You’re staring at a blank screen. You need to send a formal note—maybe a reference, a complaint to a massive corporation, or an introductory cover letter—but you have no idea who is actually going to read it. Naturally, you reach for that old standby. But honestly, writing a to whom it may concern letter feels a little like shouting into a void. It’s stiff. It’s old-fashioned. Some recruiters even think it’s lazy.
Still, sometimes you just don't have a choice.
The "To Whom It May Concern" salutation has been a staple of formal correspondence since the days of quill pens. It serves a very specific purpose: it's a catch-all. When a company doesn't list a hiring manager or you’re filing a formal grievance with a "Customer Success Department" that consists of 400 anonymous people, this phrase is your safety net. But there is a right way and a very, very wrong way to use it. If you mess up the capitalization or the punctuation, you look like you didn’t pass middle school English. If you use it when a name was clearly available on LinkedIn, you look like you didn't do your homework.
The Basic Mechanics of the Traditional Salutation
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first because it’s where people trip up the most. Capitalization matters. Each word in the phrase should be capitalized. It’s a formal title, essentially replacing a name. So, you write "To Whom It May Concern," not "To whom it may concern."
Punctuation is the next hurdle. In American English business writing, you almost always follow this salutation with a colon (:). A comma is usually reserved for personal letters, but since you’re likely using this for a professional reason, stick with the colon. It looks sharper. It looks like you mean business.
Spacing is also a thing. Give it some room to breathe. You should have your contact info at the top, then the date, then a double space before the salutation. After the "To Whom It May Concern:" line, drop down another two lines before you start your first paragraph. This layout isn't just about tradition; it’s about readability. When someone opens a PDF or a physical envelope, their eyes need a place to land.
When Should You Actually Use This?
Don't use it if you can avoid it. That’s the golden rule.
In a world where everyone has a digital footprint, finding a name is usually a five-minute task. Check the company’s "About Us" page. Scour LinkedIn for the "Director of [Department Name]." If you find a name, use it. "Dear Mr. Henderson" or "Dear Sarah Jenkins" beats a generic greeting every single time. It shows initiative. It shows you aren't just copy-pasting your life away.
However, there are three specific scenarios where writing a to whom it may concern letter is totally acceptable, and arguably, the best choice:
- Formal Recommendations: If you’re writing a character reference for a former employee or a student, they might need to give that letter to five different organizations. You can’t write five separate names. Here, the generic greeting is a tool of efficiency.
- Large-Scale Complaints: When you're writing to a massive utility company or a global airline because they lost your luggage for the third time, you aren't writing to a person. You're writing to a "function."
- Prospecting into the Unknown: Sometimes you’re reaching out to a firm that is intentionally opaque. No staff list. No public-facing directory. In these rare cases, the formal greeting is your only bridge.
Better Alternatives You Might Not Have Considered
If "To Whom It May Concern" feels too much like a 1950s law firm memo, you have options. The goal is to be professional without sounding like a robot.
"Dear Hiring Manager" is the most common pivot for job seekers. It’s direct. It tells the reader exactly who you think they are. If you’re applying for a specific team, try "Dear [Department] Team." For example, "Dear Marketing Department" or "Dear Creative Services Team." It feels a bit more modern and collaborative.
Some people try "Dear Sir or Madam." Honestly? Don't do that. It feels even more dated than "To Whom It May Concern." It’s also gender-binary in a way that can feel exclusionary or just plain clunky in 2026. If you can’t find a name, stick to the functional title of the person you’re trying to reach. "Dear Admissions Committee" works wonders for academic settings. "Dear Search Committee" is the standard for high-level executive or academic roles.
Structuring the Body for Maximum Impact
Once you’ve nailed the greeting, the rest of the letter has to do the heavy lifting. You’ve started with a generic salutation, which means you’re already at a slight disadvantage in terms of personal connection. You have to win them back in the first two sentences.
Start with the "Why." Why are you writing? Why should they care?
"I am writing to formally recommend Jane Doe for the position of Senior Analyst. Having supervised Jane for three years at XYZ Corp, I can speak directly to her expertise in data visualization and team leadership."
See that? No fluff. It’s direct.
The middle of your letter should provide the "Proof." If it’s a complaint, this is where you list the dates, transaction numbers, and specific failures of service. If it’s a cover letter, this is where you highlight the one or two achievements that make you a "must-hire."
Keep your paragraphs short. Nobody wants to read a wall of text, especially not a busy person who just received a letter addressed to "To Whom It May Concern." Break up your thoughts. Use bold text for emphasis if you’re listing specific reference numbers or key dates. It helps the reader scan the document quickly.
The Fine Print of Tone and Voice
Tone is tricky. You want to be formal but not stiff. Professional but not cold.
Avoid "legalise." You don't need to say "pertaining to the aforementioned matter" when you can just say "about the issue we discussed." People appreciate clarity. The most effective to whom it may concern letter is the one that gets the point across with the fewest possible obstacles.
Think about the "vibe" of the organization you’re contacting. A letter to a tech startup in Austin should probably sound a bit different than a letter to a traditional bank in London. Even when using a formal greeting, your internal language can adapt. For the startup, you might be a bit more energetic. For the bank, stick to the classic, reserved professional standard.
Real-World Examples of the Salutation in Action
Let’s look at how this actually looks on the page.
Example A: The Professional Reference
This is the most common use. You’re writing a letter that your former assistant, Mark, can keep in his digital "pocket" to show any future employer.
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To Whom It May Concern:
It is my pleasure to recommend Mark Smith for any role requiring high-level project management and organizational skills. During his tenure at [Company], Mark consistently delivered projects 10% under budget...
Example B: The Formal Business Inquiry
You’re a small business owner looking to partner with a larger corporation, but their website only has a "contact@company.com" email address.
To Whom It May Concern:
I am the founder of GreenSpace Solutions, and I am reaching out to explore a potential vendor partnership with your regional operations team. We specialize in...
In both cases, the greeting isn't the star of the show. It’s just the usher. It opens the door and then gets out of the way.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Credibility
The biggest mistake is laziness. If you use "To Whom It May Concern" when the person’s name was in the job posting, you’ve basically told the hiring manager that you don't pay attention to detail. That’s a hard hole to dig yourself out of.
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Another mistake? Misspelling "Whom." It sounds silly, but people write "To Who It May Concern" surprisingly often. "Whom" is the objective case. It’s receiving the action of the "concern." If you change it to "who," you look uneducated.
Don't forget the closing. A formal greeting requires a formal closing. "Sincerely" is your safest bet. "Best regards" is fine too, but if you’ve gone through the trouble of writing a to whom it may concern letter, you might as well finish with the classic "Sincerely."
And please, for the love of all things professional, proofread it. A generic letter with a typo is a one-way ticket to the recycling bin. Check your dates. Check your contact info. Then check them again.
The Final Checklist for Your Letter
Before you hit print or send, run through these points. They’re the difference between a letter that gets filed and a letter that gets read.
- Did I try for at least 10 minutes to find a specific name?
- Is "To Whom It May Concern" capitalized correctly?
- Is there a colon at the end of the salutation?
- Is my first paragraph direct and purposeful?
- Have I included my own contact information clearly at the top?
- Does the tone match the recipient’s industry?
Writing this kind of letter isn't about being fancy. It’s about being functional. It’s a tool. When you use a hammer, you don't care if the hammer is beautiful; you care if it drives the nail. This greeting is your hammer. Use it when you need it, but don't use it to drive a screw when a screwdriver (a personal name) is sitting right there in your toolbox.
Your Next Steps
Stop overthinking the greeting and focus on the substance. If you've done your due diligence and can't find a name, use the formal salutation and move on to crafting a killer opening sentence.
- Search one last time: Use LinkedIn’s "People" filter for the company and look for titles like "Hiring Manager," "Recruiter," or "Department Head."
- Draft the body first: Sometimes writing the actual content makes it clearer who the audience is, which might help you find a better alternative greeting.
- Format strictly: Use a standard font like Arial or Calibri in 11pt or 12pt. Save the document as a PDF to ensure your careful formatting doesn't get messed up when the recipient opens it.
The most important thing is that the letter is sent. A perfect letter that stays in your "Drafts" folder helps nobody. Use the formal greeting, be clear, be concise, and get it out the door.