How to Find Contact Info for Your Cover Letter

John Krautzel
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Writing a cover letter is one of your most important tasks as a job seeker. The right cover letter format will help you convince recruiters of your expertise and improve your chances of being invited to an interview. Many people use generic greetings such as "Dear Recruiter" or "To Whom It May Concern," but this is a mistake. Use these tips to find contact information to use in your cover letter greeting.

The first place to look for the recruiter's contact information is the job advertisement. If the ad says, "Send your cover letter and resume to John Smith," you'll know to address your cover letter to Mr. Smith. If the recruiter's name is not listed, you might be able to figure it out by using the email address in the ad. If the email address includes a first initial and last name, do a search for the last name on the employer's website. You might be able to find a profile page with the recruiter's contact information on it. If you find a name that could be used for a man or woman, use the full name in your cover letter greeting. This will help you avoid addressing a woman as "Mr. Smith" or a man as "Ms. Smith."

Recruiter Daire Gibney says it is important to customize your cover letter for each potential employer, so don't give up if you can't find the recruiter's name in the job advertisement or on the company's website. Another way to find the right contact information is to call the company and ask the receptionist to give you the recruiter's name. If the receptionist cannot give you the information you need to write your cover letter, ask to speak to someone in the human resources department.

If you can't get in touch with someone from the human resources department, you'll have to be a little resourceful. Some companies use general inboxes to collect resumes and cover letters from applicants, so check the job advertisement to see if there is an email address available. If there is, compose an email asking for the contact information you need to write your cover letter. Let the reader know you want to address the recruiter directly. Not only will this help you get the information you need, it will also help you demonstrate your professionalism.

Using the right cover letter format is one of the best ways to get recruiters to take you seriously as an applicant. If the recruiter's contact information is not available, call the company and ask for it. If this doesn't work, get the contact information you need by using the company's website to conduct research. A little extra effort will help you create the best cover letter possible.



(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

 

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