It depends on the posting and the role. Send a cover letter when the application asks for one, or when a short note is the only place to explain a career change, a project, a referral, or why this job. Skipping is fine when the posting says not to include a letter, when the form has no place for one, or when the only draft you can write repeats the resume and adds adjectives.
This site has not measured how often someone opens a letter. The pages linked below show how to write one if you decide to send it. They do not promise an interview or an offer.
When a letter helps
Send one in the cases below. The word optional does not mean the file will be ignored, and it does not mean you must write one.
- The posting or the form says a cover letter, a statement, or a short note is required.
- The posting says a letter is optional, and you have one fact the resume does not show, such as why this employer, a project, or a move into a new field.
- Someone who referred you asked you to introduce yourself in writing.
- Paid work is thin, and the resume needs a sentence of context. That letter is in how to write a cover letter with no experience.
When skipping is fine
- The posting says not to include a cover letter, or it says to send a resume only.
- The form has no letter field and no place to attach a file. Do not paste a letter into a comments box unless that box asks for a note.
- You cannot name the role, one requirement you meet, and one example you can explain.
- The draft repeats the resume in longer sentences and adds nothing else.
A letter is one part of an application. This site does not promise an interview or an offer. A shorter version of the same choice is in how to write a cover letter with AI.
How to read the job ad
Read the instructions before the duties. Look for cover letter, letter of interest, personal statement, writing sample, and resume only. Then open the form. It can require a file the ad never named.
- Required. The ad or the form says the letter is required, or the form marks the attachment as required. Write the letter from notes you can explain.
- Optional. The ad says a letter is welcome or optional. Send one only when you have a fact the resume does not carry. If you do not have that fact, send the resume.
- Not mentioned. The ad never names a letter. Use the same test as optional. Send one if the resume cannot show why this role. Skip it if the resume already does.
Follow a file type or a length when the employer names one. This site did not measure a preferred length. If the letter is the email body, see job application email examples for the subject line and attachments.
If you decide to write one
Use the order in the AI cover letter guide: an opening, work you did that matches the posting, one example you can verify, and a short close. Cut any metric that was not in your notes. If paid work is thin, use the no-experience letter instead of inventing a job title. Cover letter opening examples are separate writing models for the first paragraph.
The cover letter generator rearranges fields you type and does not call an AI model. The job description keyword extractor lists phrases in the posting. Use one only when it is true. The resume checker reviews resume text you paste. It is not a verdict on the letter. Section order is in resume section order. What an overlap count means is in what an online ATS score measures.
A short decision list
- The posting forbids a letter: stop.
- The posting requires one: write it from notes you can explain.
- It is optional or never mentioned: write it only if one fact will not fit on the resume.
- The draft only repeats the resume: do not send it.
Fictional pair, labelled as a writing model. The posting says “Cover letter optional” and mentions a shared donation log. The resume already says “Logged donated items in a shared sheet.” Send a letter only if you still need a true sentence about why this library. Skip it if that sentence would repeat the bullet. The shorter line is the kind of fictional bullet in resume bullet point examples.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a cover letter for every job?
No. Send one when it is required, or when the resume cannot show why this role. Skip it when the employer says not to, or when you have nothing new to say.
What if the posting says the letter is optional?
You may include one. Optional is not a hidden requirement, and it is not a promise that someone will read it. Send it when you have a fact to add. This site has not counted how often optional letters are opened.
The ad never mentions a cover letter. Should I attach one?
Attach one if the form allows a file and the resume cannot show why this role. If there is no letter field, follow the form and do not paste the letter into another box.
Where do I learn how to write the letter?
How to write a cover letter with AI covers the draft checks and a template that does not call an AI model. How to write a cover letter with no experience is for a class, a project, or a volunteer task. Both use fictional examples.