Key Differences: Cover Letter vs Resume (Examples Included)

Introduction

Did you know that a standout cover letter can increase your interview chances by up to 50%? In today's competitive job market, simply submitting a resume isn't enough. If you are considering getting hired on the first chance then you have to go the extra mile. Know cover letter vs resume differences and send exemplary applications.

A novice application has over 80% chance of getting lost in the application tracking system. As a job seeker to get noticed by the recruiters, you must have insights on resume and cover letters. In the professional field, a resume and a cover letter complement each other.

Resumes are brief and factual, listing your professional skills, experiences, and other competencies. On the other hand, cover letters try to convince the employers that what makes you the perfect suit for the position. Know how is a cover letter different from a resume by accessing our free AI-built templates and avoiding common mistakes.

Cover Letter vs Resume: Basic Goals

The main difference between cover letter and resume lies in its basic goals. The goal of your resume is to inform employers about your qualifications and experiences. On the other side, in your cover letter, you share a detailed description of your skills and explain why you are a better fit than the rest.

Your resume presents factual information about you in a concise and structured way. Resumes must have different sections with professional headings. For example, sections are separately assigned for education, skills, experience, or references.

But you attach a cover letter to introduce yourself better as a candidate to the employer. With your cover letter, you get a chance to explain points like -

• Why are you applying for the post?
• What stands you apart from the rest?
• How can you contribute to the department? Etc.

Remember, that you can't repeat the contents of your resume. The aim of writing a cover letter is to supplement your resume and not replace it!

The formatting of your resume and cover letters matters these days like never before. Only optimized AI-built templates can save your resume from getting filtered with ATS.

How is a Cover Letter Different from a Resume by Writing Style?

Given the cover letter vs resume purpose, where your resume gives an overview of your professional self and the cover letter sells your qualifications. The writing style for a resume is different from a cover letter. If you are a casual job seeker then get help with free templates and AI-based higher application scores with resumeup.ai. free platform. Here's a comparison of the writing style of the two:

Tone

The tone of your resume should be extremely formal and concise in comparison to a cover letter. That is, your resume only aims to list your background, skills, and qualifications in an organized way.

When it comes to your cover letter you can directly address your future recruiter. So, organically you can insert more of your personality into your letter. But you should know where to draw the line and not overexpress yourself. Try to highlight your professional profile better than your personal side.

Format

For your resume and cover letter, the formatting aspect is vital and can optimize your resume for ATS. The format for both cover letter and resume is different, here's how-

Resume

The resume format is narrower with more factual information regarding background, skills, and experiences. The entire document can be 1-2 pages at best divided into particular sections with professional headings. The information in every section should be in short sentences or a few words.

Cover Letter

When you write a cover letter then it's mainly in paragraph format. You start with greetings and salutations. Following that, there are further three sub-divided paragraphs: introduction, body, and conclusion. You end your letter within 4-5 paragraphs and lastly with a signature.

Important Sections in Resume and Cover Letter

For your resume and cover letter, you can't miss out on the following sections-

List for your Cover Letter

• A cover letter heading
• Cover letter address
• Salutation
• A professional but compelling introduction
• Concrete reasons behind choosing this company to apply.
• How you can contribute if hired
• Strong closing statement

Remember, not to stretch the letter unnecessarily and write in a compelling tone. Before sending, don't miss out on proofreading. You can also use the powerful editor of our site.

List for your Resume

The sections that should be there in your resume are:

• A brief about you
• Contact information (phone number/email address)
• Career Objective
• Work experience
• Educational Qualification
• Professional and additional skills
• Extra certificates, language proficiency, publications, etc.
• References

Your resume must follow the rules of the chosen resume format. If you need content suggestions for any of these sections or looking for an ATS-friendly template then visit our resume builder platform. Start designing your resume and cover letter in 5-6 minutes with our AI support tools.

Importance of AI-Built Cover Letters and Resumes for Application

Both resume and cover letter together can shortlist you for the interview. But as per professional standards, a resume is the basic and mandatory document that you need to apply for any company. The cover letter is an additional document that the hiring company may or may not ask for.

However, as said earlier also, the difference between cover letter and resume is in their length. Your resume is short and hardly can be 1-2 pages long. When you apply with a cover letter that gives you a better chance to explain yourself. All the additional details are presented in 4-5 long paragraphs.

Both your resume and cover letter should avoid common errors including spelling, punctuation, informal tone, etc. You can proofread your content with our detailed AI-based analysis and secure ATS-optimized score. ATS-friendly applications add three times better interview chances for freshers and experienced candidates alike.

Cover Letter and Resume Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cover letters and resumes the same?

The resume and cover letter are not the same. A Job seeker shares their resume with future employers to provide an overview of their background and qualifications. The cover letter is also attached to sell their points. It describes in detail the personality and provides additional insights of the applicants.

How to make my resume and cover letter ATS Friendly?

To make your resume and cover letter ATS supported, you should focus on proper format, simple layout, proper font, and well right content. Your resume should have specific sections with headings while your cover letter can be more subjective. The cover letter vs resume format is different so follow our site to have guidance with templates, and suggestions and access multiple formatting options.

What is the ideal length of an ATS-optimized resume?

An ATS-optimized resume should at best be one to two pages in length. It should not include unnecessary information or data before 10-15 years.

Is it safe to use the AI resume builder for creating resumes?

Using the AI-based resume builder is absolutely safe. All your shared information is confidential and instantly deleted after generating your resume.

Therefore, in this cover letter vs resume analogy, one thing is clear: both the documents complement each other. Adding a cover letter with a resume can help you better express yourself to future employers. Both your resume and cover letter must follow the proper format and tone. As a fresher or casual job seeker you can avoid common errors with the free ATS-supported templates on our site. Access now!