Mr or Mrs? Check it, don’t chance it, for covering letter success

Confession time: once, long ago, before targetjobs was on hand to help graduates avoid the pitfalls on the path to employment, I sent off a job application addressed to a Mr who turned out to be a Ms. Needless to say, I didn’t get invited to interview. It was a mistake that didn’t take long to make, but made a lasting impression – I still cringe whenever I remember it.

Show you care

Names are important to people, not surprisingly; if you get them wrong, it implies you don’t care. If you misspell someone’s surname, or use an inappropriate title, they are bound to notice, and even if the rest of your covering letter is pitch perfect, they won’t feel like reading it. But if you get it right, you’re off to the best possible start.

If you’re not sure, check

If you’re given a specific name to send applications to, use it: don’t fall back on ‘Dear Sir or Madam’. If you’re not sure of the person’s gender and want to address them as Mr, Mrs or Ms, learn from my mistake. If you can’t find the information you need online, pick up the phone and check the name of the person to whom you should address your application, and find out their preferred title.

Make sure your written English is up to scratch in every communication you send to a graduate employer. Find out what to avoid in our writing tips for graduate job-hunters.

Posted by Alison_TARGETjobs on 11 May 2010

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