As a job candidate, I found cover letters helpful. They gave me a chance to explain exactly how my past work experiences and skills would be beneficial to the company.
Now as someone involved in evaluating tech candidates for my company, I find cover letters helpful. First off, it shows that the candidate took additional time to research the company rather than just looking for any job.
Second, I get a better sense of how the candidate's skills fit into the job we are filling. Bullet points on a resume are helpful but leave a lot unexplained. A cover letter can fill that gap.
Third, communication skills are incredibly important on my team. Even in tech jobs, we need to write documentation, email customers, and explain our thought process. Reading a cover letter helps me understand the candidate's writing style better.
Overall, if you are given the change to write a cover letter, write one.
The basic format for a cover letter should be:
- Letter head with your name and contact information
- Date you are applying
- Company's address
- Salutation to the specific hiring manager
- First paragraph explains how you heard about the company, which position you are applying for, and why you are a good fit
- Second paragraph elaborates on a specific tech project that demonstrates that you can do the job well
- Third paragraph explains another reason why you are a good fit for the job. It could be a past tech project you completed, a side project, or something that demonstrates industry knowledge
- Closing paragraph explains how they can contact you and thanks them for reading
- Valediction with your signature and name
There is a good example of a cover letter here: https://www.careerperfect.com/examples/letters/ceo-cover-sam.... (I have no relation to that site and only found it on a Google search now. Trust anything else on that site with a grain of salt.)
Good luck!