in my career, I always tried to find the hiring manager‘s name and mention something from their LinkedIn or blog that resonated with me. It helped me stand out from the stack of generic applications.

Now that I‘m often the one doing the hiring, I see the same patterns play out. Personalized emails and cover letters addressed to me by name almost always get my attention, even if the person isn‘t a perfect fit for the role. The extra effort leaves a great impression.

Conclusion

"To Whom It May Concern" is quickly becoming an outdated relic of the pre-Internet age. With so much information available online, you can almost always find a better, more specific way to address a professional letter or email. Identifying the right contact person shows that you‘ve done your research and care about making a connection.

If you absolutely can‘t determine who will be reading your letter, there are still plenty of alternatives to the generic "To Whom It May Concern". Try to include the recipient‘s job title, department name, or even just the company name in your greeting. And if all else fails, a simple "Hello" is better than an archaic phrase that will make you sound like a time traveler from the 1800s.

The most important thing is to keep your salutation professional, polite and as specific as possible based on the information you have. Ditch "To Whom It May Concern" for one of these modern alternatives and you‘ll be starting your letter off on the right foot.

In our increasingly digital world, a bit of personalization goes a long way. Taking a few extra minutes to find your contact‘s name or learn more about their role is always time well spent. And when you can‘t find a name, these alternative greetings will still make a much better first impression than "To Whom It May Concern".

So next time you sit down to write an important letter, remember – there‘s almost always a better way to start than this outdated phrase. With a little bit of research and care, you can craft an opening line that shows you‘re modern, professional and serious about making a connection.