What is the difference between a cover letter and a resume?

A resume is a structured summary of your whole work history, education and skills; a cover letter is a short letter that explains why you want one particular job and why you fit it.

The main differences:

• Format: a resume uses headings and bullet points; a cover letter uses full paragraphs.
• Scope: a resume covers your career; a cover letter picks two or three points that matter for this role.
• Tone: a resume is factual and compact; a cover letter is more personal and shows your motivation.
• Reuse: you adjust a resume for each application; you rewrite much of a cover letter each time.

They should support each other without repeating. If your resume says "Managed a team of six sales staff," your cover letter might add the story behind it.

Example: "When I took over the Al Noor branch team, sales had been flat for a year. I introduced weekly coaching sessions, and within two quarters we were the region's most improved store."

The resume shows what you did; the letter shows why it matters to this employer.