“Dear Sir or Madam” is outdated in most U.S. job markets — use it only when you have zero name, zero department, and a very formal employer (some law firms, government agencies abroad).
Example openings
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express my interest in the Legal Research
Associate position.Dear Sir/Madam,
Please find enclosed my application for the Embassy Administrative
Officer role.What to write instead
- “Dear Hiring Manager” in modern U.S. corporate hiring
- “Dear Members of the Search Committee” for academic searches
- A named contact after five minutes on LinkedIn — almost always possible
Need the actual name instead of a generic salutation? Paste the job URL into DearHiringManager.io — find the hiring manager's name in about a minute, then open with “Dear [Name],” instead.