Cover Letters

The following is a copy of my response to a query on Linked In. Thought it was useful to repeat here:

I generally skip the cover letter and skim the resume first to see if the candidate's background is relevant to the position at hand. Most aren't, and most cover letters are over lengthy, rehash of the resume and provide nothing useful in addition. I may go back to it and skim if the person's background is of interest and the cover appears to offer anything useful. Most cover letters' impact, if any, is negative, in that it turns out to be generic, or references the wrong title, (they forgot to change a generic letter to reference the correct position), contains typos, or as noted by others, demonstrates poor writing ability (the resume may or may not have been written by the candidate). It is a rare cover letter that is well written, brief, addresses the position at hand and provides any useful information to the subject at hand.

As an aside, with resume databases and the passing around of info, it is generally advisable to include all pertinent info in one document, as emails and cover letters and resumes may get separated by scanning applications, and handlers. Always include all contact info in the resume. It's also advisable to include your cover/objective info in the resume as well to keep from getting separated.