Cover Letter Examples and Templates. Cover letters are just as important a part of your job application materials as your resume. They provide your first, critical impression upon an employer, and thus they should be letter-perfect and convey an appropriate and engaging “tone.”. The cover letter is a tool to help introduce yourself in a memorable, personal way during a job application. A well-crafted cover letter goes over information on your resume and expands this information for the reader, taking them on a guided journey of some of your greatest career and life.

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Even in our age of social networking, don’t underestimate the importance of a solid resume and cover letter. They’re often a company’s first look at your background and skills, which means they need to be organized and well-polished. Well represented skills on a résumé can be the determining factor between employment and the job of your dreams. Dice is here to help you with some helpful resume templates and tips for making the perfect statement:

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The Dice Resume Center: Free Sample Resumes
We’re pleased to provide this library of free sample resumes covering a range of IT jobs.

Power Verbs for Your Résumé and Cover Letter
Power verbs bring your resume to life. They paint a picture for the reviewer by highlighting your skills and accomplishments, affirm your communication skills, and help you stand out in a crowd. Begin each statement or phrase with a power verb, then take you resume to the next level, by inserting action-packed power verbs into your work history and branding statement. Here are some of our power verb suggestions (by category) to help you get started.

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And don’t forget Dice’s Career Development Resources, featuring a comprehensive library of resources for everything from writing the ideal CV to interviewing. It’ll help you get on the right track, wherever you want to go.

To help ease the process of crafting the perfect resume, we’ve created some specific resume templates that will put you over the top with any application.

What exactly is the difference between a cover letter and resume? If you’re in search of a job, then you need to have both. Although both should outline your experience, skills and qualifications – they should do so differently. We’ll discuss exactly what the difference is and what to focus on in your resume vs. cover letter.

The Major Difference Between a Resume and Cover Letter

A resume is a more detailed overview of your work history which includes work experience, skills, education and other relevant information. A cover letter is a brief summary of who you are, how you’re qualified and why you’re a good fit for the position. Your cover letter is more of an introduction to your resume and should be written effectively to have a hiring manager look into your resume in more detail.

(We wrote a good post on what a good cover letter looks like here)

Another major difference between a resume and cover letter is the format.

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  • The cover letter is usually 3 – 4 paragraphs written in a more subjective and conversational tone.
  • A resume should contain numerous sections and bullet points rather than paragraphs.

What’s Included in a Resume Vs. a Cover Letter

There is certain information that’s included on a resume that shouldn’t be on a cover letter:

Summary

Your resume should include a well written summary that highlights some of your major skills, qualifications and achievements.

Core Competencies and Skills

You should list out relevant core competencies and skills on your resume. You shouldn’t list out all your competencies and skills on a cover letter but you can include some throughout.

Detailed Work History

A resume should contain a relevant and detailed work history section. Remember to mention specific accomplishments throughout the resume rather than listing job duties. There could be hundreds of other candidates and you need to show the hiring manager why you’re the best fit. This is best done through showing quantifiable achievements and how you went above and beyond expectation.

A cover letter could mention one or two major achievements, but save the specific details for your resume.

For example, on a cover letter, you could mention how you increased sales by x, but your resume would go into more detail on how you did that.

Education

Your resume should contain a detailed education section where you list degrees, schools you attended and the dates. You could briefly mention your degree and school on a cover letter.

4 Tips to Keep in Mind When Writing a Resume Vs. a Cover Letter

#1 – Repetitive

Don’t repeat your resume word for word on a cover letter. Use a more conversational tone and mix it up a bit. Your cover letter is about telling the employer who you are, how you’re qualified and why you’re the best fit. Save specific details for your resume.

#2 – Keep Your Cover Letter Short

Your cover letter should be 3 – 4 paragraphs long and never go past 3/4 of a page. Again, save the details for your resume and keep your cover letter short, concise and relevant.

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#3 – Make a Good Impression

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The cover letter may be the first impression you have on an employer. Make sure you utilize captivating language and speak in a friendly tone. Mention the position you’re applying to, how you’re qualified, major achievements from previous positions and a call to action. The call to action in this situation would be an invite for an interview.

#4 – Subjective

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The cover letter should contain more subjective information than a resume. You could mention certain things that you simply couldn’t on a resume. You could mention how you found the position, why you’re passionate about that position or industry and a more subjective explanation of why you’d make a good fit.

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The cover letter is a good way to add a more human touch to the application. The cover letter allows you to tell a short story of why you deserve the job, where a resume is a more detailed and direct outline of your experience, skills and other information.

Good luck with your job search!