What’s The Difference Between A Cover Letter And A CV?

Job hunting can be an overwhelming experience. Potential employers may ask you to fill out forms, send in documents and relay your experience. There are numerous formats for a job application, it’s important to understand which method is going to be most effective to ensure your success.

For this reason, creating a well-crafted cover letter or CV is your first step to success.

What Are The Main Differences Between A Cover Letter And A CV?

Whether you’re writing a cover letter or a CV, it’s a good idea to have both if you intend to apply for multiple jobs.

While a CV goes into detail about each job you’ve had and your relevant experience. Additionally, a cover letter is a short piece encompassing all of your experience and the reasons for your application in a letter format.

What Does A CV Include?

A CV comes from the Latin curriculum vitae meaning ‘course of life’. It gives a detailed look into the employee’s whole working life and relevant experience. It should include dates, responsibilities and any relevant experience.

These are typically bullet pointed documents with a brief summary of your career path to date.

A CV can remain the same for all potential job roles, as it’s a factual document regarding your experience. However, you will need to update it regularly to reflect your current experience.

Applying for Graduate Jobs

What Does A Cover Letter Include?

Alternatively, a cover letter is an introductory document written in the form of a letter addressed to a potential employer. The letter discusses a brief overview of the employment history, personal attributes and the reasons that they’re applying for the role.

These are often attached alongside a CV as a supporting document to gain the interest of the employer. A cover letter should sell you and encourage the employer to look through your CV. For this reason, each cover letter is likely to be different. You should tailor your letters specifically to the employer that you’re writing to trying to gain their interest. Always mention your most relevant experience to the post that you’re applying to.

CV Writing With The Graduate

Because your cover letter or CV are the first things that your potential employer will see in order to formulate an impression of your work ethic and experience, it’s essential that you get them right and perfectly tailored to the job that you’re applying for.

The Graduate Recruitment offers a bespoke CV writing service designed to help you make the best first impression.

They’ll invite you to a virtual appointment to discuss your skills, experience and achievements. This enables them to help create a structure that displays you as a quality candidate first time. They’ll assess your information and give advice on what to include and what to leave out based on the job role that you’re applying for and can even help with your interview prep by conducting virtual interview questions. For help with your cover letter or CV, contact The Graduate Recruitment today for professional advice and support.

If you would like any help or support with finding a Graduate role, then please do contact us and check out our LinkedIn for up to date job posts.