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I'm applying for a job and it gives the option of including attachments such as references and transcripts, but then also says:

You are not required to submit a cover letter

Does this mean I can, but am not required to, submit a cover letter? As in doing so could increase my chance of getting hired, but not doing so wouldn't disqualify me?

Or it is a polite way to say I should not submit a cover letter? As in the simple fact that I submitted one would decrease my chance of getting hired, or disqualify me altogether, even if it's a really good cover letter?

While they can simply ignore it if they don't want it, they may get the impression that I can't follow instructions if there is one when they specifically don't want one.

I looked at some similar questions like Should I include a cover letter?, but in that case they explicitly say you can include it. Other related questions just discuss whether or not to include cover letters in general.

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    While it is possible that the person who wrote the text is terrible at writing instructions and actually meant that they didn't want a cover letter at all 1) it's unlikely, 2) it's very unlikely that different companies would make the same mistake, and 3) most candidates will assume they meant what they said. If you assume they meant what they said you'll be right 99% of the time and in the 1% where you're wrong 99% of your competition will have made the same mistake.
    – BSMP
    Commented May 13, 2020 at 22:29

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Does this mean I can, but am not required to, submit a cover letter?

Yes, exactly, that is what it means.

Means that submitting a Cover Letter is not mandatory.

If the instructions wanted otherwise they would say "you should not include a cover letter" or similar phrasing.

As in doing so could increase my chance of getting hired, but not doing so wouldn't disqualify me?

Yes again. It's better to include it if you have it, as it's more information and inputs the recruiter can consider to evaluate your profile.

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Does this mean I can, but am not required to, submit a cover letter? As in doing so could increase my chance of getting hired, but not doing so wouldn't disqualify me?

It's not required. However, as they've left the option to you, I'd recommend submitting a cover letter. Regard your Resume as the technical details of what you can do, but the Cover Letter is your sales pitch - why YOU are the perfect person for that position, over and above anyone else. Not using a cover letter means that the recruiter only has your resume to work with, and they may miss the pertinent points that you wanted them to notice.

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It's optional in the sense that you won't be immediately disqualified if you don't include one. You will however be at a competitive disadvantage when compared to the other candidates who did submit one. Also by not including one you are missing out on an additional opportunity to sell yourself as a candidate and make yourself stand out from the rest of the pack.

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  • You have absolutely no idea if not submitting a cover letter will put the candidate at a professional disadvantage. In the industry I'm in cover letters are usually ignored.
    – DJClayworth
    Commented May 14, 2020 at 15:30
  • @DJClayworth odds are neither does asker. The point is that there is no potential down side to writing one but lots of potential downside to not writing one. Inversely there is a lot of potential upside to writing one but no potential upside to not writing one.
    – Working Title
    Commented May 15, 2020 at 13:32
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Just my two cents, but I think that if someone specifically puts "You are not required to submit a cover letter" on an advert, it means that they are just interested in your qualifications. Not in some embellished story about how working as a accountant/receptionist/scrum master at their company is a childhood dream come true. So my advice would be not to include a cover letter because they are probably not interested in it.

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