Do I Need a Cover Letter When Applying to Jobs? (Updated January 2026)

A recent survey found that 83% of hiring managers read cover letters, even when they’re not required. And 94% say cover letters influence interview decisions. So applying for a job without a cover letter will likely hurt your chances of landing an interview.

Some more stats: 45% of hiring managers say they read the cover letter before the resume, and 18% say a weak cover letter can sink a strong resume.

I've been on both sides of this question: I've applied to hundreds of jobs myself, and I've reviewed thousands of applicants. And trust me, it's a bit more complicated than these stats indicate.

If you've found your way to this blog post, you're probably applying to dozens of jobs right now, copying and pasting the same information into cover letters over and over (just like I did before building Sprout). So I'm going to explain exactly when cover letters actually matter, how to write them without wasting time, and when to use smart swipe-to-apply job search tools like Sprout instead.

TLDR:

• 83% of hiring managers read cover letters and 94% say they influence interview decisions.

• Always include a cover letter if you have a referral, know the hiring manager, or have 18-month (or longer) employment gaps.

• Writing custom cover letters for dozens of jobs wastes hours each week.

• Sprout generates personalized, ATS-friendly cover letters in seconds, letting you apply to 100 or more jobs with one swipe while maintaining quality that gets interviews.

When Cover Letters Really Matter

There are three specific situations where a personalized cover letter is an absolute must:

• You've been referred to a role: Here's a crazy stat: 45% of internal hires come from referrals, and 30% of all hires came from referrals. That's more than any other individual source. If you've got a referral or a recommendation, your cover letter is the perfect place to drop that name (use it or lose it!).

• You've met with the hiring manager already: If you know or have met the hiring manager, address the cover letter to them (if you think there’s a chance they’ll remember you).

• Employment gaps: If you have employment gaps longer than 18 months (not due to a leave, a cover letter helps explain them, and that's a better option than leaving hiring managers guessing). Just keep the explanation brief and focus on what you can bring to the table now.

And for executive or leadership positions, cover letters are basically mandatory; very few hiring managers will consider an applicant who does not provide one.

So it seems pretty clear: A cover letter is usually at least a very good idea. But if you're applying to multiple jobs without any direct contacts, crafting individual cover letters can take up a lot of time. That's why we built Sprout's swipe-to-apply feature. Job hunting is a numbers game, and sometimes you need to play smarter, not harder.

Why Cover Letters Are Still Important

A well-constructed cover letter can support your resume and help you stand out from other applicants. While job searching methods and practices have changed a lot in recent years, cover letters can still make or break an application.

While a resume is factual and highly structured, a cover letter does a bit of storytelling work. It's your opportunity to speak directly to the hiring team and show why you're a great fit for a particular role. A good cover letter requires personalization and customization, and that can pose a problem: customizing dozens of cover letters a week takes a lot of time. This is where AI job search tools like Sprout come in.

Think of it like this:

• Traditional applications: you're likely spending an hour or more per application.

• Sprout swipe-to-apply applications: you can apply for hundreds of jobs in minutes.

Unlike some standalone cover letter generators, Sprout's AI cover letter feature uses AI-driven job applications to help you land your dream job faster.

It's like having a personal recruiter that applies for jobs for you, writing cover letters and keeping you organized.

Final Thoughts on Whether You Need Cover Letters

The cover letter is still a job search must in most situations. But they can work differently now.

Here's the deal:

• Are you applying to five or fewer jobs? Write those cover letters yourself, especially if you have a referral, or if you're going for an executive position.

• Applying for lots of jobs each week? Use Sprout's AI-generated cover letters. Stop typing the same stuff over and over. Sprout lets you swipe right on jobs you like, and our smart AI handles the rest. No more endless forms or repetitive uploads: just swipe, apply, and interview.

  FAQ

  How long should my cover letter be if I'm applying to multiple jobs?

  Keep it to between three and four short paragraphs or about 250 words.

  Focus on your most relevant experience, key resume skills, and why you're interested in the role: hiring managers are likely to be scanning cover letters quickly, so brevity wins out.

  What should I include in a cover letter if I have an 18-month employment gap?

  Briefly explain the gap in one sentence (career break, family care, health recovery, or whatever it was), and then immediately pivot to what skills or experiences you gained during that time and what value you bring now. Keep the focus forward-looking.

  Can I use AI-generated cover letters without recruiters noticing?

  Yes, if the AI personalizes each letter to the specific job and company. Generic AI content gets flagged quickly, but tools like Sprout create customized cover letters that mirror your experience and the job requirements, making them indistinguishable from hand-written ones.

  When should I skip the cover letter and just mass apply instead?

  If you're applying to entry-level or high-volume roles where you have no direct contact and the job posting doesn't require a cover letter, mass applying with a strong resume gets you better results through sheer numbers. (For more tips, check out our complete guide to landing your first job fast). Save personalized cover letters for roles where you have a referral or it's your dream job.

  Do company website applications really perform better than LinkedIn Easy Apply?

  Yes. Direct company applications get about 10% higher response rates because they show more effort and often face less competition than LinkedIn's one-click apply feature, which can generate hundreds of applications per posting.