True or false: If you don't know the name of the hiring manager, I can address my cover letter "To whom it may concern."

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: True or false: If you don't know the name of the hiring manager, I can address my cover letter "To whom it may concern."

Option 1: True. The statement asserts that it is acceptable to address a cover letter with "To whom it may concern" when the name of the hiring manager is unknown. In practice, this phrasing is considered outdated and impersonal. It may come across as lazy or show a lack of effort to personalize, which can leave a weak impression. While there are rare situations where you cannot find a name, best practice is to exhaust alternatives first (phone calls, LinkedIn, company site) and use a more targeted greeting if possible. If you truly cannot determine a name, you might use a neutral yet more professional alternative such as "Dear Hiring Team" or "Dear [Department] Hiring Committee." Therefore, this option misrepresents standard professional etiquette, making it an incorrect stance in typical scenarios.

Option 2: False. This option claims the statement is not appropriate, aligning with common professional guidance. The preferred approach is to customize the greeting when you know or can reasonably deduce the recipient's name. If no name is available, you should opt for a polite but specific alternative like "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear [Department] Team" rather than the generic and old-fashioned "To whom it may concern." This framing demonstrates effort and attention to detail, which strengthens your cover letter. Thus, the assertion that using "To whom it may concern" is acceptable is generally inaccurate, making this the correct assessment within conventional hiring practices.

Note on nuance: Some very small organizations or rigid contexts might still accept the traditional greeting, but for the vast majority of professional applications, avoiding it is advised. The key takeaway is that you should strive for a personalized, professional salutation whenever possible, and only fallback to a neutral option when all other avenues to identify a name have been exhausted.

BA 2021 (005) Cover Letter Comprehension Quiz

True or false: If you don't know the name of the hiring manager, I can address my cover letter "To whom it may concern."

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