How to Address a Cover Letter When You Don't Know the Company Address
You may encounter some ad postings where no company address is given--compelling you to send your résumé and other application materials to their online repositories or through email. It's possible to write a cover letter without knowing the company address, especially when you've exhausted your options in looking for the address. Making the address block in your cover letter as complete as possible makes up for the fact that you didn't use a physical company address.
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Instructions
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Address the cover letter to a specific recipient by name. This makes your cover letter more personalized, and the recruiters know that you've made the effort to search for the name of the person in charge of the listing. Trace back the listing to find the person and address the letter to him. If it is not evident on the listing, you may contact the newspaper or online listing company where you saw the ad.
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Write the company name just below the recipient's name. This will identify that your cover letter is intended for the company. If you know the specific city where the company is headquartered, or where your position will be based in, include this also below the company name. Add at least the city or state. You can research where the company is headquartered or its office locations on Hoover's, Vault or Manta. You can also look at company and industry profile books at the local library, especially if you're looking for information about a large company.
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Write the position in the "Re:" line just below the company name. In this subject line, write the full name of the position, as well as the requisition number, which every listing comes with. The company may receive your letter, but may not know who to address it to. This helps the company identify what department the letter should be forwarded to, so it can get to the right person. Adding this subject line also clearly states the purpose of the letter.
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List the source where you saw the listing. This is part of addressing the letter since the company may need to know the person or department responsible for placing the ad. Below the subject line of this formal cover letter, write the name of the institution or source you used. For example, if you saw the listing in a newspaper, mention the newspaper by stating, "Listed in the New Times."
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Include the web address where you saw the listing, if it's an online listing. A direct email found on the listing will suffice for a cover letter found in a print publication. Including this information is part of addressing the company and to get your letter to the right person. If no company address is provided, use the section where it was listed, such as Careers at NewTimes.com. This will help the recruiter match the information you provided with the places where they've advertised an opening.
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