Difference Between CV and Cover Letter

CV & cover letter are the documents that are arranged together & sent via courier service or handed over to someone trusted or emailed to a recruiter. They all together make one set of documents but that is not all. The difference between CV & cover letter is noteworthy too. So, what are those differences, let’s get into details:

Definition of CV

A CV is a document that contains the educational qualifications along with other skills & experiences that define or qualify a person to progress in their career. It is the instrument that all students must be equipped with when they are completing their graduation. This is the first tool through which a person is initially measured when applied for a job.

Definition of Cover Letter

When somebody is applying for a particular post of a job, a letter is needed that tells about the person applying for with the achieved qualities or acquired learning justifying reasons to apply. This is a letter that complements the CV. In the case where you will apply being informed about the job from some sources or portals, you need to write a cover letter which will start with this reference.

The Similarities Between CV and Cover Letter

Both a CV & a cover letter are used for job application. Both the documents are formal & presented or submitted together.

The Difference Between CV and Cover Letter

Yes, although CV & cover letter are often used together consecutively, there is some difference between CV & cover letter. Are there many? What are those? Let’s find it out:

Point of differentiations	CV	Cover letter
Goal	To enlist all the qualifications attached to someone’s credit.	To support & comprehend the CV sent for a job.
Span	It generally covers two or three pages.	It generally is one page.
Contents	It contains personal details, family background, career objective, educational background in details, extracurricular activities, hobbies, strengths, workshops or seminars attended, training received & previous job experience (if any) etc.	It contains a self introduction along with current position & qualities followed by explanation of the qualities that will serve the requirements of the job applied for.
Customization	It is mostly standardized with a chronology of fact presentation.	It is totally customized & the words are changed according to the job requirements to follow.
Format	It is written in a tabular or bullet format.	It is written in paragraphs with no table or bullet point.
Placement	It is attached after a cover letter.	It is attached before a CV.

So, in spite of being the same type of documents that are processed & used for obtaining a job, the difference between CV & cover letter can’t be ignored too. As the word tells cover letter – is a letter that covers the intention of sending a CV.