What Is a Cover Letter for a Job? Definition, Purpose, Meaning

Here’s a brief roundup of what a cover letter for a job is:

• A cover letter is a document attached to your job application that shows why you’re the best candidate.
• Not everyone expects cover letters, but a significant proportion of employers still do. 
• If you don’t include one, you’re significantly reducing your chances of finding a job.

Though it is personalized, a cover letter for a resume should also be clean and visually organized.

Here is a cover letter sample created with our cover letter builder.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

Create your cover letter now

Use this cover letter template

Sample cover letter for a resume—See more cover letter examples and create your cover letter here.

See that? This resume cover letter presents the candidate in a memorable way telling stories that show his skills and experience match what the employer seeks. It’s also well-organized and long enough.

The difference between a resume and a cover letter is clear: a resume is a list of specs and a cover letter is a full-blown marketing campaign. Yes, it still mentions facts and figures, but it puts them out the in the form of a story.

You can find more in-depth information on how to write cover letters in our dedicated guides:

• How to Write a Cover Letter
• How to Start a Cover Letter
• How to End a Cover Letter
• How Long Should a Cover Letter Be
• What Should a Cover Letter Say
• Cover Letter Structure
• Resume Cover Page Example
• Cold Call/ Unsolicited Cover Letter
• What is a Motivation Letter
• Cover Letter Samples for All Professions

Now, let’s discover why cover letters are still a thing nowadays.

What’s the Purpose of a Cover Letter for a Job in Today’s Hiring?

Ever wondered why it’s called a cover letter? Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, people submitted job applications on paper. The cover letter served as the actual cover page for the resume.

It doesn’t work like that today of course. Now it’s just a smart way to provide context to your application, convey motivation, show your personality, etc.

Regardless, you still need a cover letter and it’s still important. Here’s why:

• 53% of employers say a resume alone is not enough.
• 49% of recruiters see a cover letter as a factor that’ll make them pay more attention to your application. That’s the second-best way to boost your chances after a properly targeted resume.
• 45% of recruiters say not having a cover letter will get your resume rejected, according to our hr statistics piece.
• Resume cover letters need to be a quick introduction to your skills and achievements. Nearly 70% of employers are looking for a half-page or less and 70% of employers spend less than five minutes reviewing a job application.
• 26% of recruiters still list cover letters for a resume as being of “high importance.” So no cover letter means you’ve ruined your chances with a quarter of employers.
• They’re crucial in explaining any parts of your resume that are less attractive to recruiters, like employment gaps.

• You can easily tweak it to create a letter of interest to tap the hidden job market. Around 15% of hires are made from sources other than standard job ads or referrals.

What is the Point of a Cover Letter?

The purpose of a cover letter is to provide additional background information about your application. The goal of the cover letter is to highlight your best qualifications, explain what's missing from your resume, and show a bit of your personal story. It shows your commitment to the potential job, as it requires extra time on your part to write one.

Pro Tip: Do you always need a cover letter? It is important in four cases: if the job ad requires it, if the recruiter requests it, if you're applying directly to a person and know their name, or if someone has referred you for the position.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Is there anything we didn’t cover? Still not convinced you need a resume cover letter? Hit us up in the comments section. We’d love to help.