I stick with my earlier suggestion to find out the name of the person.  I'm
retired now, but when I was hiring people (not in the museum field), I
would not have been impressed by a letter addressed to "Dear Whoever You
Are".

On the other hand, suppose I happened to be the person who answered the
phone when you called to find out my name? I suppose there might be a
chance I would be momentarily annoyed at being interrupted by your call,
but by the time your application arrived that annoyance would be long
forgotten and I would be very favorably impressed by your salutation, "Dear
Mr. Lyons".

-Jim


On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 11:38 AM, FM Jacinto <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Most seriously, it is a test of initiative on the part of the applicant.
>  Which doesn't make it any less annoying, but it does manage to cut away
> those who are flummoxed by the whole thing and toss in the towel.
>
> FrannMarie
>
>
> On Aug 12, 2013, at 2:02 PM, Elizabeth Walton wrote:
>
> Unless museums want 200 people calling to find this out they should put
> the information in the job posting if they're going to have any
> expectations of people having it exactly right. Do any of you really have
> time to play games like that?
> On Aug 12, 2013 1:53 PM, "Jim Lyons" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Dear Peter,
>>
>> According to "The Big Book of How To Say It", this is under the heading
>> "Application Letters to Prospective Employers", page 61, "Address your
>> letter to a specific individual, after verifying the person's title and
>> double-checking the spelling of the name. even if it's simple ("Gene could
>> be Jean or Jeanne", "John could be Jon".  I would add to that it might be a
>> good thing to find out if they go by Mr., Ms. or Mrs.
>>
>> -Jim
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 9:28 AM, Stephanie Skiles <
>> [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Peter,****
>>>
>>> I’ve always used “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Hiring Committee.”  I
>>> agree that “Sir/Madam” is a bit antiquated.  Usually, there is more than
>>> one person doing the hiring, so perhaps addressing a  committee works best?
>>> ****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> I hope that helps you. Best of luck in your job search!****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> Sincerely,****
>>>
>>> Stephanie****
>>>
>>> *From:* Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] *On
>>> Behalf Of *Peter Meloni
>>> *Sent:* Monday, July 22, 2013 6:08 PM
>>> *To:* [log in to unmask]
>>> *Subject:* [MUSEUM-L]****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> Lister’s****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> I am applying for different museum positions, and I am finding a lot of
>>> positions that do not give a contact person’s name to address the cover
>>> letter to.  What is the best way to address the letter to, Dear Human
>>> Resources, Dear Hiring Manager or is there a better option available than
>>> the worst possible option Dear Sir/Madam or Dear Mr or Mrs.  I don’t want
>>> to use this option but most museums do not have a Human Resources
>>> department.  I have taken the time to search the website of the museums for
>>> clues but have generally not turned up anything that is very helpful to me.
>>> ****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> Thank you lister’s for all of your great advice****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> Sincerly****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> A. Peter Meloni****
>>>
>>> ** **
>>>
>>> ** **
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link:
>>> http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 ****
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
> FrannMarie Jacinto
> Museums & Social Media
> www.linkedin.com/in/fmjedu
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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