How do you start a cover letter?
Every cover letter starts with the same three pieces, in this order:
- A header with your name, phone number, email and city. Copy the design from your resume so the documents match. Our resume header guide shows the format.
- A greeting, also called the salutation, addressed to a person whenever possible.
- An opening paragraph of two or three sentences that names the job and gives the reader a reason to keep going.
The greeting and first sentence set the tone for everything after them. Generic openers make the whole letter feel generic, so this is where specific details matter most.
How do you find the hiring manager’s name?
Spend about 10 minutes looking before you settle for a generic greeting:
- Reread the job posting. Some list the hiring manager or recruiter by name.
- Check the company website. Look at the team, staff or leadership pages.
- Search LinkedIn for the department and company, such as “operations manager Northwind Logistics.”
- Call the front desk and ask who is hiring for the role.
- Ask your contact if someone at the company referred you.
If you still cannot confirm a name, use one of the no-name greetings below. Do not guess.
Cover letter greeting options
Greetings to use
| Situation | Greeting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| You know the name and title | Dear Ms. Rivera, or Dear Dr. Rivera, | Use a title only when you know which one they use |
| You know the name but not the title | Dear Alex Rivera, | The full name avoids guessing Mr. or Ms. |
| You know the reader’s job title | Dear Director of Operations, | Specific and respectful |
| You know the department | Dear Accounting Hiring Team, | Good when a team reviews applications |
| You are applying to a large employer | Dear Northwind Recruiting Team, | Shows you wrote this letter for them |
| No name or title at all | Dear Hiring Manager, | The standard safe choice |
| Internal role, and you already use first names | Dear Maria, | Only if that is how you normally address them |
Greetings to avoid
| Greeting | Why to avoid it |
|---|---|
| To Whom It May Concern, | Feels impersonal and dated in a job application |
| Dear Sir or Madam, | Outdated and assumes the reader’s gender |
| Gentlemen, | Excludes many readers |
| Hey, or Hi there, | Too casual for a first impression |
| A misspelled name | Signals carelessness before the first sentence |
Comma or colon? In a formal US business letter, a colon after the greeting is traditional, as in “Dear Ms. Rivera:”. A comma is also widely used, especially in email. Pick one and stay consistent.
How to address a cover letter without a name
When you cannot find a name, choose the most specific option you can, in this order:
- The reader’s job title: “Dear Nursing Director,” or “Dear Customer Service Manager,”
- The team or department: “Dear Marketing Hiring Team,”
- The standard fallback: “Dear Hiring Manager,”
A specific title shows you read the posting and thought about who will see your letter. “Dear Hiring Manager” is still acceptable, and it is far better than a wrong name or “To Whom It May Concern.”
What makes a strong cover letter opening line?
A strong opening answers three questions fast: which job, why you, and why here. Use this formula:
Job title + your hook + why this company
Your hook can be a result, a referral, a relevant credential, or a specific reason you want this employer. Here is the formula in action:
I am applying for the Operations Analyst role at Northwind Logistics. In my current job, I built a weekly carrier report that cut late deliveries by 12%, and your move into same-day delivery is exactly the kind of problem I want to work on.
Skip “My name is.” Your name is already in the header.
15 cover letter opening lines by situation
These examples use fictional names and companies. Borrow the structure, then fill in your own details.
Referral
Always ask your contact for permission before you name them.
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Maria Lopez, a senior nurse on your cardiac unit, suggested I apply for the Charge Nurse position. She mentioned your team needs steady leadership on night shifts, which is where I have spent the last six years.
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Devon Price, your account manager, recommended I reach out about the Customer Success Associate opening. We worked together at Summit Ridge Credit Union, where I managed a book of 300 member accounts.
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When I told my former colleague Priya Shah I was looking for a role in clinical scheduling, she pointed me straight to your opening at Brightside Dental.
Career change
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After eight years teaching middle school math, I am ready to bring my training and curriculum design skills to the Learning and Development Specialist role at Bluefin Marketing.
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I spent six years in retail management solving staffing and inventory problems with spreadsheets, and the Junior Data Analyst role is my chance to make that analysis my full-time work.
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As a paramedic moving into health care administration, I would bring years of calm, organized work under pressure to your Patient Services Coordinator role.
Changing fields later in your career? Our guide to a career change at 40 covers how to frame your experience.
Entry level
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As a May 2026 business administration graduate who spent two summers at the front desk of a busy dental office, I am excited to apply for the Administrative Assistant position at Brightside Dental.
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I am a high school senior looking for my first job, and I would like to join Harborview Grocery as a part-time cashier because I already know your Elm Street store well as a regular customer.
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During my internship at Northwind Logistics, I helped reconcile 2,000 inventory records in my first month, and I would bring that attention to detail to your Inventory Analyst role.
Internal candidate
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After three years as a Customer Service Representative on the billing team, I am applying for the Team Lead position to help us reach the response-time goals we set this year.
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I would like to be considered for the Senior Marketing Coordinator role. Over two years on Dana Kim’s team, I have run 14 email campaigns, and I am ready to take on the planning side as well.
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Four years in our Columbus warehouse have shown me exactly where our shipping process slows down, and as Shift Supervisor I want to help fix it.
Cold application with no posted job
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I have followed Bluefin Marketing’s work with local nonprofits for the past year, and I am writing to ask whether you have room for a content writer with five years of nonprofit experience.
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I am reaching out to ask whether your clinic expects any openings for a certified medical assistant. I recently moved to Tucson and have four years of experience in busy family practices.
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Your recent expansion into Ohio caught my attention, and as a bilingual logistics coordinator based in Columbus, I would like to introduce myself in case your new team needs local support.
Cover letter openers to avoid
| Weak opener | Why it fails | Try this instead |
|---|---|---|
| “My name is Jordan Lee, and I am applying for…” | Your name is already in the header | Start with the role and your hook |
| “I am writing to express my interest in the position.” | Says nothing specific | Name the role and your strongest qualification |
| “I know I do not have all the experience you want, but…” | Leads with a weakness | Lead with what you do bring |
| “I am the perfect candidate for this job.” | A claim with no proof | Give one specific result |
| “Have you ever wondered what makes a great accountant?” | Feels gimmicky | Make a direct statement |
| The wrong company name from your last application | Shows a copy-and-paste letter | Check every name before you send |
What comes after the opening?
Follow your opening with one or two body paragraphs that prove your hook with examples. The STAR method works well here: describe the situation, your task, the action you took and the result.
Then wrap up with a closing paragraph that asks for an interview. Our guide on how to end a cover letter has 15 closing examples and a sign-off table. Before you send, run your letter and resume through the ATS keyword checker to make sure you used the language from the posting.