Emails are less formal than cover letters, so starting with “Dear Sir or Madam” feels even more out of place.
Read more: Perfect Cover Letter: How to Write One? “Dear Sir or Madam” in EmailsĪvoid using “Dear Sir/Madam” in emails as well. Do you think Mary feels inspired to carefully read the letter and give her utmost attention?Ĭhances are Mary is going to spend a few seconds skimming the letter and go straight to the resume. She automatically knows: (a) the sender is a stranger who didn’t bother to look up her name, and (b) the letter’s contents might be a generic cover letter that’s been copy-pasted a hundred times. Now-what does that salutation tell Mary? A few things. The first thing she reads is “Dear Sir or Madam”. A resume arrives in her inbox with a cover letter attached. Mary is busy at work reviewing candidates when she receives a notification there’s a new applicant.
Who’s Mary? She’s the hiring manager at Acme Co. To illustrate why, let’s walk a mile in Mary’s shoes. While not always inappropriate, there are much better alternatives if you want to give a good impression from the start. No it isn’t-“Dear Sir/Madam” should be avoided whenever possible it’s one part of a cover letter that you can feel safe leaving out. Is “Dear Sir or Madam” Appropriate for a Cover Letter? Let’s explore what’s wrong with “Dear Sir or Madam” and when to use each alternative. And with the advent of the internet, there’s almost no excuse for not knowing who you’re writing to.īut what if you’ve scoured the internet and still came up empty-handed? Can you use “Dear Sir or Madam” then?Įven in that case, there are better alternatives. The reason why these generic letter salutations should be avoided is because you’re always better off addressing the letter using the recipient’s name. There are certain situations when this letter salutation can be used, but it’s best to avoid it as it comes off as old-timey, impersonal, and lazy. “Dear Sir or Madam” is a formal way to address a letter to a specific person whose name, title, or gender is unknown. “Dear Sir or Madam” as a Letter Salutation Perfect Cover Letter Examples For Any Job.How to Write a Cover Letter With No Experience.With the same stuff.Ĭheck out these similar guides on writing cover letters: My resume is now one page long, not three. One of our users, Nikos, had this to say: Sample resume made with our builder- See more templates and create your resume here. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here. Plus, you’ll get ready-made content to add with one click. Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Better alternatives to “Dear Sir or Madam”.Why you should avoid this business letter salutation.What using “Dear Sir or Madam” will say about you.Well-in reality, if you write “Dear Sir or Madam” on a cover letter or business email, you’re more likely to get an eye roll than a head nod. And you should use it when you want to sound professional, respectful, and sophisticated. Okay, maybe the last time you heard the word “madam” was in your high school production of Hamlet.īut somewhere along the way you learned that “Dear Sir or Madam” is the way to address a letter formally.