Cover Letters Are Not Dumb: Why You Need to Write a Cover Letter for the Job You Want

After spending a year evaluating job applicants, the author shares a hard truth: submitting a resume without a cover letter often means it won’t even be reviewed. The cover letter serves multiple critical functions — it helps the hiring team understand how you interpret the role, it serves as a direct evaluation of your written communication skills (especially important for remote and distributed teams), and most importantly, it’s the beginning of a relationship. Unlike a resume’s chronological list of jobs and skills, a cover letter lets you convey personality, address potential weaknesses, and demonstrate genuine excitement for the position. If you’ve been skipping cover letters, read the full article to understand what you’re leaving on the table.