When candidates apply for any job, HRs need well-organized or combined documents. This reflects the professionalism, respect, and keen interest in the opportunity. One of the most crucial metrics includes sharing a combined CV and cover letter in a single document. Many applicants seek how to combine resume and cover letter in PDF for quick sharing with recruiters.

What You’ll Learn Hide
  1. Meaning of “Merge Cover Letter and Resume”
  2. Why Hiring Managers Prefer a Combined Cover Letter and Resume?
  3. How to Combine Resume and Cover Letter Together in PDF – Top 4 Ways
  4. Quick Steps on How to Merge Cover Letter and Resume
  5. Let’s Wrap Up!

Follow this stepwise guide to learn methods to put a cover letter and resume together without altering the structure. So, let’s begin the discussion.

Overview of “Merge Cover Letter and Resume”

In the hiring process, HR recruiters pay close attention to your introductory cover letter and the resume (or CV). The resume, commonly known as a Curriculum Vitae, provides a detailed summary of the applicant, including educational background, personal information, skills, and job-related expertise. Whereas a cover letter reflects the applicant’s keen interest in a particular job role and profile.

Now, combining a resume and a cover letter into a single document makes it easier to make an all-in-one file for a recruiter to review a candidate’s skills. After merging the CV and cover letter, the applicant can submit a single document instead of multiple files. Moreover, it is among the best practices to keep the resume formatting and other details in the exact structure.

Here’s the order of hiring application documents:

  • Cover Letter or Introductory Page
  • Resume / CV of Candidate

It is recommended to place these employment materials in exact order to showcase corporate or professional etiquette. Also, ensure that the cover letter and CV are combined into a single .pdf. Moreover, it is among the best practices to keep the resume formatting and other details in the original structure.

Why Hiring Managers Prefer a Combined Cover Letter and Resume?

Before jumping into how to combine resume and a cover letter. Let’s first understand why recruiters or hiring managers prefer a merged cover letter and resume. The HR professionals receive hundreds or thousands of candidates’ mail. It becomes overwhelming for recruiters to manage the application documents every time. Luckily, combining the resume and cover letters allows them to peacefully examine and shortlist the applicant without hassle.

These days, merging the CV with an introductory letter is important to make a professional or ATS-friendly document. One of the major golden rules to get selected in your beloved or reputed organization. Here are the other reasons why HRs prefer merged CV and cover letter in PDF:

  • Streamline Application Document Management: For every recruiter, managing multiple resumes is a tedious task. Sending a separate cover letter or resume often results in losing the document. Therefore, HRs prefer a combined resume and cover letter for easy analysis, storage, and sharing with other team members.
  • Make Unified Application File: Combining both the cover letter and resume offers several benefits. This way, applicants can create a professional, unified document for quick submission in a job application. Also, it eliminates the need to add multiple attachments when applying for a role. So, prepare the HR-friendly documents.
  • Make ATS-Optimized Resume: Today, companies or businesses use automated ATS or Application Tracking System to select or shortlist the candidates. This ATS monitoring tool scans CVs and cover letters for HR or hiring managers. With a single document, the software can effectively screen, review, and shortlist applicants.

Overall, merging the cover letter and resume offers several benefits to both HR and the applicants. This way, job seekers can make an ATS-friendly resume to grab more attention and opportunities. Also, this makes it easier for the hiring team to share a unified document with respect managers or team leaders. Now, let’s quickly walk through the methods.

How to Combine Resume and Cover Letter Together – Top 4 Methods

If you’re searching for how to merge cover letter and resume in PDF, here are the online, free, and dedicated offline tools. Using these solutions, candidates can effortlessly create or manage both application documents in a single file.
Below are the detailed techniques on how to make CV and cover letter one document:

  • Free Online PDF Websites
  • Microsoft Word
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro Software (Paid Tool)
  • Automated Utility (Official & Recommended)

Now, let’s walk through all the methods one after another.

Method 1: How to Merge Cover Letter and Resume in PDF – Try Online Tools

Before applying for the job, it becomes necessary to combine resume and cover letter into a PDF file. Try free online PDF websites to merge the CV and cover letter into a single page. This way, applicants can create an ATS-friendly document for free. These online tools won’t require installation of any software; instead, they are based on a web browser and require internet connectivity.

Using these platforms, candidates can merge individual resumes and introductory files into a PDF in just seconds. Now, follow the steps instructions on how to combine cover letter and resume in PDF using free online tools:

  1. Open the desired browser and search for free PDF tools.
  2. Browse or upload your CV and cover letter at once.
  3. Place the order of the document, e.g., cover letter and then CV.
  4. Finally, hit the Merge button to download the merged file of the cover letter & resume.

Why Online Tools aren’t Reliable: Free online websites offer basic features, making it easier to combine a CV and introductory letter into a single document. However, it causes major drawbacks; read them below:

  • Both resume and cover letter contain personal information of the job seeker, such as contact number, email address, and more. Uploading this sensitive data online may raise major security and privacy concerns.
  • Online tools won’t support large files. Moreover, it may put a restriction on the number of files merged per day. So, use the other alternative to combine your CV and cover letter securely.
  • Many free online platforms may change the formatting when combining the resume with a cover letter. This may looks unprofessional when sharing the application material with the hiring team.

Method 2: How to Put a Cover Letter and Resume Together Using MS Word

Microsoft Word is another way to merge a cover letter and a resume without installing any extra tool. Moreover, candidates can directly save the final copy in PDF format. Hence, you don’t need to install any offline software program to combine these application documents. Here are the comprehensive steps on how to make CV and cover letter one document using MS Word:

  1. Open your cover letter with Microsoft Word.
  2. To access the resume, tab Insert and then Page Break at the end of the cover letter.
  3. Now, copy all the information from the resume using Ctrl + A (select), then Ctrl + V (paste), after the cover letter page.
  4. Finally, navigate to File> Save as > PDF.
  5. Lastly, download the combined resume and cover letter.

Limitations of MS Word:

  • This is not a dedicated tool to merge cover letter and resume into a PDF. It may cause formatting issues when copying the content.
  • Many candidates use graphics or tables in Word. Moreover, ATS software won’t support overuse of graphics or boxes.
  • To ensure exact formatting of both cover letter and resume, use the offline and reliable solution to combine these application materials.

Method 3: How to Combine Resume and Cover Letter – Use Adobe Acrobat Tool

If you’re wondering how to combine cover letter and resume in PDF, try Adobe Acrobat Pro software. This is a perfect software for merging the candidate’s introductory letter with the CV. Using this reliable solution, you can quickly make an ATS-friendly or HR-optimized document. Compared to other solutions, this software offers data protection and preserves the formatting. Now, follow the step-by-step instructions on how to make CV and cover letter one document using Adobe Acrobat:

  1. Launch and open the Adobe Acrobat Pro software.
  2. After this, use the Tool option > pick Combine Files.
  3. Here, upload both the “Cover Letter and Resume” in the interface.
  4. Now, arrange the document and tab Combine to merge both the cover letter and CV.

Drawbacks of Paid Adobe Acrobat Software

  • This is an expensive subscription-based tool with limited features.
  • With a large document, the software causes issues like “Adobe Acrobat not responding“. Here, you need to look for the other methods.

Method 4: How to Put a Cover Letter and Resume Together – Try Automated Software (Official)

If you’re searching for how to merge cover letter and resume (or CV) securely, try SysTools PDF Merger Tool. The most reliable and professional-grade utility for job seekers. This way, candidates can create a unified or ATS-friendly document for any job application. Moreover, this software is offline, ensuring data security when combining a CV with a cover letter.

The tool supports batch processing, merging by page range or size, and is compatible with Windows or macOS. During the process, it protects the resume content, alignment, and formatting in the output PDF file. So, download this subscription-free software to create ATS-friendly application files.

Instant Guide on How to Combine Cover Letter and Resume (For All Job Applicants)

  1. Install the aforementioned utility on the desired operating system or PC.
    install the tool
  2. Choose dual options: “Add Files or Folders” for browsing your cover letter and CV PDF.
    use the add file or folders
  3. Navigate to Options > click Merge and then hit the Next button.
    tab merge to combine cover letter and resume
  4. Go to Create New PDF and then use the Merge button to access a combined cover letter with resume.

Concluding Words

In the above comprehensive guide, we have listed 4 ways on how to combine resume and cover letter. Using these methods, job seekers or applicants can create HR recommended ATS-optimized application document. Online tools, MS Word, and Adobe Acrobat have major limitations. Try an automated software solution to merge the cover letter and resume in the correct order without formatting or other issues.