It’s time to apply for a new job. You have to update your resume and build a cover letter that speaks to the job you want so the hiring manager knows you have what it takes to succeed in the role they have open.
Once that’s done, you have all the right keywords, and each document is chock full of your career achievements; a few questions immediately pop up.
Let’s talk about whether you should merge your cover letter and resume into one document or keep them separate. There are pros and cons to both options.
Before you decide whether to combine your cover letter and resume into one document, it is helpful to make sure that you fully understand each of these important tools. The fact is that each of these documents has its own role to play in the job search process, and they have some major differences:
Each of these documents serves a distinct purpose in the job search process. Resumes are designed to provide an employer with an easy way to quickly assess your qualifications. The main purpose of a cover letter is to help the employer understand your motivations, goals, and personality. Both are important documents, but they are not interchangeable.
Your cover letter should be a targeted document that focuses on your qualifications for a specific job role. It should contain information about why you are the best candidate for the position and what you hope to achieve for the employer if you are hired. Your resume is more of a marketing tool that highlights your skills, relevant work experience, and educational qualifications in an easily digested summarized format.
These two documents also have dramatically different structures and formats. Your resume will be divided into specific sections for easier consumption and will include bullet point lists of relevant skills and achievements. Cover letters look more like any other written communication, conveying your message in full sentences and paragraphs.
The Internet has impacted virtually every area of life, including the job search process. Gone are the days when a job seeker would simply hand an employer a cover letter and resume in paper form. Today, almost every single company wants you to fill out an online application.
It allows them to push your resume and cover letter through their applicant tracking systems, also known as the ATS. The fact of the matter is that employers receive hundreds of resumes and cover letters for each position they have open. There’s simply no way a human being can properly sort through that number of documents.
So, these resume scanning systems have been put into place and are used in every type of company, from Fortune 500s to moms-and-pop-type establishments, as a way to weed out applications. That’s the first hurdle your resume and cover letter have to jump over.
Let’s explore when to combine your resume and cover letter and when not to so that your application gets through the ATS and impresses a hiring manager.
Let’s get right to the main question: Should you combine your cover letter and resume into one document?
As you review the advertisement for the job opening, there will usually be a set of instructions near the bottom that tells you how to apply. Sometimes, those instructions will tell you to email a person directly, and other times, you’ll be directed to apply directly on the company’s website.
You may have to get the submission guidelines for the position straight from the source. That means asking the company’s hiring manager how your resume and cover letter should be sent.
If there are clear instructions, it’s important to follow them to the letter to maximize your chances of receiving the right type of attention. On those rare occasions when a company wants a combined document, the job posting will usually include that instruction.
When the instructions are vague, like in the instance that you’re directed to email someone directly, you should err on the side of caution and choose to save your resume and cover letter documents as separate files.
There are several very good reasons to do so:
As we noted above, there may be times when a specific employer requests that a resume and cover letter be sent as one document. Obviously, that request should be honored if you want to be considered for an interview. The important thing, then, is to ensure that you combine them properly. The following tips can help:
Since the cover letter serves as your introduction, there is a case to be made for putting it in the front of the resume. If you want to make sure that the ATS scores your resume properly, however, you may want to put the resume at the beginning of the document. That can also help hiring managers quickly access your qualifications.
Make sure that you create an entirely new document for your combined file. That will enable you to keep them separate from other companies and submissions. Then copy and paste your resume and cover letter into this new document. Be sure to save the file with an appropriate file name. For example, JohnSmithResumeCoverLetter.docx or JohnSmithResumeCoverLetter.pdf.
When you paste each document into your combined file, make sure that you retain the original formatting. Also, be sure to include a page break at the end of the first document so that the next document begins on a fresh page.
Once you have your new combined file, submit it to the company. If the online job posting includes submission instructions, follow them to the letter. Otherwise, simply send it to the appropriate email address.
When emailing your cover letter and resume, either include the cover letter as an attachment or copy and paste its text into the email message. Don’t do both.
It is generally recommended that you submit both the resume and cover letter as file attachments rather than having any part of them in the body of your email message. What you can include in the email text is confirmation that you have attached the resume and cover letter files.
Of course, you also need to decide whether you want to submit a Word document or a PDF file. Once again, review the job board instructions to see what the company is requesting. If there is no specific option listed, then the best thing to do is to submit each document in a Word file.
Below, you will find a resume and cover letter template that you can use to ensure that your job search documents contain the information that employers want to see. You can use these templates to guide you as you create your own cover letter and resume:
[Your first and last name]
[City, State, Zip Code] | [Your Phone number] | [Your Email address]
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
[No more than three sentences highlighting your qualifications, experience, and achievements.]
CORE COMPETENCIES
[Bullet point list of your relevant skills. Use multiple columns to list 12-15 top skills]
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
[Company name], [city], [state] | [Employment dates]
[Repeat employment history for additional jobs, in reverse chronological order]
EDUCATION
[Name of school], [city], [state]
[Date you graduated] It should be noted that you don’t have to include education dates if you graduated more than one year ago.
CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES
[Name of certification or license, organization providing it, and relevant dates]
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
[Your first and last name]
[Your city and state]
[Your Email address]
[Recipient's first and last name]
Dear [Recipient's name],
My name is [your name] and I am interested in discussing the open [position name] position at your company. I have [length of experience] experience as a [your profession] and am confident that I can provide a great deal of value for your company, if hired.
I have recently been employed at [relevant employer name], where I was responsible for [cite job duties using keywords that match the skills needed in the open position]. Prior to that, I [provide examples of job duties that show your qualifications to fill the company’s open job]. I would love to have the opportunity to use these skills as part of your team.
I have included my resume with this letter so that you can evaluate my qualifications and experience at your leisure. I appreciate your consideration and look forward to having the opportunity to discuss the position with you in greater detail.
You should choose to send your cover letter and resume as separate documents, unless the company has instructed you to combine them into a single file. More importantly, make sure that you get those critical job search tools into the right hands so that you can increase your chances of landing an interview!
Want to know whether your resume has what it takes to capture a hiring manager’s interest? Get a free resume review from our team of experts today!
This article was originally written by Ken Chase. It’s been updated by Marsha Hebert.
