N = 1, but whenever I've hired, I've definitely noticed cover letters, or lack thereof. Not bothering with a cover letter tells the hiring manager that you are

N = 1, but whenever I've hired, I've definitely noticed cover letters, or lack thereof. Not bothering with a cover letter tells the hiring manager that you are just shotgunning resumes out there and didn't spend too much time thinking about the company fit. In fact, so few people seem to write cover letters these days -- let alone compelling ones -- that they can be a strategic differentiator in their own right.