My default approach is write a cover letter if it comes from the heart (yes, really).
I got all my recent jobs without a cover letter. I didn't feel any connection to the jobs or people knew me already well and wanted to hire me. I never felt like copying 5 paragraphs of bs just to check a box.
The last time I wrote a cover letter I really wanted the position and I really felt that I'm an excellent match for their requirements. It was a forming team, where the technical person was my friend, but the decision was up to a business person higher up. I wanted him to know already before the interview that I'm serious about this position. The interview went well, they both mentioned at a later point my cover letter, and I enjoyed working there.
I have just been through the Google interviews, and all the googler acquaintances told me, "don't bother with the cover letter, either your CV is good enough to get to the technical phone screening or not". One even said that the only reason to write a cover letter "if it makes you feel better", because it will make zero difference throughout the whole process. YMMV.
I got all my recent jobs without a cover letter. I didn't feel any connection to the jobs or people knew me already well and wanted to hire me. I never felt like copying 5 paragraphs of bs just to check a box.
The last time I wrote a cover letter I really wanted the position and I really felt that I'm an excellent match for their requirements. It was a forming team, where the technical person was my friend, but the decision was up to a business person higher up. I wanted him to know already before the interview that I'm serious about this position. The interview went well, they both mentioned at a later point my cover letter, and I enjoyed working there.
I have just been through the Google interviews, and all the googler acquaintances told me, "don't bother with the cover letter, either your CV is good enough to get to the technical phone screening or not". One even said that the only reason to write a cover letter "if it makes you feel better", because it will make zero difference throughout the whole process. YMMV.