Every Cover Letter Will Be Different, Tailored To Each Position: Fill & Download for Free

There are a few differences between the two types of application documents.CV – long, covers your entire career, staticResume – short, no particular format rule, highly customisableCV:A CV (Curriculum Vitæ, which means course of life in Latin) is an in-depth document that can be laid out over two or more pages and it contains a high level of detail about your achievements, a great deal more than just a career biography. The CV covers your education as well as any other accomplishments like publications, awards, honours etc.The document tends to be organised chronologically and should make it easy to get an overview of an individual’s full working career. A CV is static and doesn’t change for different positions, the difference would be in the cover letter.Resume:A resume, or résumé, is a concise document typically not longer than one page as the intended the reader will not dwell on your document for very long. The goal of a resume is to make an individual stand out from the competition.The job seeker should adapt the resume to every position they apply for. It is in the applicant’s interest to change the resume from one job application to another and to tailor it to the needs of the specific post. A resume doesn’t have to be ordered chronologically, doesn’t have to cover your whole career like and is a highly customisable document.Differences:As stated, three major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the purpose and the layout. A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages. The resume will be tailored to each position whereas the CV will stay put and any changes will be in the cover letter.A CV has a clear chronological order listing the whole career of the individual whereas a resume’s information can be shuffled around to best suit the applicant. I would say the main difference between a resume and a CV is that a CV is intended to be a full record of your career history and a resume is a brief, targeted list of skills and achievements.If you have further queries pertaining to how to write the perfect resume or CVPlease feel free to refer the following blog posts:5 Mistakes to Avoid In a Resume4 Elements of a Power Resume5 Resume Design Principles To Create The Perfect ResumeResume Column | A basic guide to write resume.Wish you the best with your future endeavors.

There are some important elements every cover letter should contain no matter what job you’re after. Sure, many hiring managers don’t read cover letters but the truth is that you never know. Some hiring managers may even put a lot of emphasis on one so you should be sending one to every position you apply to.Here are some tips to writing a good cover letter for a software engineer.Tailor ItYou should be tailoring both your resume and cover letter to each position you apply to. The last thing a hiring manager wants to see is a generic cover letter you’ve been blasting out to every opening. Take the time to tailor your cover letter and include information that is most relevant to the opening. Also be sure to use the name of the company in the cover letter.Achievement FocusedRemember that your cover letter should touch on some specific and relevant achievements throughout your career. The hiring manager doesn’t want a list of responsibilities you were assigned. They want to see how you went above and beyond what was expected. This is really important as there could be hundreds of other candidates applying for the same position - show them why you’re the best.Mention Core SkillsA software engineer usually has many skills including different languages or frameworks they’re familiar with. The cover letter isn’t the place to mention them all. If the position requires a specific language or framework - be sure to mention it. However, save all the other skills and competencies for your resume.With that said, here is a good example of a software engineer cover letter we put together with some more tips:Software Engineer Cover Letter Example and Tips - ZipJob

The Cover Letter Template That Will Impress Any EmployerWriting a cover letter: 5 must-know tips1. Pay attention to your greetingIf you’re looking for a surefire way to get your cover letter tossed into the recycling bin, start with a generic opening like “To Whom it May Concern.”Employers want to see that you’ve invested time into researching the company—including the key decision makers in charge of the hiring process for the job you want.Roll up your sleeves and do some digging to figure out which name you should put at the top of that letter, whether that’s:The department head for the role you’re applying forThe HR managerThe CEO of the companyRemember, you want a real name at the beginning of your letter to immediately demonstrate that you’ve done your homework. Skip the generic salutations.2. Use a strong openingYou can bet that the vast majority of cover letters that hiring managers receive begin with something like, “I’m writing to express my interest in the position of…”Sure, that opening gets to the point. But, when employers are seeing that over and over again, it certainly doesn’t make an impact or help you stand out from the sea of competition who are also vying for that role.That’s why it’s better to start with something a little more attention-grabbing. Maybe that’s a quick anecdote about how you knew you were built for sales when you started your very first neighborhood lemonade stand. Or, maybe it’s a glimpse at the history of what inspired you to change careers.Don’t be afraid to get a little creative—that’ll help you make a far more memorable impression.3. Don’t regurgitate your resumeYou’ve invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into that resume of yours. So, nobody can blame you for wanting to repurpose it in as many ways as possible.But, know this: Your cover letter should not repeat everything that’s already on your resume. This is your chance to expand on the qualifications that make you a qualified candidate—and not just repeat them.So, make sure that your cover letter adds some additional context or value aside from what’s already included on your resume. Otherwise, there’s really no point in sending both.4. Highlight your key skillsYou want to shine a spotlight on all of the things that make you a no-brainer fit for that position—and, your cover letter is a great place to do that. You can call attention and add more detail to those things you really want the hiring manager to know.The best way to do that is through a few carefully selected sections you include in the body of your cover letter. Don’t worry—we’ll talk more about that when we dive into the template!5. Tailor and tweakMuch like your resume, you can’t just create one general cover letter document and assume that you can swap out the company name and make a killer impression on every employer.No, you need to tweak your career documents for each specific job you apply to. When your goal is to appear as relevant as possible, one blanket document just won’t work.So, what types of things should you be tweaking? Things like your overall tone (you’d use a different voice when applying to a laid-back startup than you would a more rigid corporation) and the skills you highlight will vary depending on the details of each role and company.It’s tempting to skip this step, particularly when you’ve already invested so much time into your starting cover letter. But, heed this warning: Tailoring your documents is super important.​The cover letter template you needYou’re armed with everything you need to know to piece together a solid cover letter. But, uhh… now what?Actually pulling it all together can be the tough part. Fortunately, we’re here to help. Take a look at the below template, add in details and make any necessary changes so it fits your own situation, and prepare to land at the top of that “to be interviewed” pile.Dear [Company Contact’s Name],Ever since I [attention-grabbing anecdote about what got you to this point in your career].My passion and enthusiasm for [career field] has only grown stronger since that point, and that’s why I was so excited to see the opening for the [Job Title] position with [Company Name]. I’m actively seeking a company where I can leverage my skills and [number of years] of experience to make a measurable impact and assist in achieving organization-wide goals.Here are a few of the many ways that I know I can add value for [Company Name]:[Skill #1]: I’m committed to using [skills] to [result], and have used this competency in my previous role as [previous job], where I [quantifiable achievement].[Skill #2]: With my background in [skill or field], I know I can utilize my experience to help [Company Name] achieve [goal].[Key Accomplishment or Honor]: I was recognized by [organization or person] for my [skill or achievement].I’m confident that my work ethic, knowledge, and enthusiasm for this position make me a qualified fit for your organization.I’m looking forward to hearing from you so that we can further discuss all of the great work that [Company Name] is doing—as well as how I could contribute to your continued success.All the best,[Your Name]Hope this helps!