The 5 worst ways to address a cover letter

Flickr/Laura D'AlessandroAvoid these off-putting cover-letter openers.Dear Reader,We know it's frustrating when a job posting doesn't include the name of the person in charge of the hiring process.We also know that's not an excuse to slap any salutation on your cover letter and send your application off.According to Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume, you should always do some research to figure out who exactly the person reading your letter will be.You can even play it safe by writing at the beginning of your cover letter: I noticed you're working in [whatever department] at [whatever company], so you show that based on your research, it looks like they're involved in the hiring process.In the case that you absolutely, positively can't find a person's name, Augustine said certain ways of addressing your cover letter are more off-putting than others. For example, Dear Hiring Manager and Dear Recruiter aren't great openings, but they're the best of many bad options.Here's the full list of cover-letter openings, ranked in reverse order of egregiousness.Sincerely,Business Insider staffP.S. This advice doesn't apply in the case of an anonymous job posting, when a company is deliberately keeping their name and the names of their employees confidential.5. Dear Hiring Manager or Dear RecruiterThe language in your cover letter should be at once professional and conversational, Augustine said. And these openings aren't overly formal or casual, which is a plus.But the lack of customization - you could submit this letter to any company you're applying to - will still stand out.You're not earning brownie points with this salutation, Augustine said. But you're not putting people off either.4. Dear HR ProfessionalAugustine said this opening isn't necessarily accurate.The person reading your application might not work in the company's human resources department, or they might call themselves a recruiter instead of a human resources professional.Flickr/Jason PettisHi isn't customized, and it can also be considered slang.3. Hello or HiWith Hello and no name after it, you've gotten the conversational part down, but you've still failed to customize your letter.Hi is a double whammy, since not only is it not customized, but it can also be considered slang, Augustine said.2. Dear Sir or MadamYou might think you're being clever by covering your bases in terms of gender, Augustine said. But you're actually making a big mistake by being so formal.If you're applying to a startup, for example, Augustine said this kind of language probably wouldn't fit the company culture.Even if you're applying to a more traditional company, the fact that your opening isn't customized at all is a big turn-off.1. To Whom It May ConcernIt's so incredibly formal in its language, Augustine said of this opening. I read that and I think, 'This person doesn't care at all.'If they did care, they would have tried to figure out who exactly the recruiter or the hiring manager is.Moreover, To Whom It May Concern conveys exactly the opposite impression of professional and conversational that you're trying to project.Augustine's rule of thumb when writing cover letters is to ask yourself: If this letter was coming to me, would I want to read it? Chances are good that, if someone addressed you this way, you wouldn't be so intrigued. NOW WATCH: How to win a game of chess in two moves if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'BuOXAweTonLDUytKPwe4N2hml9yvdqkW',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); Please enable Javascript to watch this video (function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }());

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The 5 worst ways to address a cover letter

5. "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Recruiter"

4. "Dear HR Professional"

3. "Hello" or "Hi"

2. "Dear Sir or Madam"

1. "To Whom It May Concern"

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