CVs have long been coveted as the go-to document in recruitment processes. However, cover letters play a pivotal role as well. 

Over 83% of recruiters value cover letters as they help explain the applicant’s motivation to join their firm and give an overview of them.

CVs and cover letters go hand in hand creating a winning proposition for a candidate in a sea of similar candidates. They are what recruiters look at when screening a multitude of candidates.

In this article, we decode the importance of both and how you can ace them to stand out in your job application.

CV vs Cover Letter: what is more important?

People often confuse CVs and cover letters to be one and the same. Some think cover letters are extended CVs or simply not important in a job application. That is not true. CVs and cover letters are different elements of a job application.

They both hold immense importance in helping a recruiter identify suitable candidates for a job role. While a CV is a must in an application, one without a cover letter appears empty or nonserious to the recruiter.

On the other hand, attaching a short and simple cover letter with a compelling CV can legitimately increase your chances of getting the job. As a job seeker, you need to understand the importance of both to be able to use them to your best advantage.

Let’s take a deeper look at both to divide which is more important and how to bind them together in a winning combination.

First point of contact — Cover Letter

The cover letter is the first point of contact from you to the company you’re applying to. It’s a letter that introduces you, your interest in the position, and why you would be a good fit for it. In simple words, it’s an opportunity for you to display your personality.

You can briefly state your experiences and achievements that are listed in your CV. It gives you an opportunity to expound on them and give them more weight. A cover letter acts as a complementary piece to the CV, something that lends it more meaning.

The goal of the cover letter is to connect with the recruiter right away. A warm tone and engaging language help you grab the attention of the recruiter. For this, you can use AI to create your cover letter to give it the perfect tone and touch that resonates with the recruiter.

The ideal length of a cover letter is anywhere from 300 to 500 words. This gives you ample opportunity to put your case, so to speak, and expand on important things. Refrain from making the letter lengthy or vague as it can lose the interest of the receiver.

Elements of a cover letter

A cover letter usually consists of six parts:

1. Sender’s details — The header of the letter would consist of your contact details such as phone number, email address, and residential address. This section is usually not needed when sending emails. 
2. Salutation — The part where you address the receiver. ‘Dear’is a universal and beloved salutation.  
3. Introductory paragraph — You introduce yourself, how you found the job opening and why you wish to apply for it. 
4. Body paragraphs — Explain how and why you are a good fit for the position based on your skills and expertise. There can be multiple body paragraphs, depending on your qualifications and experiences. 
5. Ending paragraph — Thank the Hiring manager for their time and express enthusiasm over further communication from them.  
6. Sign off — End the letter with simple phrases such as ‘regards’ or ‘sincerely’.  

Enclosed with the letter — CV

A CV is a document that provides a concise overview of your educational qualifications and work experience throughout your career. It’s the space to include your skills and notable accomplishments in different fields.

A CV is a neatly formatted account of a candidate’s professional life that has a flow to it. The goal is to present everything of value in brief. The ideal CV should be around 475 to 600 words. It doesn’t leave room to be vague.

It is the single most important document a recruiter looks for when assessing a candidate. It’s what the hiring team will keep in their records whether they process you further or reject you and keep you in their database.

This is why it’s important to pay attention to creating a winning CV. Many applicants often forget to update their CV with new information such as how long they’ve been at a job or any new skills they acquire. Make sure you keep it updated at all times.

Elements of a CV

A CV also has six primary sections to it:

1. Your details — This becomes part of the header and is usually on either side of the page. Include your full name, phone number, and email address. If you have a website or blog, you may add it here. 
2. Introduction — Include a brief introduction about who you are, what you do, and what you’re pursuing in your career path. It’s important that this section is enticing enough to make the hiring manager read the rest of the CV. 
3. Education — Describe your educational qualifications here. Include the institution and board names, your highest degree, majors, minors, and grades (optional).  
4. Work — This is the core of your CV. List out the jobs you’ve worked till now, the most recent one at the top. List the company’s name, your job title, the duration you worked there, and the location. 
5. Skills — List out your skills that are relevant to your corporate life. For example, the skill of being good with children might not be appropriate. Make sure to list a diverse roster of hard and soft skills to demonstrate variety. 
6. Notable achievements — This is an optional segment where you list any notable achievements from your academic and professional time. These can be academic honors, scholarships, awards received in jobs, etc. 

Difference between CV and cover letter

The CV is the document that summarizes your educational and professional history in brief while a cover letter is a letter meant for the hiring team to relay why you’re applying for a job. Both are very different documents that serve different purposes. 

Here are the three key differences between CVs and cover letters:

Structure — A CV is a brief summary that lists out its content, without proper sentences or dwelling or any point

A cover letter is a letter that consists of paragraphs of proper sentences. It doesn’t need to be a complete account and important points are elaborated with detail.

Purpose — The purpose of a CV is to showcase your qualifications. The point of a cover letter is to explain why and how those qualifications make you the right fit for the particular job role you’re applying for.

The CV remains the same no matter for which the job application is sent. Whereas the cover letter changes with every job application, depending on what is being asked in the job role.

Tone — A CV has an objective tone as it remains the same regardless of the job you apply for.

A cover letter has a subjective tone and depends on the role you’re applying for, what the recruiter is looking for and the specific requirements asked in the application.

For instance, if the job posting has an informal tone and uses the lingo of the younger generation, you may use that in your cover letter as well.

The big question — what is more important?

One important question among job seekers is about which of the cover letter and CV is more important, The question is usually centered on the utility of the cover letter which is often not considered as important as CVs. 

The answer to this question is that cover letters are just as important as CVs in a job application. While CVs are indispensable when one applies for a job, cover letters help set up the stage for the CV. 

They attract the attention of the recruiter, engage them, and explain to them why you are a suitable candidate for the job. While a CV is an objective account of your qualifications, a cover letter tells the recruiter which areas of the CV to focus on.

After reading an engaging cover letter, the recruiter pays better attention to the CV as they know which aspects to focus on. This way, a cover letter adds value to your CV and makes it more engaging for the recruiter.

Cover letters add tremendous value to CVs

CVs and cover letters are the most crucial elements of a job application. While a CV is an indispensable document that summarizes your professional career and education qualifications, cover letters are what hook the recruiter to your application.

Both are immensely valuable to your job application. Cover letters are just as important as CVs. Make sure to write a short and engaging cover letter to go with a precise and structurally astute CV to land the job role of choice. 

Let us know in the comments what you think is the more important document out of the cover letter and CV and why.

Author bio

Atreyee Chowdhury is a freelance content writer with more than 10+ years of professional experience. She is passionate about helping SMBs and enterprises achieve their content marketing goals with her carefully crafted and compelling content. She loves to read, travel, and experiment with different cuisines in her free time. You can follow her on LinkedIn.