HOW ARE COVER LETTERS DIFFERENT FROM CVS?

Your CV is designed to contain the most impacting facts about your job history, responsibilities, skills, qualifications and achievements, and these generally do not change significantly. We never advise targeting CVs to specific roles – this is where the all-important cover letter comes in. The letter should focus specifically on the job you are applying for and will point out as closely as possible how you match their requirements. It is targeted more to your present and future objectives, whereas your CV represents previous roles and accomplishments. 

Very often the letter will be the first information that an employer or recruiter reads about you, so it is important to take the same professional approach and make the same strong impression that your CV offers. If your letter is full of grammatical and spelling errors, the employer may not even choose to read your fabulous newly prepared professional CV.

Both documents have the common purpose of proving that you have the right skills, knowledge, aptitude and attitude to excel at the job you are applying for. But there are clear distinctions between both the structure and intent of the two documents. Job hunters should be aware that their cover letter and CV are complementary, but unique documents.

Your cover letter should be more than just a repeat of the information in your CV. It should almost never be more than 1 page, and along with showing employers how you closely meet their requirements, gives more insight into your character, values, motivations and interests than your CV delivers. The letter is more appropriate for conveying why you are interested in a specific role or company, how your values motivate you to pursue a job, or why the culture of the company particularly appeals to you.

One of the main differences between your cover letter and CV is the amount of details contained in each document. The letter is less detailed and more targeted. For instance, your CV will most likely state that you work well in the team environment. The job advertisement for a role you are interested in states that this is a requirement, so on the letter, you give an example of how you work well with teams – “I was a key member of a team that delivered a mission critical project before the deadline, and we were all rewarded with a bonus”. Showing employers ways in which you meet what they are looking for, and how other employers found you were a valuable employee, is a very powerful way to get their attention and be invited in for interview. 

We advise all our clients not to undervalue the impact that a professionally prepared cover letter can have in the recruitment process. What about sending your CV with an email? Sometimes advertisements provide a contact person’s name and recommend sending your CV to that person – this is when you can compose a short and to-the-point email (1 paragraph) to introduce yourself and state that you are applying for the role and confident that you meet their requirements.