A resume is a factual, bulleted summary of your work history, skills and education, focusing on what you have already achieved and what your qualifications are. A cover letter is a personalized, narrative letter highlighting why you are the best candidate for a specific job role.
Purpose: A resume shows qualifications, professional experiences, including your achievements, whereas a cover letter, which is a one-page document sent with your resume, explains your motivation, interest and your detailed professional background.
Format: Resumes are concise, bulleted outlines of your current and past job responsibilities, achievements, skills and education while cover letters are formal business letters/emails with full paragraphs of your education and professional "story".
Content: Resumes focus on your current and past job experiences, achievements, skills and education. Cover letters focus on the connection between your skills & experiences and the needs of the company you are applying for.
Tone: In resumes a formal, objective tone is used while cover letters are prepared with a personalized, enthusiastic and confident tone.
Customization: While resumes should be tailored, cover letters are usually tailored to a great extent to each specific job application in order to meet the requirements of the job you are applying for.
When to Use Which: Resumes are always required for job applications to provide a concise overview of qualifications. A Cover Letter should be sent with a resume to introduce yourself, explain your interest and add context to your work history.
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Rumki Sen