If you send out a resume chances are you need a cover letter. Even if one is not requested, you should always send a cover letter with a resume. The job of the cover letter is to set up the stage for your resume.

Your cover letter or Letter of Inquiry (LOI) serves as an introduction to your resume. An effective cover letter will take the confusion out of your objective. Don't make a reader guess what you are looking for, be specific.  Your cover letter is dynamic and can change as your job search changes. The cover letter +  resume job application is a well rooted tradition in the United States. Most employers, recruiters and hiring managers require a cover letter be sent with a resume. Your job search is not the time to break away from the norm.