Dear Sir or Madam, I’d Like To Be Special
Most cover letters start with “Dear Sir or Madam”. It sounds really weird doesn’t it? Personally, I like it when someone calls me Sir Phillip because I feel like a knight. However, most people aren’t as strange as me. The problem with most people starting their letters with “Dear Sir or Madam” is that most people start their letters that way. You’re certainly not going to stand out. The second problem with starting a cover letter this way is that it doesn’t say “I care about you.”
A bit cheesy? You bet. We’ve talked a lot on this blog about making the company you’re applying to (and the HR person in particular) feel special. Focus less on you, and more on the company (and the HR person). By starting your cover letter with “Dear Sir or Madam” you are instantly saying, “This is a generic cover letter and I don’t care enough about YOU to find your name and include it here. I’m too busy not having a job to take the time to look up your info, but hopefully you won’t notice and you’ll give me a call anyway.”
Get the person’s name who does the hiring, and use it.