To present yourself as an impressive job candidate today, you’ll likely need both a CV and a cover letter. While there are some companies that only require the former, it’s a safe bet to write both if you’d like to apply to as wide a range of positions as possible.
In order to write a CV and a cover letter effectively, it’s crucial to be aware of the key differences between the two documents: while both are meant to convince recruiters that you’re the right person for the job, they differ with regard to formatting, level of detail and purpose.
However, while CVs and cover letters are distinct from each other, they also need to remain coherent. Walking the fine line between keeping these documents distinct but coherent can be a challenge, but it is possible.
In this article, we’ll go through some of the key differences between a CV and a cover letter, then outline some ways to maintain consistency between the two.
Key Differences Between Your CV And Cover Letter
Formatting
Thanks to digital technology, it’s actually easier than ever to format a CV and a cover letter. All you need to do is use a free resume builder online or a word processor to design professional-looking application documents.
However, it’s also important to remember the formatting differences between the two. With a CV, you’ll typically want the majority of your content to be in the form of bullet points. You want to give the recruiter a quick rundown of your relevant experience, education and skills. An exception to this is a quick two- or three-sentence summary at the beginning. Because you’ll be using fewer words, don’t hesitate to make the font size a little bigger on a CV. Some roles and industries may also require you to include a profile picture.
Cover letters, on the other hand, should be written in full-length paragraphs. You should start off with a quick introduction to yourself and why you want the job. Then, go into detail about the experience and skills that make you an ideal candidate for the job. Don’t hesitate to go beyond what’s written in your CV: cover letters are meant to be more in-depth than resumes.
Level Of Detail
CVs and cover letters also differ with regard to the level of detail you need to include. To optimise your resume for success during the job hunting process, you’ll want to list down all relevant experiences and provide brief explanations under each one. Make sure to only include the most relevant details, as recruiters might spend no more than a few seconds reading through your CV. Where possible, add concrete numbers to show the impact of your past work.
With cover letters, you’ll have a little more space for a deeper dive into your relevant experiences. Make sure to provide details like specific anecdotes from past jobs, what you’ve learned and why you made specific decisions. You can also talk about roles that you didn’t have enough space to include in your CV.
Purpose
While both CVs and cover letters share the overarching purpose of landing you a job interview, each plays a distinct role in doing this. The purpose of a CV is to be a brief summary of what makes you the best person for a specific role. It should tell a recruiter all they need to know in a few seconds.
Cover letters, besides explaining your credentials in greater detail, also show recruiters that you’re serious about landing the role. Make sure to craft a well-written, well-thought-out cover letter to demonstrate your intent. You should also spend about a paragraph outlining your reasons for applying to a specific job. Invest some time writing your cover letter, and you’ll be sure to hear back from a greater number of recruiters.
How To Keep Your CV And Cover Letter Cohesive
Tell A Story
A crucial tip to keeping your CV and cover letter cohesive is to tell an overarching story. Rather than being two distinct documents, resumes and cover letters should complement each other. You can think of a CV as an opening statement: use it to hook the recruiter and make them want to learn more about you.
Recruiters will then proceed to read your cover letter. Here, you’ll want to satisfy their curiosity by further explaining what you’ve written in your CV. Rather than simply listing things you’ve done, you want to take the reader through a chronological journey of your education and experience, and the skills you’ve picked up along the way.
Customise
To land a job in any industry, it’s crucial to tailor your CV and cover letter to the specific role you’re applying for. If you’ve been studying and/or working for a while, you’ve probably picked up more experience than you can load into a couple of application documents. You’ll want to pick and choose the most relevant ones for each company you send your CV and cover letter in order to maximise your likelihood of securing the job.
Tailoring your CV and cover letter is also a great way to keep them in line with each other. By making details like the name of the company you’re applying for and the specific experiences you’re talking about consistent, you can tell a more coherent story with your application.
Proofread
Finally, make sure to proofread both your CV and cover letter before sending them off to recruiters. You want to make sure that key details like the company you’re applying for, the companies you’ve worked for and the schools you’ve studied at are accurate and spelled correctly.
You should also check for typos and formatting errors: it’s extremely easy to make small mistakes, especially when you’re customising your application documents for each role. By eliminating these mistakes, you can prove to your potential employer that you’ve truly put effort into applying for the job and that you have great attention to detail.
The job market is incredibly competitive today, so you want to ensure you make a strong first impression with every application you send out. To stand out from the crowd, it’s vital to optimise your CV and cover letter to give you the best possible chance of landing your dream job.
In this article, we’ve gone over the key differences between a CV and a cover letter. We’ve also provided some tips on how to keep these two documents cohesive so that you can tell recruiters a coherent story. Apply what you’ve learned here to your job search, and you’ll have a much higher chance of success.