When you apply for a job your resume should invariably be accompanied by a cover letter. The purpose of a cover letter is to set the tone and convince the Employer/HRmanager as to why you should be the most apt candidate for the advertised job. At a time when a small advertisement in the newspapers or other media could attract hundreds of resumes, it is what you write in the cover letter which proves crucial and probably give you an edge over your competitors at the scrutiny stage. If you have not presented your case well in the context of the advertised job, chances are more that your resume end up in the dust bin although you deserved to be in the list.
The first point you should bear in the mind that unlike resume a cover letter can not be made without exactly knowing which company and what post you are applying for. It means cover letters are tailor made to each job advertisement and hence can not be prepared in advance or can not be re-used for more than one job.
To elaborate further a resume is a statement of facts about one’s credentials which is more or less static in nature unless some basic facts changes. Whereas Cover letter is more flexible and dynamic. The main objective of the cover letter is to fill the gaps of resume wherever necessary. It is tailor made keeping the requirements of the employer or job description in mind. It should supplement facts and points mentioned in the resume.
Resume should act as a guideline while drafting your cover letter and depending on the requirement of the job for which you are applying, you can either highlight certain traits/achievements on the one hand or leave insignificant points mentioned in the resume on the other hand, to make your case more focused and presentable.
Another striking feature of a cover letter is that it is more of a personalised explanation of facts and even to certain extent exaggeration is also permitted to emphasis certain points. While drafting a cover letter you should use the first person as the author. For example “I HAVE MORE THAN 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY”. Whereas a resume is written as if a third person is stating the facts.
In a nut shell ,a good cover letter can give purpose and direction to your resume in terms of the advertised job, when read together with your resume.
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