Getting manager's name.

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I am trying to get a new job and write coverletters. What is the best strategy for find out the name of a hiring manager? If it's not on the business website or anything, should I just go in and ask to see the hiring manager, get their name and THEN write the coverletter? Or just go in and give them a coverletter that says 'dear hiring manager' and give it to them like that? Or should I call and get their name?

What is the best strategy?

I think I'd try more subtle... Finding out if you know someone who works there whom you could ask. Maybe through LinkedIn or something?

Exactly. More than likely, a company's website is not going to list who the hiring manager of a certain department within a company will be. If you were trying to find out, say, who the hiring manager for the accounting department of a company would be, that would be more than likely the Director of Accounting or Finance, Controller, Vice President of Accounting/Finance/Financial Services, etc. If you go into LinkedIn and then search the name of the company and hit enter/return, you should get a listing of various individuals of that company who have LinkedIn accounts. Typically, the hiring manager will be someone who is at least a couple levels higher than the position you're seeking (especially if it is entry level), unless the position you want reports directly to the CEO or President of that company.

Hope this helps....

Here's a hint for North Americans: unless you are specifically told otherwise, use the full name (not just last) on a cover letter and in person always address a manager by his or her first name. If you find out they use a shortened version of their name, (like Mike instead of Michael) be sure to use that as well. Every single time someone did that to me (not a manager but I've been at my job for years) I make an immediate connection and assume he or she must know me from somewhere and is not going to go around kissing my behind but will solve my problem and not be a pain to work with. The worst thing to do is put the hiring manager on a pedestal: like a dating relationship, they want someone who talks to them at their level or close to it and they are not a God.

Maybe in your country or region of the world (since you said "North Americans"), you can use a full name in cover letter and address people by their first names. Here in the United States, things are different and much more formal. Always address a person in a cover letter by Mr./Ms. Lastname and never address anyone by his/her first name (Dear Mr. Kramer). If I had addressed each of the interviewers who interviewed me at my future company, that would have been inappropriate on my part. Now, since that I have been hired by my future company, I will be able to call my coworkers by their first names when I begin working there in early June.

Example of the start of thank you letter:
Mr. Scott C. Kramer
Director of Accounting
Wise Idea International, Inc.
1234 Alabama Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37409

Dear Mr. Kramer:

If someone addressed me, Dear Scott (instead of Dear Mr. Kramer), and I read that, I would have been offended greatly. The first thing that would have gone through my mind is, "This person doesn't personally know me." In the field of business, perception is reality. Because I don't know the person who addressed me "Dear Scott," the perception I would have of that individual is someone who is informal with everyone and isn't serious. There's a reason why organizational charts exist within companies and organizations, and why people report to other people. It isn't about being informal with people in a cover letter.

Just my $.02.....

Well, I know plenty both here in Canada and the US although I can't say it's the entire country. I will just say I used to be just like that and it got me nowhere. I also saw hiring managers ALWAYS avoid hiring the ones who were the most formal. It was quite a surprise to me because that's not what the "experts" said but my I can't doubt what I saw.

I will have to agree to disagree with you. Always use both first and last name at least in almost all jobs I have familiarity with. Managers hire based mostly on PERSONAL connection, not skills since pretty much everyone has the necessary qualifications in most cases. I'm not saying be informal in a cover letter at ALL, just don't use the stereotypical "dear Mr/ms XXX" and in my experience it simply doesn't work because you are just a face in the crowd. Just my 2 cents....

Phone and ask?

"Hi, my name is ___ and I intend to apply for a job with your company. To whom do I address my application?"

Yes, everything is all about who you know and who knows you - personal connections. I get that. I look at it this way - what might work for one person, may not work for another. You went with what you knew, and I went with what I knew. Fair enough. The Dear Mr/Ms XX may be stereotypical, but that is why we all live in a NT world and why some things are the way they are no matter what any person might think.