Applying for a job is not only about having the right skills for the job. It is also about using the right language, including the right forms of politeness. Your first contact with the recruiter is through your cover letter. It should be convincing, attractive and polite. Choosing the right form of address is crucial for a perfect cover letter.
At the beginning of the letter: what formulas should be used?
The cover letter attached to the CVs should be addressed to the hiring manager. The tone used in the letter should be professional, courteous and respectful. Sir or Madam are classic examples of polite formulas at the beginning of a cover letter. They are used if the status of the person is not known. Keeping it simple is preferable to avoid making mistakes when the target recipient is not specified. If it is, you should mention it at the beginning of the letter. The use of formulas such as Dear Sir or Dear Madam (with the person's name) or Miss is not recommended, even if the recruiting manager is a young person who is still single or the recruiter is close to you.
At the end of the letter: the formulas to use
In order to have the desired impact, it is essential to end the cover letter with the most appropriate greeting. You can use the classic formulas to conclude the letter. This is a safe way to avoid making mistakes. If you want to stand out from the other candidates, you can rework these formulas to have different sentences with more impact. If you are afraid of making mistakes, you can include "Dear Sir or Madam" in your greeting. This letter will always be addressed to the right person without the risk of offending them because you made a mistake.
Covering letter: formulas to avoid
In order to make a good first impression, you should not make the slightest mistake when writing a cover letter. The first mistake to avoid is to use approximate diminutives such as Mr. instead of Mr. in the letter. The wording "To the attention of" is a mistake, use "To the intention of" instead, even if there is a proximity in their pronunciation. The wording "To the attention of" is used to introduce a letter to present a project.