Do you need a cover letter?

Short answer: Send a cover letter when the job posting asks for one, when you are changing careers, or when your résumé needs context such as a gap or a move. If a quick application does not ask for one, a strong, tailored résumé usually matters more.

When you should send one

• The posting asks for it. If an employer requests a cover letter, skipping it can get your application set aside.
• You are changing careers. A letter lets you connect experience from one field to the role you want in another.
• Your résumé needs context. A gap, a relocation, or a return to work is easier to explain in two sentences of a letter than on a résumé.
• You have a personal connection. A referral, or a real reason you care about this employer, belongs in a cover letter.
• The role is competitive. For jobs that attract many qualified applicants, a specific, well-written letter is one more way to stand out.

When you can skip it

• The application form has no place to attach one and does not ask for it.
• You are applying through a quick-apply button on a job board.
• The posting explicitly says not to send one.

In these cases, put your effort into tailoring your résumé to the posting instead.

A simple four-part structure

Keep it to one page, usually three or four short paragraphs.

1. Opening. Name the role and give the single strongest reason you are a fit.
2. Evidence. Two or three specific results from your experience that match the posting.
3. Fit. One or two sentences on why this employer, showing you read the posting.
4. Close. Thank them and ask clearly for an interview.

Common mistakes

• Repeating your résumé. The letter should add context, not list your jobs again.
• Generic openings. “I am writing to apply for…” wastes your first line. Lead with your strongest point.
• Clichés. “Hard-working team player” proves nothing. Give a specific example instead.
• One letter for every job. A letter that could be sent anywhere reads like it was.
• Too long. If it runs past one page, cut.

Should you write it yourself?

If you write well and have time, yes. If you are applying to many jobs or the letter keeps coming out generic, we can help. A cover letter from Think Ahead Careers is $19 CAD, written from your notes or edited from your draft. With a résumé edit, the package is $45 CAD.

Related guides

• Canadian résumé format guide (2026)
• How much does résumé editing cost in Canada?