Is a strong Cover Letter with the Resume an important step in getting that “Second Look” from Recruiters Online?

Absolutely, key is for the cover letter to personalize the situation to the opportunity.

I am a recruiter and a good cover letter is a good way to get the recruiter's attention. A well-written resume without mistakes is key. Avoid overuse of buzzwords, but be sure to include keywords- specific marketable skills and certifications. A good cover letter would list why you feel you are a good fit for the specific role. I've passed over candidates due to bland resumes, but when they followed-up with a quick email as to why I should reconsider, they got places. Some skills are not easy to equate from military to civilian jobs so it helps if you can aid in that translation.

COL Mikel J. Burroughs, I think a well written cover letter is more important than the resume', but what is most important is understanding why a cover letter is such a good idea.

On average, 150 resume's are received for every position advertised. Most of these are scanned by computer which searches for key words.

What this means is that if you want a job, you will go through the advertisement and make sure EVERY keyword used in the ad is in your resume'. You are gaming the scanning algorithm, trying to make sure your resume' is one of those selected to be reviewed by a human being. If you tailor your resume' to each job you apply for, then the cover letter isn't as important. But if you don't tailor, then the cover letter is your only realistic chance of getting a look for a highly competitive position.

Very timely question, as I am in the market for a new position.

Has not worked for me. Usually if I get the interview it is the stage working a shift or two showing skills and ability or if they say you got an hour make us a meal. My Curry Risotto seals the deal.

That's what they say. The "they" are the professionals. You have to read the advertisement for the position. Pick out the "key" words for the position and use them in a strong cover letter. Remember it is not the place to be funny, this is serious business if you want the job!

I stopped using both the Cover Letter and the Resume Objective statement before the Century turned. HR and Hiring Managers no longer have time to look at either. Though the Cover Letter sometimes will help with HR with a introduction that is more friendly. What really catches peoples eyes are 1. Resume format, clean and balanced on the page. 2. Specific keywords in the resume that match to what skills they are looking for. 3. Depth of experience in each area you bring up.

Urban myths nobody cares about anymore: # 1. Repeated layoffs (I have three gaps on my resume due to job layoffs), most HR folks that review a resume have had 3 or more themselves due to layoff and most hiring Managers have had 2 or more, they care more about how long you were laid off more so than you were laid off, so gaps that are over 6 months they would ask about. # 2. Job hopping, depends on field here. In IT I am on my seventh employer now spread over 26 years of work, nobody cares in IT field and they only look at length at each employer not that you have had several employers. So less than a year or about a year at several employers consecutively is a warning sign. #3. Resume length. Some employers it matters others don't care as long as the resume is written clearly and succinctly. Good rule of thumb is 1 page - less than 10 years experience. 2 pages - 10-20 years experience. 2 pages is high as I will go and I truncate the first 6 years of work or just drop it off the resume. #4. Physical age of the hire, only matters if your being looked at by a company where most of the workforce is young and even then it is a crap shoot these days. Older folks are valued more at established companies such as 3M, GE, GM, IBM, IBM Business Partners, Consulting, etc because of their maturity and experience and lack of supervision needs.

I have applied with, and without, a cover letter and have recieved responses from only the applications without cover letters. I think if your resume paints the picture well enough you don't need one.

Yes we do live in a fast pace, perhaps cover letters may be a little nostalgic when an email would work fine.

Great question Sir. As an Executive assistant I had to do a lot of hiring and firing myself. When I was actively applying for professional jobs in different states, I quickly learned that the resume can make or break the deal. For example, in California most companies want more noticeable skills and less description of job duties. But for Virginia, Georgia and other "southern" traditional states, they only except traditional resume for most companies.
So yes the cover letter is important if your applying for uniformed professional positions. But not so much jobs like retail positions non management. Online application require them, but unless it's a supervisor or higher position they never really look at them.