When is it okay to use to whom it may concern?

To Whom It May Concern" is a general salutation for business or official writing. It is frequently employed when the recipient's name or position is unclear, such as when offering a reference for a former coworker and are unsure of the hiring manager's name.

Ask yourself, "Who is the intended recipient of this message?" before sending any correspondence.

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You can safely say "To Whom It May Concern" if the response is "Anyone." However, if your intended audience is a person with a particular position or title, do further research to identify them. Here are several situations where it's typically acceptable because it might be challenging to determine when to use "To Whom It May Concern".

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When to use it?

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1. Making contact with a significant business or new department

You may need to send a message using a message form on the business' website or send an email to a general address like "contact@xyzcompany.com" if you are contacting a huge firm with a complicated organizational structure and are unsure who the best point of contact is. To Whom It May Concern may be suitable in this situation. When employing this strategy, we advise requesting the appropriate point of contact for your request in the message's body.

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2. Advice and reference checks

You can receive a request for a reference or referral from a former coworker or employee through an automated system without knowing who the recruiting manager is.

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They only want your opinion on the applicant they're about to recruit; they don't expect you to do any investigation on them or their business. You might use "To Whom It May Concern" to address your audience at this point.

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3. Business grievances

Making a formal complaint to a business? You just want your complaint to be heard and taken seriously, whether it goes to the CEO, a customer care representative, or an administrator.

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