Some advice I typically impart to students constructing cover letters is that their greeting should not only be congenial and exude professionalism, but it should also be addressed to the hiring manager who will be reviewing their application documents. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, a cover letter should act as an enticing welcome mat, drawing in its reader, prompting him or her to investigate what lies beyond. One of the best means of drawing someone into your cover letter is to make it personal. By addressing the particular hiring manager who will be assessing the strength of your application package in your cover letter, you personalize your message, giving the impression that you composed your cover letter with him or her in mind (of course, what follows your greeting must be compelling, as well). If this is the case, though, are names of hiring managers even possible to find?
Heather Huhman of U.S. News & World Report recently compiled a number of resources for job seekers who are fraught with wonder, asking themselves to whom to address their cover letter.
- “Use Google.” Google is quickly becoming a global source for all information. Even if a company once listed the recruiter’s name on its website, but has since removed the name; Google, in all likelihood, captured that information and has made it accessible in the form of a cached website image. In addition to this, Huhman suggests that job seekers, “Search keywords in quotations such as the company name, department name, or position title to bring up relevant results.”
- “Look to LinkedIn.” LinkedIn, in a very short time, has become a staple for working professionals, especially hiring managers and recruiters. Huhman suggests that job seekers, through LinkedIn, can access important company information, including “how many people work for the company, their names and titles (if they’re public), traffic stats, and more.”
- “Tap your network.” If you are applying to positions in a familiar field, or at companies where someone within your professional or personal network may work, you might consider reaching out to that person for information. Huhman suggests that job seekers look to social networking sites to discover if someone you know may be of some help.
- “Scour the company website.” This tip is especially applicable if you are applying to a position at a small firm, which may only have one or two recruiters. Huhman observes that job seekers might find details about a recruiter via a company’s “About Us” or “Our Team” webpages.
- “Call.” Although it may seem odd to call unsolicited, and Huhman warns that job seekers “shouldn’t call the hiring manager directly,” job seekers might consider “calling the front desk or switchboard to ask for the name of the hiring manager. Ask politely to whom you should address your cover letter or application submission.”
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