“To Whom It May Concern” is a kindly salutation. It is also formal and generally it is used in e-mail or business letters, even in job application letters. Every time we don’t know contact name or we cannot find it. Of course, if we use a contact name, it would be very well but it sometimes can be impossible.
How to Find a Contact Name
Generally, you have to find a significant name to the person who you write an e-mail or a cover letter or other letter. If you don’t know his/her name, you have to find a way to learn his/her name.
Nowadays, we have a chance to surf on web in every situation. We can find whatever we look for on web. Even a person’s name in another country just with his/her little information like where he/she works or where he/she studies or where he/she lives. There are many ways to find a contact name. Firstly we can look at the company’s website. In companies’ websites, there are job listings. If we cannot find again, we can look at management staff section on the website. If we cannot find what we look for, we can look at LinkedIn or we can ask to a friend or a colleague who he/she knows him/her. In spite of these affords, we cannot find the contact name, we use the salutation “To Whom It May Concern.”.
When to Use “To Whom It May Concern”
Salutations are generally used in the beginning of the letters, email messages or other forms of communication. When you don’t know contact name, you have to use this salutation.
Salutation is a kind expression. Actually you specify that you give value to the contact name. If you don’t know contact name, you have to use it, you don’t have another chance.
Capitalization and Spacing
After you write the salutation “To Whom It May Concern”, you have to leave a space. After the space, you can start to write the first paragraph of your letter or e-mail message.
To Whom It May Concern
A Space
Your writing….
Alternative Letter Greeting to Use
“To Whom It May Concern” is a formal salutation but there is other salutation that you can use in your letters or email messages. They are “Dear Sir or Madam”. Generally they were used in past but still they can be used.
Other Alternatives:
- Dear Hiring Manager, Recruiting Manager, Hiring Committee, Search Committee, HR Manager, Human Resources Representative, Personnel Manager, Customer Service Manager
- Greetings
- Hello
Another Option: Leave off The Salutation
If you cannot decide which salutation you will use, the other option is to leave off it. So you can start with the first paragraph or your letter or your email message.
