What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is a short, formal letter that accompanies a job application. It names the job you are applying for, says in a few sentences why you are a good match, points to one or two things in your resume that prove it, and asks for the next step. In most countries it runs to three or four short paragraphs on a single page. It is addressed to a person or a team, and it is written for one job at a time: a letter that could be sent to any employer is not a cover letter, it is a form letter.
You will also hear it called a covering letter, a letter of application or simply a resume cover letter. In some countries, the Philippines among them, the same letter is usually called an application letter, and the format is covered on the application letter page. This one is about the letter that comes with a resume.
What is the purpose of a cover letter?
The purpose is to do three things the resume cannot. First, it connects you to this job: a resume is general, and the letter shows that you read the ad and know what the employer needs. Second, it tells the story that the resume only lists: why you are changing field, how a gap came about, why you want to move to a new city. Third, it shows how you write and think, which no bullet point can. A reader who has to choose between two similar resumes will often turn to the letter to decide.
What it should not do is repeat the resume. If every sentence of your letter can be found in the resume, it has no purpose. Choose two or three requirements from the ad, give one proof for each, add one sentence on why this employer, and stop. The full method is in how to write a cover letter.
Cover letter vs resume: the difference at a glance
| Resume | Cover letter | |
|---|---|---|
| Job | Lists what you have done and know | Explains why that matters for this job |
| Form | Sections and bullet points | Three or four short paragraphs of prose |
| Length | One or two pages | Under one page |
| Changes per job | Slightly, to match the ad | Almost entirely, because it is addressed to one employer |
| Reader gets | Facts and dates | A reason to read the facts |
They work as a pair. The resume answers “can this person do the job?” and the letter answers “why do they want it, and why should I look at them first?” If you are not sure how a resume differs from a CV, see CV vs resume.
Is a cover letter necessary? A quick test
Whether you need one depends on what the employer has asked for and how much the application is competing. Use the test below in order, and stop at the first line that applies.
- The ad asks for one. Write it. Leaving it out signals that you did not follow instructions, which many readers treat as a first filter.
- The ad says no cover letter, or the form has no place for one. Do not send it. Put the strongest line from it into your resume summary instead.
- The ad is silent, and you are changing field, returning from a gap or applying to a small or specialized employer. Write a short one. These are the cases where the resume cannot tell your story alone.
- The ad is silent and you are a direct match. A short, specific letter still helps and rarely hurts. A generic one is worse than none.
When an online form offers an optional upload and you have nothing specific to say, skipping it is better than uploading a template. The same goes for a resume sent by email: a three-line note in the body of the email, naming the job and one reason you fit, is a modest version of the letter and is usually enough.
How important is a cover letter?
Honestly, it varies. At large employers where an applicant tracking system sorts hundreds of applications, the resume does most of the work and the letter may never be opened. At small employers, in competitive fields such as writing, education and public service, and in any role where communication is the job, the letter can decide the outcome. Because you cannot always know which kind of reader you have, treat it as the one part of the application you control completely: when it is specific and well written, it can only help.
Sources
Checked on 12 October 2026.