What you should include in a ‘To Whom It May Concern’ Letter

Historically speaking, the phrase To Whom It May Concern, emerged due to the need to send letters to unknown recipients, including both individuals and organizations. Presently, although considered a bit old-fashioned — information is much easier to find on the Internet compared to, say, the 90s —, nonetheless, To Whom It May Concern is still alive and kicking, especially in formal contexts. 

Let’s examine when, and when not to use this generic greeting, as well as key points to incorporate when composing a To Whom It May Concern email, including  how to automate its preparation with ready-made pdf forms and templates.

To Whom It May Concern — When to Use It

Typical situations when the greeting is acceptable, include:

•  Cover letters

•  Recommendation letters

•  Formal requests and/or customer complaints 

•  Introduction to a prospective client before finding out with whom you’ll be in touch

•  Company feedback or suggestions for an employer

•  In regards to large organizations — not knowing which department or manager will be responsible for receiving and processing given feedback

As of today, the rule of thumb is as follows: if you are 100% sure about a person’s name or team — personalize it. In all other cases, feel free to open with To Whom It May Concern.

To Whom It May Concern — The Pros and Cons

Using To Whom It May Concern, has the following advantages:

1.  No risk of offending someone by misspelling their name or mistaking their gender/profession/academic attribute.

2.  Can easily be copy-pasted when sending the same letter to multiple recipients.

3.  Does not require searching a company’s website or social media accounts in order to find a name for a personal address. 

Conversely, To Whom It May Concern should be used carefully for the following reasons:

1.  Some people consider it obsolete in the XXI century.

2.  Some people may consider the sender lazy, given the availability of contact information on the Internet.

3.  The absence of a role or name may sometimes lead to no one taking responsibility for dealing with a specific request or issue; especially in the case of ambiguous requests that may involve different departments.

To Whom It May Concern — Alternative Uses

Alternative ways to open a letter include, “Hi” and “Hello”, but they are deemed rather informal; it is better to use them with companies who have a very open culture (you can see this from their photos on Instagram, for example) or if you have already had a previous correspondence and built a trustworthy relationship.

Another common way of addressing a letter or email includes: ‘Dear’ [Person’s Name]. A little research, via a corporate website or LinkedIn, can help you find the name of the contact of interest, thus making your address more personal and specific. Remember: when the name is gender-neutral and you cannot determine whether Mr. or Mrs. is appropriate, avoid guessing at all costs. There are some trendy ways to create gender-uncertain addresses, such as Mx., but they may end up causing confusion among those who are not up-to-date with the most recent email communication trends.

Another option is to address a role or a department, for example: Dear HR Manager or Dear Editorial Team. This works well with resumes and cover letters and adds some extra personalization, showing that you understand the hiring process.

Finally, you can always use a simple “Good afternoon” or “Good morning”. It looks fresher and friendlier than a lifeless, To Whom It May Concern, yet it is not as informal as “Hi”.

How to write a To Whom It May Concern Letter

In terms of structure, there are generally two approaches to beginning a To Whom it May Concern Letter:

1) Referring to a previous meeting, phone call, mail correspondence, post delivery, etc.

2) Speaking to a completely new contact, requiring a brief introduction and the collection of some background information.

Remember: the opening salutation you choose sets the overall tonality of the letter. You need to decide whether you want to make your first impression formal and impersonal, or warm and welcoming.

Consider the content and purpose of the letter: is it  a complaint, a congratulations, a request? Or is it simply the sharing of certain information?

Finally, all letters require a closing statement. Aside from a simple sign-off like ‘Best’ or ‘Regards’,  here, you can also include any attachments and show interest in future contact.

Speaking of formatting, be sure to capitalize To Whom It May Concern, followed by a comma and two presses of the Return Key. Colons are indicators of formal correspondence, as opposed to commas, which are used with Dear [Name] emails.

Sometimes people write To Whom THIS May Concern / To Whom It MIGHT Concern. These are not very common, but grammatically acceptable.

To save time, you can use this To Whom It May Concern Letter example by Lumin PDF.

Conclusion

To Whom It May Concern is still alive and well, but make sure you do your background research before using it as a very formal way of communication when addressing an unknown person