Do recruiters actually read cover letters?

In the UK, about half do. Senior and in-house hiring managers tend to read them; agency recruiters often go straight to the CV. A short, specific letter still matters — but it must be brief enough that a skimmer gets the key point in 30 seconds.

What should I write in an optional cover letter field?

One paragraph naming something specific from the job description and connecting it to your background. If you cannot think of anything specific to say, leaving the field blank is a better choice than a generic letter.

Does an email application always need a cover letter?

Yes — for a direct email application, the email body is your cover letter. Paste it in rather than attaching a separate document; a blank email with attachments looks like an incomplete send.

What if there is no cover letter field in Workday or Greenhouse?

Most Workday and Greenhouse applications do not include one. If there is a free-text additional information box, that is not the same as a cover letter field — it has its own etiquette and should not be used for a full letter.

Will skipping the cover letter get my application rejected?

Not automatically. Most initial screens are CV-only. The risk is a missed opportunity to explain something your CV cannot: a career change, a non-linear background, or why this specific role matters to you.

When to Skip the Cover Letter (And When You Really Shouldn't)

A cover letter is optional — until it isn't. Knowing which situation you're in can save you an hour or cost you the interview.

When "optional" actually means something

When a job posting says "cover letter optional", most applicants do one of two things: skip it because they're tired, or send a half-hearted one because they feel they should. Neither is ideal.

"Optional" usually means the employer will not screen you out for omitting one. It does not mean a well-written letter is wasted. If the role is competitive, if you have something specific to explain, or if you have a clear reason for wanting this company over a similar one, a short tailored letter is almost always worth the time.

If the posting says nothing about cover letters at all, treat it the same way.

When the ATS has no cover letter field

Some online application systems, including Workday, Greenhouse, and NHS Jobs, do not have a cover letter attachment slot. In those cases, skipping is not a choice: the system does not accept one. Some platforms include a free-text "additional information" or "supporting statement" box, but that is a different thing with its own rules. Do not paste a cover letter into it.

When you can reasonably skip it

You can skip without regret when:

The job posting explicitly says no cover letter is required
The application system has no field for one and no email address for the hiring manager
You are applying through a recruiter who is submitting your CV directly (the recruiter handles the pitch)
The job specification is very light on detail and there is nothing specific to respond to

If you do skip, make sure your CV is carrying the weight the letter would have. A clear personal statement at the top, quantified bullet points, and phrasing that mirrors the job description's language all help your CV do more of the work unaided.

When skipping is risky even if the posting allows it

Some situations make the "no cover letter" choice riskier than it looks.

If your CV has an employment gap of more than six months, a short letter that addresses it directly gets ahead of the question the recruiter is already forming. The same is true if you are changing industries, returning to work after caring responsibilities, or applying for a role that looks like a step down from your previous title.

In competitive markets, when the hiring team has more than 100 applicants and broadly similar CVs to filter, a well-constructed letter is one of the few things that creates real distance between you and the next candidate. It does not need to be long: 200 words that are genuinely specific to this application outperform a full page of generic content.

When you should always send one

Some situations call for a cover letter even when the posting does not ask for one.

You are making a career change. A CV cannot explain itself. If your background does not look like an obvious match for the role, the letter is where you argue why it is. Leaving it out and hoping the recruiter connects the dots rarely works. A straightforward structure for doing this is set out in how to write a cover letter for a job application.

You are applying directly to a small or independent business. The person reviewing your application is usually the same person you would be working for. A personal, specific letter lands differently in that context than it does in a large corporate intake of hundreds.

The role is senior or client-facing. At management level and above, a letter that demonstrates clear thinking and good written communication is itself a work sample. It signals how you would communicate with clients or a leadership team, before anyone has spoken to you.

You found the role through a referral. If someone inside the company pointed you to the role, the letter is where you name them.

"Sarah Chen, your Head of Product, suggested I apply. She thought my work on Kelway's platform migration would translate well to what you are building here."

One sentence. Easy to write. Immediately memorable to the recruiter who sees it.

The middle ground: required but no upload field

Some postings list a cover letter as a requirement, but the application system is a simple CV upload with no letter slot. In that case, add the cover letter as the first page of your CV PDF, labelled "Covering Letter" at the top. It is not elegant, but the document arrives and the reviewer can find it.

If an email address appears anywhere in the posting, you can email the letter directly with the CV attached; just note in the email body that you have also applied through the website.

When you are short on time

If you are applying to several roles in one session, you cannot write a fresh letter each time. A practical approach: keep a strong base of two paragraphs covering what you do and why you are looking. For each application, change only the opening sentence and the company name. That is about ten minutes per application, not an hour.

Generic opening:

I am writing to apply for the Software Engineer role at Harrow Digital.

Tailored opening (ten minutes of work):

Your job description mentions rebuilding the checkout flow before Q4. At my current company I led a similar rebuild that cut cart abandonment by 18%. That is the kind of work I would like to bring to Harrow Digital.

The rest of the letter stays the same. The recruiter reads a letter that feels specific to them, because the most important line is.

A note on length when you do send one

Skipping entirely is a better choice than a page and a half of generic content. If you send a letter, keep it to 250–350 words. That is short enough that even a recruiter who was planning to skim will actually read it.

The most common errors that undercut an otherwise decent letter are covered in common cover letter mistakes that cost you the interview. Worth a quick check before you send.

If the slow part of this process is getting a solid first draft written, AI Job Answers generates a tailored cover letter from your CV and the job description. Use it to get something concrete in front of you quickly, then apply the logic above to decide whether to send it.