Something one notch less formal, but not “To Whom It May Concern,” for replies to people offering jobs who don’t provide company or personal names.
I am thinking “Dear Recruiting Agent” but that seems like it might be offensive if that’s not their exact role.
Whatcha think?
I have been sending out résumés with the generic, “Greetings;” salutation.
In before the 20 people who are gonna jump on to tell you to call the company and find out who the individual is, because if you don’t, you obviously don’t want the job enough. :rolleyes:
Friend Dough Ho: that’s good.
ReticulatingSplines: good idea if there is any form of contact besides email.
Dear Hiring Executive:
Sounds a bit too ‘First Contact’ to me. Perhaps it’s a cultural thing, from my Brit perspective, that sounds gimmicky/too jolly. Do you also Come In Peace?
To the OP, what don’t you like about Sir/Madam?
Greetings Earthling,
The Madam. I don’t recall using that word ever. Maybe it’s more common in the UK.
I think “Dear” sounds awfully weird in conjunction with anything that isn’t either an actual name or a formal style.
example?
In the U.S., in spoken English, it’s mostly said as “Ma’am”, so why not address the company as “Dear Sir/Ma’am”?
If you can’t find out the name of the person, use the company name
Dear Chicago Reader:
Dear Recruiting Agent
Dear Hiring Executive
Dear Chicago Reader (a name, but not the name of an actual person for whom the message is intended)
“Ladies and Gentlemen:” is the convention for what you’re looking for. It doesn’t matter how many people you’re writing to, nor that they all should happen to be of one sex.
I submit eight to ten résumés a day and they are all being done via a blind site. 99% of the time, I have no clue of the company, just the job for which I am applying.
Honestly, having been in the seat that reviews such applications, the salutation is not important and is usually glossed-over. It is the substance of the cover letter and attached C.V.
“Hail Ceasar! Morituro Te Salutenant!” (SP? High School Latin was so long ago…)
Ave Caesar! Moriturus (or Moritura) te salutat.
It’s usuually given in the plural, but I’m giving the singular, since there’s just one person writing the letter. It’s “Moriturus” or “Moritura” depending on the gender of the letter-writer.
Ah, yes, we still use Madam in the UK.
Titbit alert: The only person called ‘Ma’am’ here is The Queen. I have no idea why.
As this is a job application, I think you want to appear professional, polite, with good social skills and au fait with correct etiquette.
Dear Sir and/or Madam
Dear Madam
Dear Sir
To Whom it May Concern
All polite, professional, acceptable and widely accepted salutations when you know very little about the recipient.
I, personally don’t think this is the place to be quirky, humourous, avant garde or interesting.
You may feel awkward writing “madam”- but you don’t want to be perceived as clueless, gauche, rude or weird by the person assessing whether or not to interview you for a job.
The body of the letter is where you should make your mark and set yourself apart- not the salutation.
I always use Dear Sir/Madam because I am a repressed Brit with an inbuilt need to bumlick my superiors, but you might like to mark it For The Attention Of, then your choice of whatever comes next.
I like For The Attention Of The Hiring Executive.
Think about your use of capitals though; I’m sure I’ve not got them right in that example.
So I guess “Wassup” is out of the question?