Do you really need a cover letter?

100%, yes, always, in my opinion. Even if only 25% of hiring managers or recruiters ever read them, the fact that some people DO care means that not taking the time to create one is like stepping up to a casino table and only placing .75 for a $1 bet. In this market, I'd place $1 bet every. single. time. for your best possible chances. The only time a cover letter can hurt you is if it's not done carefully (there are errors, you've used the wrong company name, like Wendi Weiner, Esq., The Writing Guru? notes, or it's just boring). Otherwise, there's only upside to taking the time to tell a story about what lights you up professionally, in a way that increases your Know/Like/Trust factor with the potential employer. Some recruiters recently remarked that if your resume's not calibrated correctly, a cover letter's not going to save your candidacy, but I do think that sometimes there's a human touch in a cover letter (if done well) that helps people stop and take a second look, and consider you more carefully than they otherwise would.

As a hiring manager, I've never once seen a cover letter. Okay, that's not quite true -- at one job, I screened the mail to our careers@ mailbox, but I was doing the job HR would have done if we'd had them. The one time I'd advise someone to spend time on a cover letter is if they need to talk through how the experience on their resume adds up to what the job description says the company is looking for, if it isn't obvious. For example, if we're looking for someone to lead a team who has experience with high-availability retail systems at large scale, and they have experience with high-availability systems, and with retail, and with heavy performance requirements, but not all from the same job, a cover letter is a good place to add some supplemental explaining, to keep HR from screening you out. But better to tailor your resume to make that clear from the resume, since interviewers will NOT be given your cover letter! A cover letter can't get you the job, it can only keep HR from screening you out. The audience is HR, and only HR.

I'm not a fan at all of cover letters. I just don't believe that enough hiring managers will actually read them. If you truly will read them all, then ask for them. However, I feel that most just go unread. I wrote about that here and included a survey I conducted on LinkedIn about the value of cover letters: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/stop-wasting-time-six-ways-transform-hiring-process-from-shoebridge/?trackingId=1rfn67RDe%2B%2B9gbGtggXhMw%3D%3D

I would say it depends on the role and on the hiring managers. Some of my hiring managers wanted to read the cover letters (especially for more senior roles) of the shortlisted candidates. Others cared more about the CVs. I personally think a cover letter is useful for entry level roles - if you are a recent graduate with little to no experience a cover letter could tell us more about you and why you want to do XYZ. This is how you stand out from the crowd. As a recruiter who looked after 30-60 roles, I simply didn’t have time to read lengthy cover letters. I cared more about candidates CV, their experience, their achievements and skills and what they could bring to the table. As a jobseeker, if an employer asks for a cover letter I will write one. If it is optional then I won’t bother. I spent more time perfecting my CV because, from my experience, that’s what most recruiters and the hiring managers care about.

I respectfully disagree with my colleagues; cover letters - in most circumstances - are meaningless. The way for job candidates to differentiate themselves is in the resume - highlighting specific accomplishments unique to themselves and their experiences. Yes, most people don't read cover letters for two reasons: 1) who has time to open two documents per candidate, and 2) cover letters are often pre-written by resume writers as generic fluff. (I don't write them for my clients). Here is where the cover letter has value: when it comprises the body of an email (resume attached) sent directly to a targeted recipient. A brief, compelling "cover letter" will motivate the recipient to open the attached resume. But for cover letters that are uploaded to an ATS? They serve one purpose - to help the application rank higher, so they need to be stuffed with keywords pulled directly from the job post.

Cover letters are so important, Andrew. One of my favorite strategies for a cover letter is to discuss fit or interest in the role. A cover letter gives you the opportunity to share why you're excited about the role, what interest you have, and why you're a fit. Employers love to hear you're excited and if you've done your research you'll know something about the culture of the company and why you're excited to work there. I haven't met a recruiter or hiring manager who doesn't want to hear this kind of information.