“To Whom It May Concern” Alternatives and How to Use | Letter Writing
“To Whom It May Concern” Alternatives and How to Use | Letter Writing. “To Whom It May Concern” works well in cases where you don’t know the name of your recipient(s) and want to come across as respectful, but in other contexts, it is not the most appropriate choice; and in some moments, it’s not an appropriate choice at all.
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Is To Whom It May Concern a great way to start a letter?
“To Whom It May Concern” is obsolete but is still sometimes used to describe letter greeting, and there are better ways to start a letter now. Alternatively, the message can also be written without a salutation.
What does the term “To Whom It May Concern” mean?
“To Whom It May Concern” is a broadway of addressing professional or formal correspondence. It is often used when the recipient’s name or title is unknown, e.g. if you give a recommendation to a former colleague and don’t know the name of the hiring manager.
How to Use “To Whom It May Concern”
When should you use the term? It can be used at the beginning of a letter, email, or another form of communication if you are not sure who will be reading it. This can happen at many points in your job search. For example, you can send a cover letter, letter of recommendation, or other job search materials to someone whose name you do not know.
It also makes sense to use “To Whom It May Concern” when you make an inquiry (also known as a prospectus or letter of interest) but don’t have contact details for a contact person.
When Not To Use “To Whom It May Concern”
Avoid “To Whom It May Concern” if possible. It’s largely out of date, stuffy, and lazy. With our access to the internet today, it’s pretty easy to find the name and even the email address of the person we want to talk to.
The few tips to help you find the name of almost anyone:
1. Visit the Company’s “About Us” Page
Smaller businesses may list all of their employees and their titles on their “About Us” or “Team” pages. At the very least, you can find a general corporate inbox to send a request to find out the name of the person you want to reach out to.
2. Pick up the phone
Call the company your prospect works for and ask the receptionist or administrator for that person’s name, contact information or advice on how best to contact them.
4. Ask your recruiter or recruiter
When writing a cover letter or email to a hiring manager; ask your recruiter or recruiter for the real name.
5. Visit the Company’s LinkedIn Profile
At the top of the Company’s profile, you will see a hyperlink prompt that says “Show all [number of employees] on Linkedin”.
Click this prompt to see a list of all employees. You should be able to skim the list until you find the person, role, or title you want to connect with.
Alternatives to “To Whom It May Concern”
There are better alternatives to use for salutation when writing letters to apply for jobs or other communications when you don’t have a named person to write to.
1. “Dear [name of the department you are interested in]”
If you are selling to a specific company department and you are unsure who your target buyer is, it is best to address your email to the department’s alias. It’s not ideal, but if you can’t find the right person to contact, don’t be afraid to send this greeting.
2. “Hello friend”
Reserve this familiar greeting for non-professional email correspondence – keep happy hour plans and weekend BBQs in mind.
3. “Season’s Greetings”
Are you looking for a way to give your e-mails an integrative, work-appropriate vacation feeling? Dust off Season’s Greetings – just don’t forget the apostrophes. ‘
4. “Hello, [Name]”
This is another less formal way to open up your correspondence. Save it for colleagues, co-workers, and business partners with whom you already have an open relationship.
6. “Dear Sir [name of title or role of the person you are pursuing]”
Do you know the title of the person you are writing to? Hopefully, you can use this information to find their real name – if not; it’s an acceptable, if not somewhat distant, way of addressing them by their title (i.e.
7. “Hello”
Are you already in the middle of a conversation with the person at the other end of your email? Open with a casual “hello” and continue your message thread.
8. “Dear Search Committee”
Perhaps you are addressing an email to a final buying panel or have made it to the final round of interviews for a new job. Regardless, if you need to send an email to a group of people in one of these scenarios, this greeting works fine.
9. “Dear [name]”
It’s an oldie, but a goodie. This greeting is almost always appropriate. If in doubt, pull it out.
10. “Good morning”
Are you sending an email that you know will be read right away? The allusion to the time of day with a “good morning” or “good evening” is suitable for every audience.
11. “Hello”
Do you feel international? “Hello” is not a common greeting in the US, but it could enliven your email next Monday morning.
12. “Greetings”
Save this for colleagues or business partners with whom you already have open and informal correspondence. It’s friendly and familiar, so leave it behind for more formal introductions.
13. “Dear recruiting department”
If you’re applying for a position at a larger company, your application may go to a large recruiting inbox. In this case, you are not writing to a specific person and you may need the approval of multiple recruiters. This greeting ensures that you cast a wide net.
14. “Dear HR Manager”
When applying for a new position, it is not always possible to know the name of the hiring manager. If you can, find out with some good old-fashioned LinkedIn detectives. If not, this greeting is an appropriate choice.
15. “Dear Recruiter”
If you cannot identify the recruiter or gatekeeper for the position you are applying for, “Dear Recruiter” is a common greeting.
When should “To Whom It May Concern” be used?
Knowing when it is appropriate to use “To Whom It May Concern” can be difficult, so here are a few scenarios when it is usually okay:
1. Recommendations/reference tests
If you are providing a reference or recommendation for a former colleague or employee, the request may come through an automated system that does not contain any information about the hiring manager.
2. Prospecting
This is acceptable, but not ideal. If you are a contact sales rep, it is your job to invest the time and research into knowing exactly who to contact. Ideally, you should first develop a relationship with them through LinkedIn or Twitter or get in touch through a mutual connection. If there doesn’t seem to be a way to find your personal information, you might reach for “To Whom It May Concern” but don’t expect a high response rate.
3. Introductions
If you’re introducing yourself to someone you’ve never met, it might be appropriate to use “To Whom It May Concern”. For example, if you have received a request for a quote or information about your company via a general inbox or a feedback form, you can address your response with “To Whom It May Concern”. Just make sure to ask for her name in your message.
4. Contacting a large company or a new department
If you are contacting a large company with a complex organizational structure and you are unsure of who to contact, you may need to send a message using a message form on the company’s website or email to a general address like “contact@nameofcompany.com “.
5. Company complaints
Filing a formal complaint with a company? It probably doesn’t matter if that complaint reaches an administrator, customer service representative, or the CEO you just want your complaint to be heard and dealt with.
Ways to Start an Email That are Better Than ‘To Whom It May Concern’
1. Dear Sir or Madam,
Though laced with cisnormativity (the assumption that everyone you meet identifies with the sex assigned to them at birth), this greeting is a fine failsafe if you really, really cannot find the name of the recipient of your email.
2. Dear Recruiter or Hiring Manager
Like addressing your email to a specific job title or department, this salutation works when you are applying to a position and want to reach the person responsible for recruiting or hiring. You should use this if you haven’t had any luck finding the name or specific job title of anyone recruiting for or hiring for the position.
3. Greetings
This salutation is perhaps a tad archaic, but it works both in formal and casual contexts as a salutation to many or to only one person. It gives the sense that you’re about to present information, like an invitation to an event, instead of asking a question — it’s similar to an actor exiting the curtain and welcoming the audience to a show.
4. Hello, / Hello all,
More informal still than “Good afternoon” is a plain old “Hello,” which you should use sparingly. This greeting is most appropriate when sending out a group email to coworkers whose names you can’t be bothered to specify. It communicates a certain level of intimacy between you and your recipient
5. Dear or [department],
In moments when you know the job title of your recipient but not their name, this greeting is the best way to go. It has a very serious tone and will capture the recipient’s attention for that reason.
6. Dear [recipient’s name],
In every case — always, always, always — it is most appropriate to address your letter to its recipient by name. This simple act automatically makes your correspondence more respectful, and it’s incredibly easy to perform: the amount of information available online to the public is astounding.
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