Short answer: Sometimes. Many recruiters decide from the resume alone, but some read cover letters as a tie-breaker or to judge real interest, and you cannot know which kind of reader you will get. A short, specific letter is low-risk and can help; a generic one adds nothing. If a letter is required, always send one, and if it is optional, send one whenever you have something to explain or a clear reason you fit.

The full picture

Why advice on cover letters is so mixed

• In high-volume hiring, recruiters often screen the resume first and only open the letter for shortlisted candidates.
• Hiring managers at smaller companies, and for roles where writing matters, are more likely to read every word.
• So the same letter may be ignored at one company and decide the shortlist at another. That is why "never bother" and "always write one" are both wrong.

When a cover letter helps most

• You are changing careers and your resume does not show the link on its own.
• You have a gap or a layoff to explain in one or two sentences.
• You are relocating, or need to state your work authorisation clearly.
• The employer is small, a non-profit, a university or a public body.
• The role involves writing, client communication or persuasion.
• The posting asks a question or tells you to address something in your letter.

How to write one that gets read

1. Keep it short: three short paragraphs, well under a page.
2. Open with the role and your strongest reason to be considered, in one or two sentences.
3. In the middle, give two specific achievements that match the top requirements in the job description, with results.
4. Close with the practical details: availability, location and, if relevant, work authorisation.
5. Address a real person if you can find the hiring manager's name; otherwise "Dear Hiring Team" is fine.
6. Write a new one for each job. Reusing a letter is how people end up sending the wrong company name.

Common mistakes

• Repeating the resume line by line.
• An AI-generated letter that is fluent but says nothing specific about the company or role.
• Focusing on what you want from the job rather than what you bring to it.
• Long letters: if it takes more than a minute to read, most of it will be skipped.

Differences by country

• US and Canada: often optional for corporate roles, but expected more often in sectors such as education, non-profits and government.
• UK: public-sector and NHS applications often ask for a supporting statement, which is scored against the person specification, so cover every listed criterion.
• Germany and much of Europe: a cover letter (Anschreiben in Germany) is still commonly expected.
• Australia: cover letters are widely expected, and public-sector roles may ask you to address selection criteria.
• India: rarely required for volume hiring; a short, specific email when you send your resume does the same job.

How Drivetube can help

• Drivetube One Jobhunt gives you application credits: each one is a resume tailored to one job description plus a matching cover letter, built only from the details in your own profile, so you are never sending a reused letter. Details: Jobhunt docs. In India, Community members can buy the same credits from the dashboard wallet.
• If you apply to only a few roles a week, writing your own letter with the steps above is enough. The free Drivetube Job Board helps you spend that effort on roles posted in the last few days, using each employer's true posting date. How it works: Job Board docs.