What is the Purpose of a Resume and Cover Letter?
In the 21st century, nailing a job that pays well and fulfills one’s hopes and aspirations is tough. Not only one has to possess marketing skills to ‘sell’ themselves, but one also must know how to use technology. All because the modern job search takes place on the Internet and requires the user’s knowledge of the hiring process and ATS bots. Couple it with the need to send resumes and cover letters as fast as possible, and searching for a job sounds endless.
Let our experts help you with one of the vital aspects of the job search to put your mind at ease. Yes, nailing a job is all about resumes and cover letters. So, let’s dive into the art of cover letters and resume writing!
Top Resume and Cover Letter Differences
Though very similar at first, cover letters and resumes strongly differ. You’ll find that most have a peculiar structure if you go through resume examples on the web and find teacher resume help . They’re rigid, formal, and straight to the point. The opposite goes for cover letters. A traditional cover letter is less formal, has a fluid structure, and focuses on your motivation and soft skills.
Unlike a cover letter, a resume summarizes your education, skills, and experience, while a cover letter ‘sells’ your hard and soft skills. Both resume and cover letter go hand in glove. However, while hiring manager always expects a resume, they don’t consider a cover letter obligatory. Thus this is a great chance to impress a recruiter by sending them both docs.
Regardless of design and content, do resumes and cover letters have the same purpose? Let’s find out.
Resume vs. Cover Letter: Goal
Yes, both a resume and a cover letter aim to promote your talents. But they do it in different ways. While a resume aims to present basic information that all recruiters demand, a cover letter emphasizes what has already been presented in a resume.
Let’s say this is the first job you’re searching for. What’s more important, this job requires outstanding communication skills. If you’ve already got experience using this skill (for instance, volunteering at the local high school), you might want to talk more about this experience. Here the power of writing a cover letter comes. While it’s impossible to describe your experience in maximum detail in a short resume section, you might add a cover letter for that purpose.
Resume vs. Cover Letter: Structure
As you might remember, a standard resume has a more rigid structure than a cover letter.
Everything depends on the format you choose for your resume. The first one is Chronological. It starts with an Experience section and lists your workplaces in chronological order, hence, the name. Unlike the Chronological format, the Functional opens your Resume with a Skills section. Therefore, it is perfect if you’re searching for a first job or switching industries.
The last option is Combination, which is a mix of other formats but is the worst one to choose if you need to beat the ATS bots.
Traditional Resume Structure
- Contact Section. Situated in the upper left corner, this section contains your name, phone number, email, and social media;
- Resume Summary or Objective. The first option is excellent for professionals with years of experience, while the second option is suitable for industry changers or beginners. A Summary lists one’s education, skills, and experience, while an objective includes your job demands and preferences;
- Skills. Commonly divided into Hard and Soft Skills subsections, this part lists your skills;
- Experience. This section lists your workplaces, emphasizing your key responsibilities and achievements. Don’t forget to mention the years spent on the job, the company’s name, and the job position;
- Education. College degrees, internships, webinars, seminars, and workshops go here;
- Other Sections. The most diverse part of a resume, Other Sections contains subsections that most often highlight your soft skills, personality, and interests. The main rule is to keep the facts you mention strictly job-related. The subsections to include here are Volunteering, Other Projects, Hobbies, Awards, etc.
Traditional Cover Letter Structure
The main rule when writing a cover letter is to keep the dialogue with your reader flowing.
Start with a warm greeting instead of the annoying ‘To whom it might concern’ phrase. The perfect option is to use the name of the recruiting manager.
After you greet your reader, proceed with an Introduction section. You should tell the reader where you’ve found the job ad. Mention the position you’re applying for and move to the next section.
The Body of your cover letter must be the biggest part of the document. Usually containing a few paragraphs, the Body is a place to tell the reader why you’re excited to become a part of the company and how the company can benefit if they choose you among other candidates.
Divide the Body of your cover letter into two parts. In the first part, discuss your skills, education, and experience. In the second part, explain to the reader how you will apply your skills and experience once you’re accepted to the company’s team.
Make sure to say farewell in the Conclusion. Say how much you’re grateful for the opportunity. Also, express gratitude for the reader’s time and effort.
Close the cover letter with ‘Kind regards, Name’ or ‘Best wishes, Name.’
A Resume and Cover Letter Power Each Other
Let’s put it this way. If you want to succeed, you’d better write them both with a help of resume writing services and more info you can find at skillhub review. Because doing so increases your chances of winning the job. While a resume provides essential data to the recruiter, a cover letter shows your motivation and strong interest in the position.
When composing a resume, consider the aspects you’d like to highlight. For instance, if you lack experience and want to emphasize your skills, describe your proficiency in the cover letter. The key is to find out the things that need more explanation and ‘advertising’ and discuss them in the cover letter later.
Final Thoughts
When composing your resume and a cover letter, pay special attention to structure and purpose or use resume writing services best to get a perfect one. In comparison to a good old resume, writing a cover letter is not obligatory. Both a resume and a cover letter have strengths and weaknesses. The key to winning a job is recognizing the power of both and knowing how to make them work together.
We hope the article was helpful to you. Good luck!