Should I say hello in my cover letter?
Cover Letter Greetings to Avoid
Using casual greetings, such as “Hello” and “Hi” can make your letter seem unprofessional. Reserve these casual greetings for personal email and refrain from using them in your cover letter unless you are very familiar with the recipient.
Use a generic salutation, such as Dear Hiring Manager, Dear Recruiting Manager or Dear Human Resources Professional. (Avoid To Whom It May Concern; it is antiquated.) Another option is to write Greetings, which is somewhat informal but polite.
The most professional salutation for a cover letter is “Dear.” Even an email cover letter should start with “Dear,” followed by the hiring manager's name and a colon or comma.
Your cover letter address should be formal and well-researched. Don't address the hiring manager with “hey,” “what's up,” “hi there,” or even the old-fashioned “Dear Sir/Madam” and “To Whom It May Concern.”
As far as email greetings go, an informal “Hi” followed by a comma is perfectly acceptable in most work-related messages. If a slightly more formal tone is preferred, consider the salutation “Hello.” Although this is considered an informal greeting, it also conveys a straightforward and friendly tone.
The most formal salutation is Dear, [title], then the last name. If you're unsure of the person's pronouns, it's a good idea to use Dear [First and last name] or Dear [First name]. When you don't know the recipient's name, you can use Hello or Greetings.
To address a cover letter without a name, use some variation of, "Dear Software Team Hiring Manager." You can also use, "Dear Hiring Manager" if the addressee really is unknown. Remember that "To Whom It May Concern" is an old-fashioned salutation for cover letters.
Mistake #1: Don't Overuse "I" Your cover letter is not your autobiography. The focus should be on how you meet an employer's needs, not on your life story. Avoid the perception of being self-centered by minimizing your use of the word "I," especially at the beginning of your sentences.
Example: 'I was excited to learn of this job opportunity from my former colleague, Alex Baker. He and I have worked closely together for many years, most recently on a complex data analysis project at XYZ Company. He thought that I would be a good match for this position on your team. '
One possibility is to use "my" now and then: instead of "I am experienced in ...", write "My fields of experience include ...". Another possibility is to use references to previous sentences: instead of writing "I developed the method of ... .
How do you start a letter without saying hello?
- "Hello, [Insert team name]"
- "Hello, [Insert company name]"
- "Dear, Hiring Manager"
- "Dear, [First name]"
- "To Whom it May Concern"
- "Hello"
- "Hi there"
- "I hope this email finds you well"
Begin your cover letter with your contact information. It should be in block style, on the left margin of your paper, towards the top. Include a date as you would do with any business letter.
You can use "Hello" instead of "Hi" to make your email greeting a little more formal. This salutation stands somewhere in between the cheerful "Hi" and official "Dear."
- greetings.
- hi.
- howdy.
- welcome.
- bonjour.
- buenas noches.
- buenos dias.
- good day.
Hi is equivalent to hello, but it is considered a little bit more informal in tone. In fact, it was recorded a lot earlier than hello.
...
How To Start a Cover Letter Greeting
- Use "Hello," or "Dear," followed by their first and last name. ...
- Include their title if possible. ...
- If you don't know their name, you can still make it specific.
Hello [Recipient's Name], I hope this email finds you well. Good [morning/afternoon/evening] [Recipient's Name], I hope you're having a great day so far! My name is [Your Name], and I wanted to introduce myself as [Your Job Role] at [Your Company Name]. I am reaching out to you because [Reason for Email].
"If the hiring manager's name is nowhere to be found and the company is unwilling to give you his or her name, you should use 'Dear Hiring Team' in your cover letter salutation," she says. "By addressing your cover letter to the hiring team, you increase your chances of getting it in front of the right pair of eyes."
- introduce yourself.
- mention the job (or kind of job) you're applying for (or looking for)
- show that your skills and experience match the skills and experience needed to do the job.
- encourage the reader to read your resume.
As you have your header with your contact information and city, you don't need to write out your address — or theirs. Write your next cover letter without the company address or yours, and you'll have so much more room for the stories, values, and personal voice that will actually help you get hired.
What not to use in a cover letter?
- Spelling mistakes. For any job position you may be applying for, this is a cardinal sin. ...
- Personal information. Employers are not interested in your personal life. ...
- Salary expectations. ...
- Too much information. ...
- Negative comments. ...
- Lies or exaggerations. ...
- Empty claims.
While a cover letter should give a recruiter an insight into who you are as a person, being overly personal or overly friendly is a big no-no. Avoid writing about your personal life and steer clear of jokes and sarcasm - these don't translate well on paper.
- Not following instructions.
- Using the wrong format.
- Discussing why you are looking for a new position.
- Using the same cover letter for every application.
- Writing without first researching the company and position.
- Discussing irrelevant work experience or a lack of experience.
Show your personality
One of the most effective ways to make your cover letter stand out is to allow some of your personality to show through your writing. You can highlight your personality through your tone, vocabulary and any personal traits you choose to share.
“Feel” or “Believe”
But you should avoid this common cover letter mistake because personal feelings don't necessarily have a place in applying to job opportunities. Rewrite the sentence to not include these words, or drop it entirely.
- Tell Them Why, Specifically, You're Interested in the Company. ...
- Outline What You Can Walk Through the Doors and Deliver. ...
- Tell a Story, One That's Not on Your Resume. ...
- Address the Letter to an Actual Person Within the Company.
Howdy / Hey mate / Hey man / G'day / and Gidday mate all indicate that we know a person quite well. How are you? / What's up? / How's it going? are casual ways to say hello in English and indicate that we've known that person for some time.
Salutations for business letters
The most formal salutation is Dear, [title], then the last name. If you're unsure of the person's pronouns, it's a good idea to use Dear [First and last name] or Dear [First name]. When you don't know the recipient's name, you can use Hello or Greetings.
You can use "Hello" instead of "Hi" to make your email greeting a little more formal. This salutation stands somewhere in between the cheerful "Hi" and official "Dear."
A cover letter uses first person to connect with the hiring manager it's addressed to and convey the honest intentions of the candidate. It can be an efficient way to communicate your professional achievements and intentions in similar documents like statements of purpose or essays.
How do you address a cover letter to an unknown recipient?
To address a cover letter without a name, use some variation of, "Dear Software Team Hiring Manager." You can also use, "Dear Hiring Manager" if the addressee really is unknown. Remember that "To Whom It May Concern" is an old-fashioned salutation for cover letters.
- “Hello!”
- “Good morning.”
- “Good afternoon.”
- “Good evening.”
- “It's nice to meet you.”
- “It's a pleasure to meet you.” (These last two only work when you are meeting someone for the first time.)
Both of these words are used when we want to greet someone. However, 'hello' is more formal, whereas, 'hi' is a friendly term.
Hello is a word for greeting and is considered appropriately used in formal situations.
“Hey” is an informal salutation often used in interoffice correspondence. While this casual tone might work in emails between coworkers and colleagues, it's not an appropriate device for addressing a client or employer. Avoid “Hey” whenever possible, even if you use the person's name or title after it.
Email doesn't technically require a salutation as it is considered to be memo format. (This is different from a business letter, which does require a salutation.) When email first appeared, many people did not use salutations.
Once your resume and cover letter pass the initial screening, the employer typically reviews a cover letter before the resume. To ensure that your application documents pass screenings, make sure that your resume and cover letter meet the formatting requirements for the job posting.
Briefly introduce yourself and explain why you are interested in the position. This is your chance to make a good first impression, so be sure to be polite and professional. Highlight your relevant qualifications and experience. This is where you can really sell yourself as the ideal candidate for the job.
Do employers really read cover letters? The simple answer is, yes ‒ most of the time. Many employers like to see a cover letter because it shows two important things: that the candidate has gone the extra mile and that the candidate is serious about their application.
Addressing a cover letter to the hiring manager is appropriate in most situations. It's always better to include a generic greeting, like "Dear Hiring Manager," if you don't know the name of the hiring manager. It's also preferable to use if you're not sure of the accuracy of the hiring manager's information.
How long should a cover letter be?
Generally, you should aim for a cover letter word count of 250 to 400 words and about three to six paragraphs. A short, concise cover letter serves as a written introduction to a prospective employer and outlines why you're the best fit for the job.
- "Hello, [Insert team name]"
- "Hello, [Insert company name]"
- "Dear, Hiring Manager"
- "Dear, [First name]"
- "To Whom it May Concern"
- "Hello"
- "Hi there"
- "I hope this email finds you well"