Addressing Job Inquiries: Dear Sir/Madam?

August 27, 2009 by Judith

When I get a job inquiry addressed as “Dear Sir/Madam” in any e-mail, I know the Sender is lazy. How do I know this? Because my sites are so me. With just one or two clicks you know that “Judith” is the person behind the site. I’m not a Sir, nor do I really consider myself a Madam!

So, if one wants to contact me to inquiry if I am hiring via e-mail and uses this greeting, I know they are probably not too discriminating in who they are contacting with their offer. They just want to get their collateral in front of whomever is behind the site.

Even if a service provider or non-business related contact does this, it indicates the importance of their communication was not worth the time to find out I am not a Sir. Hmmm… I don’t know about you but I prefer to spend my money with those who take the time to notice I am not a Sir!

One would think job applicants would want to know the name of their contact or the person behind the site before e-mailing. Nope — they don’t care about who I am — they just want to get their message across with the least amount of effort. What do you think that says about your work ethic if you are unwilling to make a few extra clicks or effort to find out who to address your application to?

If you are approaching me because I am a WordPress Consultant, what do you think that tells me about what kind of client you will be? Didn’t you check me out first? Or are you just e-mailing all the developers you can find to see what type of responses you get? Speaking for myself (and many I know who are very good at what they do), I don’t respond to mass e-mail requests of that nature.

Then, there are those who e-mail and address me by name asking if I have any open positions. Some use Ms. Kallos or Judith — either way, I know they took a moment of their time to know who they are e-mailing and to address me by name using a level of formality that is appropriate. How professional is that!? I can emphatically state that I take offers or requests from folks who e-mail in that manner much more seriously than the mass form spammers who just want to copy and paste and hit Send.

Particularly when applying for a job, this little extra E-mail Etiquette effort goes along way to impressing the other side with the seriousness and professionalism of your request. And, my friends, that’s how you get hired!

What are you to do if you can’t find a name to specifically address an e-mail to? Pick up the old fashioned telephone and ask! How serious are you about being taken seriously. Are we becoming telephobic? It’s all about the effort one is willing to make — or not.

Details matter when it comes to business e-mails and applying for jobs online. And, more times than not, e-mail is not the best mode of first contact. Make the extra effort to pick up the phone and give a call first to introduce yourself and ask if you may e-mail additional information. Now, that’s how you get the job over the perceived competition!

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Comments

15 Responses to “Addressing Job Inquiries: Dear Sir/Madam?”

Mark on September 24th, 2009 3:25 am

Love it! You criticize those who are lazy in the first paragraph, then use the word ‘inquiry’ as opposed to ‘enquire’ (the correct word), which would have been spotted had the writer not been so indolent.

Like the site though, very interesting read.
Judith on September 24th, 2009 1:28 pm

Hey, Mark:

Wow… indolent?

Inquiry and enquiry and are interchangeable. Just one example:

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/inquire-vs-enquire/

The above URL points out in part that:

a) “These are two spellings of the same word, …” and
b) “Either spelling can be used,” … and finally
c) “So, it’s up to you which spelling you use, though if you’re writing for a particular publication, it’s worth asking about their house style. Sticking with inquire is probably best if you’re at all unsure, and whichever you pick, be consistent!”

The article goes on to say …

“In practice, enquire and enquiry are more common in British English, and inquire and inquiry are more common in US English, for both informal questions and formal investigations.”

Are you from the UK?

I am always open to constructive corrections and criticisms. Those who do so in a kind and courteous manner help to make this site better for the thousands of visitors that come here day in and day out for guidance. But I have to wonder why one reverts to name calling in an effort to state their point of view.

I do appreciate your final kind words.
Wil on November 3rd, 2009 3:04 pm

I so disagree with Judith. Dear Sir or Madam is a perfectly acceptable form of addressing letters and is taught from high school through college.
As far as making inquiries, when corresponding with a large company it is often impossible to get through the voice mail layers to find the right person to address. Furthermore, many companies, including all where I have worked, do not list company directories on line.
I have a BA in Journalism and worked 23 years in a newspaper and have never heard one complaint about the the address of Dear Sir or Madam.
If there is a preferred address, I would be very glad to learn it.
On a personal note, Judith’s seemingly judgmental attitude for both perspective clients and employees must surely be affecting the business plan. Simply because the addressee has a style problem doesn’t mean that they are correct and they could be losing out on some very good candidates.
Judith on November 3rd, 2009 4:46 pm

Hey, Wil:

Thank you for your comments! Of course there are exceptions to every rule.

My post was not as much about all those who address e-mails with “Dear Sir/Madam” instead I was trying to show how those who make extra effort will make a better impression.

In the case of my sites, where I get “Dear Sir/Madam” e-mails daily, these folks are one click away from going to my About page to see a) I am not a Sir and b) that my name is Judith. To not make that minuscule effort (just one click) to then address me as “Dear Judith”, to me reflects a lack of desire to know who you really are e-mailing.

In a day when one can simply pick up the phone or do their due diligence online to know the name of the person they need to contact so that they can address them accordingly, doing so will always give one the advantage over those who take the easy way out by sending e-mails to whomever is on the other side with a generic one-size-fits-all greeting. It’s called taking initiative.

I know I take e-mails that address me by name much more seriously than those addressed to “Dear Sir/Madam” and I tend to delete those that start out “Dear Sir/Madam”.

To think that in today’s business environment contacts, inquirers, employees or candidates should not be screened based on their use of e-mail when trying to approach a potential employer is a bit naive. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule. And I like to think that anyone can be taught new skills. But if everything else is equal, who will rule the day? The person who lacks e-mail etiquette and sends their inquiry to “Dear Sir/Madam” clearly showing they made no effort at all? I think not!
Addressing E-mails with "Dear Sir/Madam" | Business Email Etiquette on November 11th, 2009 9:33 pm

[...] a Comment [ This same article brought some interesting commernts over on my General E-mail Etiquette site, NetManners.com so I thought I would post it hear as well for your consideration and [...]
Ryan on January 25th, 2010 6:41 pm

I recently came across a job posting where the company specially stated they didn’t want any phone calls regarding the job and to send all inquires to jobs@[company name]. What would be the best thing to do in that case?
Judith on January 27th, 2010 6:10 pm

Hey, Ryan:

In that case I would simply start with a plain old “Hello:” — you can’t go wrong with that as a greeting and if your opening statement is customized to the particular company and job you are applying for — you’ve accomplished not having a generic opening.
Darren on February 11th, 2010 12:05 pm

Dear Sirs and Madams :)

I would take this advice only in the context that it is intended. I am applying for a PhD at a pretty big University and have to send an email to admin. Chances are the admin clarke will read it first, but then it may very well get sent to some stuffy professor who might be very old school. So I am putting Sir / Madam to be safe. Any reasonable person would recognise that this is common practice and not judge a person for trying to do things properly and be polite. However, I also run a web design company and have emails from people asking for jobs. If they start with Sir / Madam I have to admit I do feel that they are being a bit formal and a lot of spam emails begin with this generic phrase too so there is a danger I will be less susceptible to someone who starts with Hi.

If you are applying for a Job somewhere quite formal such as a prestigous University or a large law company for example, and you have no way of finding the persons name then definitely use Sir / Madam. Dont say Hello because to put it bluntly it sounds cocky and disrespectful. If you can find the name use Dear Mr. Jones, or Dear Professor Jones or Dear Dr. Jones. Make sure you find out their proper title and pay respect to it. Then they will reply something like this

Hi Darren,

Blah blah blah

Best Wishes
James
James Jones, Professor of Neurology.

If they do that then they are defineitely more relaxed and you can feel pretty confident starting with Hi James, thanks for your reply. I appreciate you taking the time to email me.

If they reply
Dear Mr Smith,
I would like to blah blah blah
Your Sincerely
Prof. James Jones
Neurology.

Then this is a sign that they want to be called Prof. Jones at least for now until you get to know them better.

I have never gone wrong with these rules. Its all about knowing your place in the grand scheme of things. When you are a professor, doctor, or manager, you will be the one to set the tone but as the person with their hand out, for now you have to be careful.

Darren
Judith on February 16th, 2010 10:14 pm

Hey, Darren:

Thanks so much for the great comments! Excellent advice!

Your advice is spot on and reflects that it is important to do your due diligence and your best to find out who will be receiving your e-mail and addressing them properly with the appropriate formality — which indicates your professionalism and reflects respect. Both of which, in the examples you cite, will ensure you are perceived positively.
johnas on July 27th, 2010 3:53 pm

If someone doesn’t post his name/title on line, yet he/she expects people to address them with his/her first name, let alone judging people lazy, he/she is a nonsense. A lot of times you just can’t find out names simply because people don’t want you to. I really doubt these people would think I am lazy if I use Sir/Madam. Unless they have nothing else to do but playing mind games with people. In this case, do these people deserve my respect? Nah.
Judith on July 28th, 2010 2:10 pm

Hey, Johnas:

Hmmm… they make not think you lazy, but what do you think they will think of the applicant that went the extra mile to find out their contact information (usually only takes a simple phone call) and addresses them specifically? Food for thought…
tho on July 30th, 2010 5:50 pm

Dear Judith:
I differ.
Some people in some cultures don’t think it polite calling you by your name or not using a title. Moreover, it is not clear if Judith is male or female, your first name or last name.
Regards,
Thomas
Judith on August 2nd, 2010 5:55 pm

Hey, Tho:

I didn’t say to not use a title. And a little research can avoid any faux pas due to not knowing if an name is male or female. When it comes to the competitive online market, knowing who you are communicating with just enough to address them correctly can make the difference as to whether you are chosen for the interview, job, contract, etc. over your perceived competitors. If you were to address me as Mr./Ms. Kallos I would not be impressed.

How does one explain that in almost 20 years of e-mailing those I know and don’t know, that I’ve *never* addressed anyone by “Dear Sir/Madam?”

I guess this debate all boils down to who is willing to make the most effort when it comes to who they are communicating with and who they want to impress. I’ve got a ton more on this topic over on my Business E-mail Etiquette Blog if you want to check that out too.

Seeking Employment by E-mail

Dr., Mr., Ms., Mrs., First Name, Last Name
Business E-mail — First Contact; First Impression
Andrew on August 31st, 2010 5:03 pm

“So, if one wants to contact me to inquiry if I am hiring via e-mail and uses this greeting…”

I think Mark’s comment was referring to the use of “inquiry” here, where inquire or enquire would be the more appropriate form in this sentence. I would say it’s merely a typo (a ‘y’ instead of an ‘e’), but I certainly wouldn’t call you indolent over it.

Great article, but I must ask, what about when you don’t know who the recipient of the email will be, such as emailing a large organization or a certain department? How do you address it, if not using “Dear Sir or Madame”? “Dear “?
Judith on September 1st, 2010 5:52 pm

Hello, Andrew:

My preference, rather than using Dear Sir or Madame, is to pick up the phone and find out precisely, exactly who to address my correspondence to. You can call any company, state what you are looking to do and what would be the person to directly communicate with on that topic.

However, if you read the comments above, some feel it is O.K. to use “Dear Sir or Madame” without making this effort. I wonder what the recipient will think of that approach when someone who does make the effort I note above, contacts and addresses them appropriately and by name? Food for thought…