It’s funny as it seems totally arbitrary and I’ve spoke with people who completely ignore cover letters. Or sometimes the application system strips them off. A

It’s funny as it seems totally arbitrary and I’ve spoke with people who completely ignore cover letters. Or sometimes the application system strips them off. As an applicant it’s hard to know the preference of the reviewer so that makes it harder. But I think that, for me, I just sort of accept that there’s much wasted effort in applying to jobs. Looking for work is a job, so spending 1-2 hours per application is work that must be done, even if some of it never gets seen. I wrote a cover letter for the job I’m in now. I never asked my manager if she read it or if it influenced her decision. But I’ll probably write one next time. Same goes for thank you notes. Hard to know if they work. But it doesn’t hurt, other than the labor involved in writing.