> It tells you if the person can't communicate beyond bullet points in a resume. I guess it depends a lot on the industry. Most of the cover letters I've seen

> It tells you if the person can't communicate beyond bullet points in a resume. I guess it depends a lot on the industry. Most of the cover letters I've seen when hiring are following a template or pattern gleaned from a website or book telling you how to write a cover letter. Also, you're never 100% sure that a job seeker didn't get someone to help them write the cover letter or if it's copypasta. Admittedly, if I was looking for a job, I'd provide a cover letter just to satisfy arbitrary expectations, but I hate writing them. All I do these days is regurgitate the list of the advertised requirements and for each item, indicate if I meet, have comparables or don't meet it. It beats having to come up with a bunch of made up platitudes about why they should hire me. In the same vein as cover letters though, I don't put much weight on post-interview thank-you letters.