Over the course of my career, I’ve read probably tens of thousands of cover letters. (And yes, that’s as boring as it sounds.) What I’ve learned from doing that is that most job applicants’ cover letters are truly awful – and as a result, if you’re willing to put in the time to write a good one, you can stand out from your competition in a really effective way.

A great cover letter won’t get you the job if you’re not qualified, but it can make a hiring manager notice you in a sea of applicants and encourage them to interview you when you otherwise might have been overlooked. In fact, a good cover letter can be such an effective way of boosting your application that I’m always amazed by how many candidates don’t bother to take advantage of the opportunity they offer.

At New York Magazine today, I wrote about how to get cover letters right.