[Solved] Covering letter name advice

[Ickorus]

As a recent college leaver I am now searching for work, I believe I may have found the job which is perfect for me but I feel I may need a small amount of advice into writing my covering letter. My problem is that I know the full name of the employer but the first name is a fairly gender-neutral one, as I do not want to cause offence and damage my chances with this job I think it would be a very good idea for me to ask this question:

If I do not know the gender of the employer should I write both genders (Dear Mr/Mrs Barrett), guess at a gender, or just write their full name without a title (Dear Nicky Barrett).

Note: That is a place holder name, not the real thing.

 

[Riku'sTwilight]

In that gender-confusion case, I would suggest just putting the surname preceded by the first name, so you don't immediately come across as confused. Just play it safe and you wont be able to go wrong

 

[Ickorus]

Thanks for the advice, I was of the same mind.

I've had the letter all written out for a while now so I'll go with that one and send it off, thanks again and wish me luck.

 

[SckizoBoy]

Thanks for the advice, I was of the same mind.

I've had the letter all written out for a while now so I'll go with that one and send it off, thanks again and wish me luck.

For the future, it's always better to have the title. In the event that there is a lack gender definition in the name, you can do one of two things: discretely call the company and inquire after said individual and drop what you think is the person's gender in the conversation with the first person you speak to, then you can confirm; or if a call is not in question/too forward (if you're aware of prior contact policies) address the letter to the company and open with 'To whom it may concern' and put a subtitle of Attn: Nicky Barrett (as per your placeholder eg).