Should I Send a Cover Letter When Applying for a Job?

The Short Answer: Usually Yes

Unless the application explicitly tells you not to, send a cover letter. Despite years of people declaring the cover letter dead, the data says the opposite. Recent hiring surveys consistently find that a large majority of recruiters still read cover letters, and that most hiring managers expect one even when the posting marks it "optional." A meaningful share form their first impression of you from the cover letter before they reach your resume.

In other words, skipping the cover letter is a gamble. When it's optional, "optional" usually means "the candidates who care will include one." This post explains when a cover letter matters most, the rare cases where skipping is genuinely fine, and how to decide.

Why It Still Matters

A cover letter does things a resume can't:

• It shows you're not mass-applying. A letter that names the specific role and company signals genuine interest, which is exactly what recruiters are scanning for when so many applications are clearly copy-pasted.
• It can be the first thing they read. A large share of hiring managers open the cover letter before the resume. That makes it a first impression, not an afterthought.
• It influences interview decisions. Surveys repeatedly show cover letters affect whether candidates get called, and that a weak or careless one can sink an otherwise strong application.
• It adds keywords. Some ATS platforms scan cover letters alongside resumes, so a relevant one can nudge your match score. For how that works, see Cover Letter Tips for ATS.

The downside of sending one is small (a bit of your time), and the downside of skipping one can be large (looking like you didn't bother). That asymmetry is why the default is yes.

When a Cover Letter Matters Most

In these situations, a cover letter isn't just polite, it actively helps your case:

• Career changes. When your resume doesn't obviously map to the role, the letter explains the pivot and connects the dots.
• Employment gaps. A brief, honest line about a gap is far better than leaving a recruiter to guess.
• Writing-heavy roles. Marketing, communications, content, PR, and anything where writing is part of the job. Here the cover letter is a writing sample.
• Smaller companies. At a 30-person company, the hiring manager often reads every letter. The smaller the team, the more weight it carries.
• A role you really want. When you're genuinely excited and a strong fit, the letter is your chance to say why, specifically.

When It's Genuinely Fine to Skip

There are a few cases where not sending one is reasonable:

• The posting says not to. If it explicitly states "no cover letters," follow the instruction. Sending one anyway looks like you can't follow directions.
• There's no field for it. Some application portals and quick-apply flows have nowhere to attach a letter. If the system won't take one, you can't send one, and that's fine.
• A recruiter told you to skip it. If someone running the process says the resume is all they need, trust that.

Notice what's not on this list: "the posting says optional." Optional is not an invitation to skip. It's where a cover letter quietly separates you from the applicants who didn't make the effort.

The Catch: A Bad One Hurts You

The case for sending a cover letter assumes it's a good one. A generic, error-filled, or resume-repeating letter can do more harm than sending nothing, and recruiters do reject candidates over weak letters. So if you send one, make it count:

• Name the specific role and company, and say something concrete about why this job.
• Don't restate your resume. Explain the "why" behind your experience and connect it to this role.
• Keep it to one page, three or four short paragraphs.
• Proofread it carefully. A typo here reads as carelessness.

The full structure is in Cover Letter Tips for ATS, and the same "show results, not adjectives" principle from How to Make a Resume Stand Out applies to the letter too.

How to Decide in 10 Seconds

1. Does the posting say "no cover letters" or give you nowhere to attach one? Skip it.
2. Otherwise, can you write a specific, well-proofed letter for this role? Send it.
3. Short on time and applying to many roles? Prioritize the jobs you actually want and write tailored letters for those, rather than sending a generic one everywhere.

The Bottom Line

In today's market, a cover letter is still expected far more often than not, and it's frequently read before your resume. Send one unless you're explicitly told not to or there's no way to attach it. Just make sure it's specific, concise, and proofed, because a strong letter helps you and a lazy one can cost you the interview. Pair it with a resume built the right way, as covered in How to Write an Effective Resume.