Use "Dear Selection Panel," "Dear Selection Panel Members," or "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]" if the hiring manager's name is known. Otherwise, "Dear Hiring Manager," is the safest neutral option.
Quick Fix
See the job posting mentions a “selection panel”? Start with “Dear Selection Panel,” or try “Dear Selection Panel Members,” up top. Already know the hiring manager’s name? Swap in “Dear [First Name] [Last Name],” instead. No name in sight? “Dear Hiring Manager,” keeps things neutral and professional.
Use "Dear Selection Panel," "Dear Selection Panel Members," or "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]" if the hiring manager's name is known. Otherwise, "Dear Hiring Manager," is the safest neutral option.
Use "Dear Selection Panel," "Dear Selection Panel Members," or "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]" if the hiring manager's name is known. Otherwise, "Dear Hiring Manager," is the safest neutral option.
Think of the salutation like a firm handshake—clear, confident, and professional.LinkedIn Professional Network A formal letter, like a cover letter, needs the right greeting to set the tone. Standard conventions still apply: your address up top, the date right below it, and the recipient’s details lined up neatly. This isn’t just a formality; it’s your first chance to prove you know what you’re doing.
Use the job posting’s exact terminology, such as "Selection Panel," "Hiring Committee," or "Panel Interview."
Use the job posting’s exact terminology, such as "Selection Panel," "Hiring Committee," or "Panel Interview."
Start with your contact info in the top-right corner. Right below that, drop the date in YYYY-MM-DD format—ISO’s recommendation.ISO 8601 Date Format Standard For example: 2026-05-20.
Next, add the recipient’s address on the left, right under the date. If you’ve got their name and title, include those. For a committee, use the group name:
Ms. Jennifer Lee
Selection Panel Chair
Human Resources Department
TechNova Solutions
123 Innovation Drive
San Francisco, CA 94105
Now pick the right greeting. The job posting mentions a “selection panel”? Go with:
“Dear Selection Panel,”
Or, if you’d rather sound a bit warmer:
“Dear Selection Panel Members,”
Know the hiring manager’s name? Use:
“Dear Ms. Lee,”
No name to work with? “Dear Hiring Manager,” is your safest bet.
Use "Dear [Department Name] Team," "Dear Hiring Manager," or "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]" based on available information.
Use "Dear [Department Name] Team," "Dear Hiring Manager," or "Dear [First Name] [Last Name]" based on available information.
Try a generic group title that still feels professional. If the posting hints at a group but doesn’t name it, go with:
“Dear Software Team Hiring Manager,”
Need to send the letter to two people at the same address? List their names and titles under “cc:” at the bottom, separated by commas:
cc: Ms. Lee, HR Generalist; Mr. Patel, Department Head
For broader roles, address the whole department. If the job is open-ended, try:
“Dear Human Resources Team,”
Always verify the job posting for exact terminology, search for a hiring manager’s name, and avoid outdated phrases like "To Whom It May Concern."
Always verify the job posting for exact terminology, search for a hiring manager’s name, and avoid outdated phrases like "To Whom It May Concern."
Always check the job posting first. Look for clues like “selection panel,” “hiring committee,” or “panel interview.” Those phrases tell you exactly how to greet the group.
Do a quick LinkedIn or company website search. A real name—like “Dear Alex Rivera,”—adds a personal touch and makes your letter stand out from the stack.
Stick to a clean, consistent format. Use YYYY-MM-DD for dates and left-align your addresses. It’s clean, professional, and meets global standards.
Skip the outdated stuff. “To Whom It May Concern” feels like a relic. “Dear Hiring Manager,” is the modern, respectful alternative.
How do you write a cover letter with two addresses?
Two spaces beneath your name,
type “cc:” and follow with the names and titles
of the other recipients of your letter. For example, write “cc: Ms. Williams, Human Resources Generalist.” Place each additional name on a separate line.
How do you address two hiring managers in a cover letter?
Most cover letters
should be addressed to just a single person. If you are certain that the role reports to two people equally then it is fine to address your cover letter to more than one individual. If you’re unsure about whether the role reports to two people, then just address the cover letter to a single person.
How do you write a letter with two addresses?
Enter the first recipient’s address. Leave another line blank before entering the second recipient’s name and address using the
standard address
format. Type the rest of the letter the way you would any formal letter. Skip a line before your salutation, skip another line before your letter and before your closing.
How do you address a cover letter without a university name?
To address a cover letter without a name, use some variation of,
“Dear Software Team Hiring Manager”.
You can also use, “Dear Hiring Manager” if the addressee really is unknown. Remember that “To Whom It May Concern” is an old-fashioned salutation for cover letters.
How do you write a formal letter to multiple recipients?
When writing to one recipient or a group of people, you may simply write their full name and job title or the name of the group. If you’re writing to multiple recipients at the same address,
you may list each of their full names and job titles separated by a comma.
What is the best way to start a cover letter?
- Show real excitement for the company.
- Mention a shared connection.
- Lead with an impressive accomplishment.
- Reference something newsworthy about the company.
- Share what drives you about the work.
- Tell a short, compelling story.
- Open with a bold belief statement.
Does a formal letter have two addresses?
Recipient Address:
Yes, a formal letter has two addresses, and this recipient’s address is the second one. This is the address of the receiver of the letter; it should be written on the left-hand side after the date.
What address comes first in a formal letter?
Begin with your address in the top-right corner of the page. Immediately below that, include the date. Below this, on the left-hand side of the page, comes the name and address of the person that you are writing to—the recipient of the letter.
Which date is correctly typed for a letter?
The international standard recommends writing
the date as year, then month, then the day: YYYY-MM-DD. So if both the Australian and American versions used this format, they’d both write the date as 2019-02-03.
How do I write a letter to a group?
- Start with the group’s name at the top.
- Use “we” and “our” throughout the letter.
- Leave plenty of white space—don’t crowd the page.
- Sign it in a way that represents everyone.
How do you write a letter on behalf of a group?
If you are writing on behalf of an organization,
type your title on the next line. Abbreviations at the end of a letter: If you send a copy of a letter to someone other than the person addressed, use cc: and the person’s name. Use Enc. or Enclosure if you enclose something with the letter.
How do you CC a letter to multiple recipients?
Indicate that you have sent the letter to other people by putting “cc:”
at the bottom of the letter beneath the signature line, followed by the names of the other recipients in alphabetical order.
What are the 3 types of cover letters?
There are three main types of cover letters:
the application cover letter, the prospecting cover letter, and the networking cover letter. Short emails (we call these “non-cover letter cover letters”) are also an effective and increasingly common way to introduce your resume.
What is the best greeting for a cover letter?
The most professional salutation for a cover letter is
“Dear.”
Even an email cover letter should start with “Dear,” followed by the hiring manager’s name and a colon or comma.
