Cover Letters vs. Motivational Letters: Are They Any Different?

In addition to resumes, employers may often ask potential candidates for supplemental documents to get a better sense of their abilities. Two such documents are cover letters and motivational letters, but are they the same? Do they share the same purpose? While some jobseekers may think they are interchangeable, in reality they are two distinct letters with slightly different objectives, and knowing these key differences will be instrumental in providing a competitive advantage when applying for jobs. Read these LinkedIn posts by PixelB Design (2024) and Jordi Rooijers (2021) to better understand the subtle nuances of writing a cover vs. motivational letter.

photo courtesy of PixelB Design

A motivation letter and a cover letter are both types of documents used during the job application process, but they serve slightly different purposes (PixelB Design, 2024).

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts we think are important when writing a motivational letter. These do’s and don’t are based on experiences with candidates and hiring managers (Rooijers, 2021).

By Sulaiman Jenkins
Sulaiman Jenkins Associate Director