difference between a cover letter and personal statement

Cover Letter vs Personal Statement [With Examples]

When it comes to applying for a job or a graduate program, you may come across two common requirements: a cover letter and a personal statement. While they may seem similar, there are key differences between the two that every applicant should be aware of. In this article, we'll explore what a personal statement and a cover letter are, when they are used, their similarities and differences, and provide examples of each.

What is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a brief essay that highlights your skills, experiences, and goals. It is usually required for graduate school applications, but it can also be requested by employers. The purpose of a personal statement is to demonstrate your fit for a program or a position by showcasing your unique qualifications and motivations.

A personal statement should be well-crafted and tailored to the specific program or position you are applying for. It should showcase your strengths and demonstrate your passion for your field. Your personal statement should also highlight any relevant experiences, such as research projects or internships, that have prepared you for the program or position you are applying for.

What is a Cover Letter?

A cover letter is a one-page document that accompanies your resume when applying for a job. It is a formal letter that introduces you to a potential employer and explains why you are interested in the job and how your skills and experiences make you a good fit for the position.

A cover letter should be personalized for each job application and should not simply restate your resume. It should highlight your skills and experiences that are most relevant to the job, and explain how you will add value to the organization. A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out from other applicants and can increase your chances of getting an interview.

When is Each Used?

A personal statement is typically used for graduate school applications, while a cover letter is used for job applications. However, there may be some overlap in certain situations, such as when applying for a job in academia or research, where a personal statement may be requested instead of a cover letter.

Similarities

Both a personal statement and a cover letter are used to showcase your qualifications and explain why you are a good fit for a program or a position. They are both formal documents that require careful attention to detail and should be tailored to the specific program or position you are applying for.

Differences

The main difference between a personal statement and a cover letter is their purpose. A personal statement is meant to demonstrate your fit for a program and showcase your unique qualifications and motivations, while a cover letter is meant to introduce you to a potential employer and explain why you are interested in the job and how your skills and experiences make you a good fit for the position.

Another key difference is their length. A personal statement is typically longer than a cover letter and may be several pages, while a cover letter is usually one page or less.

Cover Letter Examples

Example 1: marketing coordinator cover letter.

Why this works: This cover letter is tailored to the specific job and company, highlighting the candidate's relevant experience and achievements. The tone is professional and enthusiastic, showing the candidate's passion for the industry and desire to contribute to the company's success.

Example 2: Sales Representative Cover Letter

Why this works: This cover letter focuses on the candidate's sales experience and achievements, emphasizing their ability to meet and exceed targets and build strong relationships with clients. The language is confident and persuasive, showing the candidate's ability to sell themselves and their skills.

Example 3: Human Resources Manager Cover Letter

Why this works: This cover letter highlights the candidate's extensive HR experience and achievements, showing their ability to lead and innovate in the field. The tone is professional and confident, demonstrating the candidate's ability to establish credibility and build relationships with stakeholders.

Example 4: Graphic Designer Cover Letter

Why this works: This cover letter showcases the candidate's design skills and experience, emphasizing their ability to create compelling visuals and drive user engagement. The tone is enthusiastic and passionate, conveying the candidate's love for design and eagerness to contribute to the company's creative vision.

Personal Statement Examples

Example 1: medical school personal statement.

Why this works: This personal statement is focused on the candidate's motivation and passion for medicine, demonstrating their commitment to the field and their desire to make a difference. The language is clear and concise, showing the candidate's ability to communicate their ideas effectively.

Example 2: Law School Personal Statement

Why this works: This personal statement is focused on the candidate's motivation and passion for law, demonstrating their commitment to social justice and their desire to use the law as a tool for positive change. The language is clear and persuasive, showing the candidate's ability to make a compelling argument.

Example 3: MBA Personal Statement

Why this works: This personal statement is focused on the candidate's professional experience and goals, demonstrating their commitment to business leadership and their desire to use the MBA program as a platform for growth and development. The language is clear and results-oriented, showing the candidate's ability to apply their skills and knowledge to real-world problems.

Example 4: Education Personal Statement

Why this works: This personal statement is focused on the candidate's experience and goals as an educator, showing their commitment to teaching, learning, and innovation. The language is clear and enthusiastic, demonstrating the candidate's ability to inspire and motivate both students and colleagues.

Personal Statements vs. Cover Letters: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between Personal Statements and Cover Letters is that Personal Statements focus on who you are, while Cover Letters emphasize why you’re a good fit for a specific job.

Before we move to more differences, let’s first understand Personal Statements and Cover Letters:

• Personal Statements : Personal Statements are like a short story about you. They tell others who you are, what you like, and why you want something. People use them for jobs, school, or other important things to show why they are a good choice.
• Cover Letters : Cover Letters are like a friendly note to introduce yourself to someone new. You write them when you want a job or opportunity. They say why you are interested in the job and how your skills can help.

Now, let’s get to Personal Statements vs Cover Letters:

Major differences between Personal Statements and Cover Letters

So, these are the main differences between the entities.

• Metric vs. Measure
• Author vs. Writer
• Impression vs. Click

You can see other “differences between…” posts by clicking here .

If you have a related query, kindly feel free to let me know in the comments below.

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If you’re zipping through the documents  in your CS&A candidate file, checking “to-be-completed” items off a list ( resume : check. transcripts: check. references : check.), you might pause when you come to the personal statement. Burdened by personal and professional commitments (those papers aren’t going to grade themselves), you might decide that you can skip it. You’ll be sending cover letters to each school that interests you anyway. And how different can the two documents be?

If this is the way you’re thinking, you’re missing an opportunity to demonstrate who you are without the constraints of addressing a particular school. Here are some key differences between a cover letter and a  personal statement —both important parts of your candidate file.

1. Cover Letter = Them. Personal Statement = You

While to a certain extent every document you submit during your application process is for and about the school to which you’re applying, the cover letter presents a more direct opportunity to specify the attributes of a particular school that align with your past successes and future plans.  The inherent vagueness of the personal statement allows you to discuss yourself more generally, without having to fit into the mold of a specific school.

2.  Presenting All Tiers of Your Experience

We all have them: the “top tier” experience in our resumes. These are the positions with the best titles, the coolest opportunities, the real “turning points” in our careers. When you’re writing a cover letter, you need to address your top tier experiences, as well as any experience you’ve had that’s directly related to the opportunity at hand. That’s a lot of showcasing to do in one page.

Your personal statement provides an opportunity to highlight some of your “second tier” experiences—the ones that may have lasted for a shorter time or occurred years ago, but that may have made a real difference in the formation of your career. Your personal statement should complement—not completely echo—your cover letter. The two documents together allow you to flesh out some parts of your history that you may have had to rush by submitting solely a cover letter.

3.  Hook ’em With a Story

Blank space on a cover letter is precious: you need to seamlessly condense your life story and catch your reader’s attention in a page or less. There’s not much room for the “softer” elements of presentation, like an anecdote that explains why you began teaching or a story that embodies why you love what you do.

There is room for that, however, in your personal statement. You have more room for creativity when you’re complementing—not highlighting—your accomplishments, and this creativity can create a rounder portrait of who you are.

4.  Personality

The personal statement is just that: personal. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your personality, tone of voice, and outlook in a very real way. Spend some time writing it and making it excellent: in the initial stages of your job application, the personal statement will do a lot of the heavy lifting in answering questions about what kind of educator and person you are. Whether you make it funny, touching, or smart, be sure to make it yours.

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West Sharon 10/12/2020 at 9:18am

Extension of your professional goals: Some statements for job applications may include specific reference to your goals and how the position can help you achieve those goals. For a university personal statement, reinforce how the school s mission or coursework can prepare you for a career. In both types of statements, consider discussing relevant short- and long-term goals, such as what you hope to achieve in the school or position and where you see yourself in 5-10 years. Summary of your personal statement: A brief summary of the main points in your statement can be an effective strategy for a one-sentence conclusion or one sentence of a larger conclusion. Be sure to connect your achievements, experiences and skills directly to your future contributions with the company or university.

Judith Hansen 9/25/2023 at 8:00am

It’s great that I found this article. I am in need of a statement of purpose writer and I decided to use a statement of purpose writer because I have never written one before. I don’t really know what they are about. Your article helped me to better understand what they are for.

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   Personal Statement vs Cover Letter

What's the difference between a cover letter, a motivation letter, and a personal statement? Depending on the situation and the request, you might find that you need one or any of these letters. While they seem similar on the surface, there are subtle differences that make the distinctions important.

Cover Letter : A cover letter is the most common type of letter you'll find for applications. It introduces you, your experiences, and your skills. A typical cover letter is the best way to introduce a resume, job application, or bid proposal. It always has the same rough structure: Tell the recipient who you are and what you want. Tell them why you like them and why they should like you. Briefly touch on, contextualize, or expand some of the qualities found in your resume. You're selling your qualifications and your image, and establishing your voice in a way that they will (ideally) remember.

Motivation Letter : A motivation letter is a lot like a cover letter, and can be used as a cover letter in most scenarios. The subtle difference with a motivation letter is that it's more about you explaining why you're motivated to do something and what's driving you to do it. A motivation letter is mostly used to get into a university, receive a scholarship, be approved for a mortgage loan, or apply for a volunteer position. It's less about your previous experience or qualifications and more about what you're looking for and why. Passion and dedication factor heavily in a motivation letter.

Personal Statement : A personal statement is not about selling your image; it's about telling your story. A personal statement is a place for you to talk about your experiences, but not just as they relate to the job/scholarship/school to which you're applying. You can talk about the most important people or events in your life, how they changed your perspective, and how they motivate you. You can discuss your goals and hopes and plans for the future. You can outline what makes you unique. Personal statements are almost always used for graduate programs, and are usually requested alongside a traditional cover letter.

No matter what seems best to you, always remember to format your letter to fit your recipient's prompt or request as closely as possible.

Index of Cover Letter Examples

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• Cover Letters vs. Personal Statements

Cover Letters vs. Personal Statements Crystal Carter

Not sure how to distinguish cover letters from personal statements? We’re here to help! We’ll break down the parts of each piece of content, as well as what they’re used for. Cover letters and personal statements are both used in many different settings, and both of them serve different purposes. If you’re planning to apply to residency or fellowship, you will need a personal statement, where a cover letter is required when applying for jobs. In the event that you need assistance writing your personal statement, we have written an article about it. You can access that article here .

Cover Letter A cover letter serves the purpose of establishing your qualifications for a position for which you may have applied. Cover letters tend to be more formal and introductory. Your cover letter should be used to expand upon the experience listed on your Curriculum Vitae (CV). Most people make the mistake of writing their cover letter about how the company could help them advance their career, rather than writing about how the company would benefit from hiring them. Your cover letter should not only be about selling your skills to a company, but you should explain how your skills could benefit that company. It is important to tailor your cover letter to each position that you apply for. As easy as it is to go in and replace the company name and job title before submitting a job application, you should also take the time to change the skills and experiences you have included so that they fit the position you’re applying for. Keep in mind that while including your skills and experiences in your cover letter is beneficial, you should make sure that you include the information that best fits the description of each position. Below are some things you should remember when writing your cover letter:

• Highlight the right experiences
• Showcase your skills
• Don’t focus too much on your education
• Avoid apologizing for any missing experience
• Consider including testimonials from your colleagues and supervisors
• Don’t be too formal – an excessive amount of formality makes you seem robotic

Personal Statement If you’re applying for medical school, you will need a personal statement. Personal statements are less formal and more flexible than cover letters. When writing your personal statement, there is no such thing as a “perfect topic”, nor will you have an “aha moment”. You should focus on writing about the experiences that helped you decide on a specialty, and you could even discuss other specialties that you considered. It is also important that you use identifying information in your story to avoid the risk of writing a personal statement that someone else could’ve written. Your personal statement should make you stand out rather than blend in, and should have quality and depth, and be personal and unique to you.

Here are some important reminders for your personal statement:

• Introduce your personal statement with a unique observation or idea that you will further develop in subsequent paragraphs
• Demonstrate the qualities that make you distinct by choosing experiences that highlight your best characteristics
• Show instead of tell – use a story to talk about your qualities
• Explain ways that you intend to help patients, or reasons you want to help patients
• Maintain the focus of your personal statement on the main character – you!
• Explain your thought process, critical thinking, and decision-making abilities
• Use identifying information to write a personal statement that could have only been written by you

Now that you know the difference between cover letters and personal statements, you’re reading to prepare yourself for medical school! If you find that there’s something we missed or something you would just like to share, please reach out to us at [email protected] – we love to hear from you!

Crystal Carter,  Content Marketing Specialist You can stay connected with me on  LinkedIn  for all of the latest PracticeMatch articles and upcoming events.

References:

https://www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/medical-school-personal-statement-analysis https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/cover-letter-vs-personal-statement/  

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Is a Personal Statement a Cover Letter?

Table of Contents

Is a personal statement a cover letter? Although both types of writing have the same goal, there are differences that should be noted.

Job applications can be stressful enough without wondering if you should include a cover letter or personal statement.

While many human resources professionals read the coverage in its entirety, others may only give it a cursory glance for a matter of seconds. However, a well-written cover letter or personalized personal statement will help if you want to get noticed.

Learn the differences between a cover letter and a personal statement and assess their pros and cons before applying.

A personal statement is typically used to introduce yourself to provide information relevant to your application (e.g., academic and work experience)

However, a cover letter often explains why you want the job and how your abilities and qualities make you the best applicant. A cover letter is used to apply for jobs, whereas a personal statement introduces you to a school or organization.

However, there are no hard-and-fast rules. Sometimes people use the terms interchangeably or combine them into one document.

Benefits of a Cover Letter

A well-written cover letter can be the key to getting your resume noticed. Sometimes, a great cover letter can even land you an interview without requiring a resume! Here are other advantages:

1. Selling Yourself Is Easy

Selling yourself is easy because you don’t need to attach your resume. When applying for a job, it’s helpful to have the opportunity to sell yourself in a way that wouldn’t fit into your resume.

A cover letter reduces the time you need to spend tailoring your resume for each application. It allows you to provide detailed information that would otherwise be lost on a standard resume.

2. Highly Customizable

When applying for a job, it’s best to focus on what’s required. You can improve your odds of getting an interview by writing a new cover letter tailored to each job you apply for. You can tailor your application by focusing on the essential requirements of the role.

3. You Can Address the Hiring Manager

A cover letter aims to introduce the applicant to the prospective employer in writing. This is a great chance to put the recruiting manager’s name on your resume, which can help you stand out from the competition.

Drawbacks of a Cover Letter

While cover letters can be a great way to introduce yourself and showcase your skills, they also have some drawbacks.

1. They Can Take up a Lot of Time to Write

Customizing each letter to a specific position will take considerably longer. Time must be allotted to avoid embarrassing blunders, match abilities to job roles, and make a compelling pitch.

2. Lengthier Than Personal Statements

A personal statement should be no more than a paragraph long so that it doesn’t overwhelm a CV. Since cover letters are typically lengthier than personal statements, there is more potential for irrelevant information that may cause the reader to lose interest.

Benefits of a Personal Statement

A well-crafted personal statement can effectively highlight your strengths and objectives as a job candidate. Here are other advantages;

1. Greater Efficiency in the Application Process

You can save time while applying for jobs if you don’t have to write a new cover letter for each application. You will need to make some minor adjustments to your resume to highlight experience that is relevant to the job at hand. However, this will take very little time overall, allowing you to apply to many more positions.

2. Indicative of Your Dedication and Enthusiasm

The purpose of a personal statement is to demonstrate motivation for a given career path and to provide further context about the applicant. A piece of personal information is less formal than a cover letter. It offers an employer a greater sense of who you are and whether or not you’d be a good match for the firm.

3. Proves Proficiency With Brevity

A well-crafted resume shows that you can write for a specific audience. However, a well-written personal statement shows that you can convey important information in a short amount of space. Due to space constraints, you’ll need to be selective in what you include.

Drawbacks to Using a Personal Statement

While a personal statement can be a valuable tool for highlighting your strengths and abilities , there are some drawbacks to using one.

First, personal statements can come across as self-promotional or boastful. Additionally, they often don’t include specific information about how you meet the job requirements or program for which you are applying.

Finally, if written well, a personal statement can help your chances of being hired or accepted.

Final Words

A personal statement and a cover letter can be different, but they sometimes have similar purposes.

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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Cover Letters and Personal Statements

Cover letters and personal statements provide the opportunity for the reader to hear your voice and see your fit for the organization or program. Career and Professional Development are here to answer questions and provide critiques. Email  for an appointment.

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Cover Brief vs. Personal Statement — Here’s The Difference

Posted on Last updated: April 10, 2023

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You’re working on an application, and you’ve been asked to provide both a screen letter and a personal statement.

They how to want the back letter, and you suddenly get aforementioned uncomfortable feeling that it might to turning into a personal statement.

But how can you be sure? What’s the difference?

We’ll explain how these two are different–and similar–and give you some tips for dealen with each one below.  

Where is the difference between a coat letter and a personal statement?

A lid letter is a way to submit yourself also attempting toward “sell” yourself to aforementioned company or middle you are applying to. It highlights owner main qualifications. AN personal statement is less formal, more creative, longer and is your owner narrative learn to background.  

What will an cover letter?

When her were submitting a job application, you are often ask in include ampere cover letter.

A covers letter is a forming introduction. It can also a persuasive document that have be written to grab the attention of their potential employer.

It should be as short as possible as long as it still gets the point throughout. Cover letters should never be longer than adenine browse, but just a couple of paragraphs your even better. Personal Statements & Application Erudition: Writing Guides: Writing ...

A cover letter essentially needs until perform two things.

The first can that this needs to establish thine qualifications for the position. The second is that it needs to explain why you would be an asset to the company.

One of the biggest mistakes such people often make with ampere cover letter is regarding the second point.

Instead of explaining why of company or organization would benefit from hiring them, people often write about how they feel the position will help they advancing in their career.

Keep in mind which when you may have some wonderful mentors at work who guide and support you in your job, the person who is making hiring decisions ultimately wants to knowing whatever you will bring to aforementioned corporate both not the other way around. Cover Letter/Personal Statements | Manchester University

Your cover letter supposed including evidence some knowledge of the your.

Required example, you might write something like this:

I understand that XYZ Corporate is developing its website manufacturing wing. In my previous position at ABC company, MYSELF excelled includes marketing widgets to a new vendor base, greatly expanding the company’s production.

ADENINE paragraph like that leave the company know that you have done your homework and yourself are aware of one big change people are implementing.

It also demonstrates how you can deliver targeted experience to the company that will benefit them.

What if her are a recent graduate or it else don’t may more experience? They can still emphasize your strong attributes that it will bring to an site: Cover Letters and Personal Affirmations | USC North-south

As treasurer of my school’s outdoor club, IODIN learned to are organized and diligent about finances. I be bring this same strength in the bookkeeping position at Smith Industries.

Here’s another way you might approach it, by emphasizing what you studied in school:

MYSELF understand that your our is expanding its use of blockchain technology. I took multiple courses in this area while part is my business end.

Although he is less common, you may is asked to provide a cover letter as part of a college or university application.

This is further likely if you are applied for a graduate program than an undergraduate one.

You wouldn handle that in a similar way to composition a cover letter fork a company, but you might focus page on what you ability bring to the university the, specifically, the section you are applying at. Coverage Letter / Personal Statement – Center available Career Development | Washington Higher

Just as you would mention something specified about and place show you wanted to get a job for the professional cover letter, she should say something specific about and department for an academicals cover letter.

For example, maybe you are applying used a graduate program in history:

For an undergraduate at Awarded University, I studied medieval history with ampere focus to Anglo-Saxon England. I am interested in attending New University since of your department’s concentration on the Kingdom of Wessex in the 9th century, which I wrote my honor’s thesis on.

Whether e has for a job or adenine place at your dream institute, one cover letter is the first impression so you make, hence it is important to make it as strong more her can.  

What is a personal statement?

A personal statement is a kind of essay about you, your values or your ambitions and how the class or your that you are applying available relates to those values and ambitions.

Personal statements are more common when you are a student applying for a position at an college either univ although some job applications may require them since right. How to Write a Powerful Custom Declare | Indeed.com

With a personal statement, you have a parcel more scale than you perform with a cover letter.

You wills usually be given an idea of how long your personal statement shall be . The most common length is between 1 and 3 pages or about 250 to 750 speech.

For a stab command, suppose about the things you wants on convey to the recording committee the is not already obvious from your login.

For example, if you faced substantial obstacles in graduating from high middle furthermore pursuing a higher academic, how you overcame these hindernisse might subsist an appropriate topic for your personal statement.

Maybe you been applying for graduate school in environmental scientist or ecology.

Your humanressourcen announcement might be about how a your member taught you to value the natural world and how that affection has compelled you to expense thy life studying and working in that box.

Remembered how up up were saying that the cover zuschrift should emphasize select him can be an asset to the company, organization or middle yours were applying to?

In contrasts, i can think of the personal statement as being the report that is all about you!

While a cover letter is a formal document, a personal statement is the place to let your personality shine.

How cover letters and personal statements are similar

One way that cover letters and personal statements are similar is that you want to get right to the point von the start.

You want to grab who attention of the person reading each document, but don’t try to be contemporary. Instead, equal federal your interest up front.

For a cover letter, say what you are reacting to and why yours are interested. ONE journalism student applying for an internship at a small local newspaper might write something like the following:

MYSELF my writing to voice my interest in your summer internship positioner for journalists is I learned over throughout my university’s career heart. I am majoring for advertising at ABC University, where I my the leadership editor of the university paper. I am a passionate believer in an importance of local journalism to small towns and local.

Similarly, for a personal statement, start with the reason that you to to attend the university:

My dear away the rivers or locks that I grew raise around sparkled a lifelong interest in river ecologic and how fish populations can be superior guided. I want go attend XYZ University because of your department’s focus to freshwater salmon.

What you may plus discern with these examples the the other thing both print have in common: You should be as concreting as possible.

Show which thee know a lot about and position that you are trying to get and that yours have the specific arts and knowledge to succeed.

Dear fellow Linguaholics! It’s me, Marcel. I am one chronic owner of kyle.page. Languages take ever since i passion also I have studied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics and Sinology at the University of Zurich. It is my extremely pleasure to share with see of it guys what I know about languages both sling in general. Cover letters and personal statements make the opportunity on the reader to hear you voice and view your fit for the organization or program.

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What is the difference between a supporting statement and a cover letter?

In this competitive job market, crafting a strong application is crucial for securing an interview. Employers often request written documents as part of your application, and you may find yourself asked to submit either a supporting statement or a cover letter. While these two documents share the common goal of showcasing your suitability for a position, they differ in a few important ways. In this post, we will delve into the key differences between supporting statements and cover letters, helping you understand the differences between them and how to maximise their impact.

Supporting statement vs. cover letter: the key differences

A supporting statement , also known as a personal statement, is a document that requires you to outline your suitability for the job by addressing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification/job description. Its primary purpose is to highlight how your skills, experience and accomplishments make you a good fit for the role. While some employers may ask you to explain your motivations for applying, this is not the primary focus of the document. A supporting statement is often a standalone submission, and employers may not allow you to submit your CV with it, so it needs to speak for itself.

In contrast, a cover letter almost always accompanies your CV. For this reason, it provides an opportunity to express your motivations for applying for the role and to highlight a select number of aspects about your skills and experience (as evidenced in your CV), that you feel make you particularly well-suited to the position.

A supporting statement is a written statement, not a letter, and it is structured around the specific criteria or competencies that the employer is looking for. You should address each criterion individually and provide detailed evidence.

Cover letters, as the name suggests, are more like a formal letter. They begin with a formal greeting and introduction, followed by a brief paragraph explaining how you learned about the job and your interest in it. The body of the cover letter discusses your qualifications, experiences, and why you think you are a good fit for the job. It often includes a narrative about your career journey and what drives your passion for the industry or role. The letter concludes with a closing statement and a call to action. It will tend to be quite a bit shorter than a supporting statement.

When employers request a supporting statement , most will specify a maximum word or character limit that equates to about two sides of A4. If no word limit is provided, aiming for somewhere around this length is advisable, as it allows you enough space to fully address the competencies listed in the person specification.

Cover letters are typically shorter and, in most cases, should be limited to one page. This length is typically sufficient to introduce yourself, explain your interest in the job, and highlight your suitability for the role.

Writing a supporting statement will require you to take a methodical approach in order to address all of the competencies the employer is looking for. For each competency, you will need to provide specific examples and evidence to demonstrate that you have it. For advice on what to include read my other post How to write a supporting statement for a job application .

A cover letter has a broader focus and should aim to make a strong, persuasive case for your candidacy, without getting too deep into the specifics. This usually means focusing on 3 or 4 of the main requirements of the position. Read my How to write a great cover letter blog post for more in-depth advice on what to include.

5. Tailoring

Supporting statements are often tailored to a very specific job application. Since they are structured around the criteria for a particular role, you need to customise each supporting statement for the job you're applying to. This level of specificity is crucial in demonstrating your alignment with the job requirements. For this reason, it will usually take longer to write a compelling supporting statement than it will a cover letter.

While it's important to tailor your cover letters , they tend to be more versatile. You can create a template that outlines your general career story and qualifications, and then make specific modifications for each job application. However, it's essential to ensure that the modified sections still align with the company's values and the specific job description.

In summary, a cover letter and a supporting statement serve distinct roles in a job application. A cover letter is a more general introduction that highlights your motivation and fit for the job, while a supporting statement is a much more specific document that provides evidence of your suitability for the role, by directly addressing each of the competencies listed in the person specification. Tailoring each document to the job you're applying for is crucial for a successful application.

If you would like to take your applications to the next level, check out my application review services, including both cover letters and supporting statements .

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