These documents are easy to confuse, and they are not interchangeable. Working out which one an application wants is worth doing carefully, because submitting the wrong type can leave important parts of your application unanswered.
Start with the advertisement and the candidate information pack
Both should state what to submit. The pack usually sets out the required documents, any word or page limits, and what the panel will assess. Those instructions override any general advice, including everything in this series.
If something remains unclear after reading both, ask the contact officer. A short, specific question about what to submit is unremarkable and part of what the role is there for.
The four possibilities
A brief covering message. A short introduction naming the role, giving a quick sense of your relevant background and pointing to your attached documents. Often the body of an email or a short portal field.
A conventional cover letter. A fuller document, often around half a page to a page, where you explain your interest in the role and how your experience relates to it, usually with one or two selected examples.
A written pitch or statement of claims. A more substantial document written against the requirements of the role. It is usually intended to be assessed directly against those requirements, and it may address selection criteria, include detailed examples, and carry a word or page limit. It is not simply a longer cover letter.
No covering document. Some vacancies ask only for a resume and the online form, sometimes with referee details.
| Document | Main purpose | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| Brief covering message | Introduce the application | Role, brief relevant background, polite close |
| Conventional cover letter | Explain your interest and selected relevance | Reason for applying, relevant experience, one or two examples |
| Written pitch or statement of claims | Provide assessable evidence against the role | Detailed claims, examples, response to the requirements |
| No additional document | Follow the stated process | Resume and requested form fields only |
Why the difference matters
The distinction is about purpose rather than length. A covering message introduces the application. A cover letter explains why you are interested and how your background connects. A pitch is the evidence itself, written to be assessed.
If a vacancy asks for a pitch and you submit a four-sentence letter, most of your case goes unmade. If it asks for a short covering statement and you submit a two-page document, you have not followed the instruction, and the material may not be read in the way you intended.
Where this series stops
This series covers covering messages and cover letters. It does not cover writing a pitch or addressing selection criteria, which is a separate task with its own approach.
They do draw on the same material, though. The specific examples you assemble for a resume or a pitch are the same ones a cover letter uses when it needs one.