Key Difference: A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that holds a summary of the applicant’s academic and employment details. A cover letter is a letter of introduction that is commonly attached to the CV or résumé.

Curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter are often used when applying for a job position. These both are often used synonymously; however they are completely different from each other. A person should always have a CV, which lists all the academic and employment details of the applicant.

Curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that holds a summary of the applicant’s past history, including where he/she studied, previous job experiences and also past projects that person may have undertaken. Some CVs also require the applicant to provide other details such as hobbies and favorite past times. The format of the CV changes depending upon the person, but experts suggest that the applicant should list their details in a clear and concise manner. The CV is the first thing that an employer sees and it is used as a screening process, where the employers relate what they are looking for to the acquired CV and then accept or reject the person. A clear, concise and self-explanatory CV could get the applicant a job interview. A curriculum vita is a Latin expression and can be loosely translated as, “[the] course of [my] life.” CV is also often confused as a résumé.

 A cover letter, also known as covering letter or a motivation letter is a letter of introduction that is commonly attached to the CV or résumé. The cover letter usually summarizes or explains the CV. It is best to list the person’s strong suits on the covering letter, forcing the employer to put time to see the CV. Many employers do not even look at the résumé if the cover letter is not up to standards, so it is important that the cover letter is clear, concise and to the point. It should only reveal what you think the employer would like to see. It should also mention the reason you are interested in the job and the reason for applying. Cover letters are typically divided into three categories: application letter, prospecting letter and networking letter. The application letter responds to the job opening, the prospecting letter inquires about possible openings that may be available in the company and the networking letter requests assistance in job searching.

A CV and a cover letter are important and a person should always have a résumé. It is very beneficial as it summarizes all the achievements of a person’s life.

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