Job seekers often wonder if sending a cover letter along with their resume is needed. Usually the person doing the questioning is just dreading having to write one. Personally, I love the cover letter piece of the application, and a lot of human resource managers do, too.
Sure, you can let the HR director scan your resume and hope that they find what makes you a perfect fit for their company, or you can point it out with precision why they need to hire you! In a cover letter, you expand upon your skills and experience, targeting the company's needs with your particular talents. In a cover letter, you also get to talk about your reasons why you want to work for the company. Complimenting the company on their great business practices is a great way to increase their interest in you.
And finally, in a cover letter you can show excitement, enthusiasm and maybe just a little bit of your personality--something a resume can't do.
So instead of dreading the task, embrace it as an opportunity to move you to the top of the pile.