Cover Letter vs Resume: Key Differences (+ Why You Need Both)

Ever notice how job applications often ask for two different documents—a cover letter vs resume?

So what's the real difference between them, and do you actually need both?

The answer is yes—if they're both requested. While your resume showcases your professional experience and skills, your cover letter tells a story behind what you've done. Understanding how they work together—and what makes each unique—can help you create stronger, better applications.

Below you'll learn the differences between cover letters and resumes, what to include in each, and how to make them work together to land your next interview.

Need a resume and a cover letter? Build them both together with Teal's AI Resume Builder.

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Cover letter vs resume

Your resume showcases the facts—your career achievements laid out for quick scanning. Your cover letter brings those achievements to life, weaving them into a narrative that connects directly to your target role.

Think of it this way: Your resume might say, "Collaborated with 15+ team members, delivering 10 client projects with a 98% success rate." Your cover letter then transforms this into a story, showing how this exact experience makes you ideal for their marketing coordinator position.

When it comes to a cover letter vs a resume, each document serves a distinct purpose. The resume provides a structured view of your career milestones, while the cover letter highlights the connections between your experience and a company's very specific needs. But one thing they both need? Both should be tailored to each job description, incorporating relevant skills, experience, and keywords.

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Write your resume and cover letter in less time

Creating application documents that work together can be time-consuming. Teal's AI Resume Builder and Cover Letter Generator simplify this process by using your experience and the job details to create aligned documents. Add custom prompts, keywords, specific job descriptions, and more to personalize the output to your experience.

Both tools work together to:

• Match your experience to job requirements
• Keep your message consistent across documents
• Save time on writing and editing

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This means you can spend less time worrying about how your documents complement each other and more time applying to relevant positions.

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Why write a cover letter

Cover letters aren't always required. In fact, there may not even be a way to submit one for every unique job. But if the option is there? It's best practice to include a cover letter with your application package.

While your resume shows you can do the job based on your relevant experience, your cover letter shows why you want this specific position at this particular company while doubling down on your relevant history.

A strong cover letter lets you:

• Explain what caught your eye about the role
• Show you've researched the company
• Connect your experience to their needs
• Share a bit of your personality

Here's what's usually included and why you need each section when you write a cover letter:

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Introduction

The opening of your cover letter needs to grab attention immediately—think of it as your "elevator pitch" in writing. A strong introduction typically includes 3-4 sentences that cover:

• The greeting (e.g., Dear Mr. Smith or Dear Hiring Manager, if necessary)
• The specific job you're applying for
• A brief mention of why you're excited about it

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Body paragraphs

The middle of your cover letter expands on your key qualifications. You need this section to connect your experience directly to the job requirements. Use it to show how your experience matches their needs with specific examples that aren't in your resume. It should also demonstrate that you've done your research and understand (and can relate to) company culture, mission, and goals.

Pro Tip: Keep each paragraph focused on one main point and use natural, conversational language—even if you use artificial intelligence to help you create your content.

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Closing

Your final paragraph should wrap up with confidence and clarity. A strong closing is important because it tells the reader what to do next with a call to action. Use your closing to:

• Restate your interest in the position
• Thank the reader for their time
• Include a clear call to action (for example: to set up a meeting, reach out with questions, etc.)
• Provide your contact information

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Why write a resume

While cover letters aren't always required, nearly every application demands a resume or curriculum vitae (CV). The purpose of a resume is to show your professional background, list relevant skills and qualifications, provide a quick overview of your education, and highlight measurable achievements. (It's also your chance to make a strong first impression in just a few seconds.)

Unlike a cover letter, which tells your story, your resume proves it through a clear record of your achievements and capabilities.

Here's what's usually included and why you need each part:

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Contact details

Your resume header must be clean, professional, and make it easy for employers to reach you. If they can't reach you? They can't interview you. This a section you never want to skip.

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Resume opening

Unlike a cover letter that tells your story, your resume needs a focused opening that immediately shows hiring managers if you're a potential match.

Your open should list your target title at the top. Your target title helps hiring professionals find your resume in Applicant Tracking Systems (digital filing systems for applications) when they're looking for a specific role, while your summary gives a quick snapshot of your potential value. This brief overview should highlight what makes you a strong candidate without making them dig through your entire resume to figure out if you're qualified.

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Work history

Your resume's experience section needs to be crisp and scannable. This section shows concrete proof of your capabilities through:

• Previous job titles, companies, and dates in a clear format
• Achievement-focused bullet points (not long paragraphs)
• Numbers and metrics to prove your impact
• Action verbs at the start of each bullet

This section typically carries the most weight with employers because it demonstrates your real-world impact—proving you deliver results.

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Skills

Your resume needs a strategic approach to skills that helps hiring managers understand your capabilities and how you used your skills to have an impact. You can highlight relevant hard and soft skills in two ways:

• Embedded within your resume bullets and summary to show how you've actually used them
• Listed in a dedicated skills section for easy scanning

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Education

List your most relevant education details based on what the job requires (as long as you have them)—whether that's your degree, certifications, or specific coursework.

Depending on your experience level and the role requirements, you can break these into separate sections. Projects could live under your Education section if they're academic or as a stand-alone if they're personal or freelance work. Similarly, certifications might warrant their own section if they're crucial to your field. The key is matching your professional qualifications to what they're asking for in the job listing and organizing them in a way that puts your strongest credentials forward.

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Additional experience

Knowing how to write a resume doesn't just mean including the details above and calling it quits. Your resume can incorporate some extra elements to strengthen your candidacy. These might include:

• Volunteer work that shows leadership or relevant skills
• Professional associations and memberships
• Publications or presentations in your field
• Awards and scholarships

Choose additional sections based on what adds value to your application and supports your qualifications for the role.

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What's the difference between a cover letter and resume?

A cover letter and resume serve different purposes and require unique approaches.

Your resume is factual and structured, listing concrete achievements and experience. Your cover letter, on the other hand, is your personal pitch that tells the story behind those achievements.

Top differences include:

Length and format

A resume is typically 1-3 pages of focused bullet points and short phrases. A cover letter is 3-4 paragraphs of flowing narrative.

Purpose

Your resume proves you can do the job with measurable results and skills. Your cover letter explains why you want this specific position and how your experience makes you the right fit.

Tone

Resumes are straightforward and achievement-focused, using action verbs and metrics. Cover letters use a more conversational tone to connect with the reader and show personality.

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How do cover letters complement resumes?

Your resume and cover letter work together to show you're the right fit for a specific job. Each document strengthens your application in different ways, with the cover letter adding depth to your resume's achievements.

Your resume might list "Created training materials for 60+ new hires with an annual retention rate of 94% over two years," while your cover letter can explain how this experience has prepared you to develop the onboarding program they mention in their job posting.

Cover letters and resumes work together to:

Tell your complete story

The resume gives facts, while the cover letter provides context and shows motivation.

Show relevance

Your resume lists skills and achievements, while your cover letter enhances your experience by showing how they'll benefit this specific role.

Display job alignment

Both documents should highlight relevant experience and use key terms from the job description.

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Pro Tip: The AI in Teal can help you write complementary documents easily. Instead of trying to write a resume vs cover letter, the AI Resume Builder creates the foundation with relevant bullet points and summaries focused on metrics and achievements. Then, the Cover Letter Generator builds on those achievements to explain why you're a great fit for the role.

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Cover letter vs resume examples

Now that you know the differences between a cover letter and a resume, here are a few examples you can use to create your own.

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Create strong resumes and cover letters together

A cover letter and resume serve distinct but important roles in your job application. Your resume provides a structured overview of your achievements, skills, and impact, while your cover letter tells the story behind those accomplishments and explains why you're excited about the role.

While it might feel challenging to create these complementary documents, tools like Teal's AI Resume Builder and Cover Letter Generator make it simple to create aligned materials that work together. Instead of spending hours creating each document separately, you can quickly generate tailored application materials that tell your complete professional story.

Ready to write application documents that complement each other?