Cover Letter vs Resume: What’s the Difference?

A cover letter introduces you to employers, shows your interest in the job, and explains why you’re a great fit, while a resume provides a quick snapshot of your skills and professional experience.

Together, these two complementary documents work as a powerful team to help you impress hiring managers and land work.

What is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a professional document used to introduce yourself to an employer and explain why you want a specific job. Unlike a resume, which is an objective overview of your qualifications, the purpose of a cover letter is to prove why your qualifications make you the best fit for the job opening.

The normal cover letter length is 300 to 500 words in 3-4 paragraphs, giving you plenty of room to show why you’re the ideal candidate.

Your cover letter can be broken into six parts:

A. Header

List your contact details (name, phone number, email address) in your cover letter header.

B. Salutation

The best cover letter opening is Dear [Mr./Ms./Mx] [Hiring Manager’s Name]. Using the hiring manager’s name is an easy way to make a good immediate first impression and show that you’ve done your research.

Dear Hiring Manager is also acceptable. Using To Whom It May Concern isn’t ideal because it sounds overly formal and generic.

C. Introduction paragraph

Your introduction paragraph is where you introduce yourself as a candidate to the hiring manager. Use this space to highlight:

• how much relevant experience you have
• where you found the job opening
• why you want to apply for this specific job

D. Body paragraphs

Your second and third paragraphs should show how your skills, experiences, and accomplishments match the responsibilities listed in the job description. What key characteristics or experience do you have that will help you handle those responsibilities?

When writing your cover letter you can also use bullet points in the middle if you want to highlight major career achievements and/or awards.

E. Concluding paragraph

Your cover letter closing paragraph is where you aim to set up an interview. Start by expressing your enthusiasm for the opportunity, and suggest setting up a time to discuss further. Then, thank the hiring manager for their time.

F. Sign-off

No need to get creative here. Simply writing “Sincerely” followed by your name is the perfect way to sign off on your cover letter.

What is a resume?

A resume is a document that provides a concise, neatly formatted overview of your professional qualifications. When writing your resume, make sure to include your relevant work experience, education, skills, and notable accomplishments.

There are six standard resume sections:

A. Contact details

Your contact details are included in your resume header.

At a minimum, your contact details should include your:

• First and last name
• Email address
• Phone number

Additionally, you can add LinkedIn to your resume (make sure it’s up to date!), and your mailing address or city if you want to prove you live within commuting distance.

B. Introduction

The resume introduction comes after your contact details and provides a brief overview of your key qualifications and skills. Your introduction should include enough information to entice the hiring manager to continue reading your resume without being overly wordy.

Depending on what qualities or skills you want to highlight, you can use any of the following types of resume introductions:

• If you want to focus on your goals and have a future-facing introduction, use a resume objective
• If you have years of experience use a resume summary or a professional profile
• If you want to accentuate your professional achievements use a qualifications summary

C. Work experience section

The work experience section is the core of your resume – it’s where you list your previous job titles or any roles you’ve held that are relevant to the job you want to fill.

Your work history should be arranged with your most recent job at the top, and include the following information for each position:

• Job title
• Company name
• Location (city and state)
• Dates of employment (month and year)

Each job entry generally includes three to five bullet points that highlight your key accomplishments and responsibilities in that role.

D. Skills section

The resume skills section is where you list relevant job skills. Include a diverse mix of hard skills and soft skills to demonstrate that you’re a well-rounded candidate and can handle a variety of challenges.

E. Education section

The resume’s education section is where you mention the basics of your education history. This includes at minimum your school names, highest degree earned, and majors and minors.

If you lack work experience, you can also list relevant coursework, your GPA (if it’s greater than 3.5), and any academic honors or awards that you feel make you more qualified for the job.

F. Additional sections (optional)

You can add additional sections on your resume to highlight other experiences or achievements that are relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Consider noting any of the following items:

• Awards
• Scholarships
• Volunteer work
• Internships
• Projects
• Professional Affiliations

Differences between a cover letter and a resume

There are four key differences between a cover letter and a resume:

1. Importance

Resumes are a requirement when you apply for work. On the other hand, cover letters are often necessary, unless a company specifically says to not include one.

2. Structure

The standard cover letter format is similar to that of a business letter. It includes a heading, an introduction paragraph, body content, a conclusion paragraph, and a sign-off.

Meanwhile, there are three different resume formats, and each format emphasizes different sections of a resume.

Additionally, unlike a cover letter (which is mostly paragraphs), a resume is largely broken up into bullets.

3. Purpose

The purpose of your resume is to showcase your job qualifications. Your cover letter, on the other hand, can explain why those qualifications make you the ideal candidate for that particular role. Your cover letter tells the story behind the job descriptions and bullet points on your resume.

In addition, your cover letter complements your resume by expanding on specific experiences or qualifications that don’t fit within the space-constrained format of a resume.

4. Tone

The tone of a resume is more objective than that of a cover letter.

A cover letter’s tone varies depending on the job and industry, but should always have a little personality. Just make sure that personality is still professional and doesn’t detract from the letter’s content.

Examples of a cover letter and resume

As a reference, here’s an example of a resume and matching cover letter to use as inspiration when writing your own:

Cover letter for a customer service representative

Resume for a customer service representative

Frequently asked questions about cover letters vs resumes

Here are answers to some additional questions about cover letters vs resumes.

Is a CV a cover letter?

No, a CV is not a cover letter.

CV stands for curriculum vitae, – and in the US is sometimes called the academic CV, which is the application document used by academics, college professors, and scientists.

Outside the US, in the UK, Europe, New Zealand, and South Africa, “CV” is just another name for a resume and follows the same layout.

A cover letter differs from both, as it’s a one-page letter written to accompany either a resume or a CV.

Should my cover letter match my resume?

Yes, your cover letter and resume should both have the same contact details, such as your name, phone number, email, and LinkedIn profile.

We also recommend using the same font, color scheme, and design across both so your application looks professional.

Do you need a cover letter for a resume?

Whether you need a cover letter depends on what the job opening asks for. Every job application requires a resume, but they don’t always require a cover letter.

We recommend always writing a cover letter as it adds a personal touch to your job application and can help you stand out as a candidate. The only time you shouldn’t include a cover letter is when the job listing tells you not to.