Write a cover letter that sounds like you
To write a cover letter with AI, give it the job post, your resume, and two stories that really happened. Pick one short draft and edit it yourself so it sounds like you.
Next step: do Step 1. Copy the box, fill in the blanks, and paste it into the chat.
A prompt is the message you paste. A Director check is a short look before you use the result.
What you'll need
- The job post
- Your resume, already checked. If it still has guesses in it, do Update your resume first
- Two true stories: a problem, what you did, what changed. A school project counts if that is your experience
Step 1: Hand over facts, not adjectives
Write a cover letter for this job using only the facts below. Do not invent employers, metrics, or personality traits.
Job post:
[paste]
Resume:
[paste]
Story 1, in my words: [paste]
Story 2, in my words: [paste]
Why I want this role, in one clumsy sentence: [paste]
Give me 3 options, each under 200 words.
Plain words. No "I am thrilled," "passionate," "delve," "leverage," "dynamic," or "team player."
Each option must use both stories and name the role.
Do not add a fact that is not above.
Step 2: Pick one and ruin the template
Read all three out loud. Keep the one closest to how you talk. Delete any sentence you would be embarrassed to say to a person.
I am keeping option [A, B, or C]. Rewrite it so it sounds like the stories I wrote, not like a letter template.
Change only wording. Do not add achievements.
End with one specific next step, such as that I have applied or that I can talk on a certain day I name.
Step 3: Put your hands on it
Type the final version yourself, even if you mostly keep the sentences. Change at least the opening line so it is not the chat's first sentence. Check the company name, the role title, and the hiring manager's name if you have one. If you do not have a name, use a simple greeting. Do not invent "Dear Hiring Team at a company I misspelled."
Step 4: Pair it with the resume
The letter and the resume should tell the same two stories. If the letter mentions a project the resume does not, add that project to the resume only if it is real, using the resume workflow.
Common mistakes
- Asking for a "compelling" letter before you have supplied a single story. You will get a costume.
- Leaving "I am excited to apply" in because it feels polite. Cut it and start with the work.
- Naming a product, a team size, or a result the resume does not support.
- Forgetting to swap the company name when you reuse the file.
Privacy: what not to paste
The job post is public. Your stories should be too, at least to this employer. Leave out a customer's name, a patient's name, or an internal project name your employer treats as confidential. Use "a client in retail" if you cannot name them.
Director check: look before you use it
- Is every story something you did? If a friend with your resume would be surprised, it does not belong.
- Did you say the company and role correctly? Check the post, not your memory of the post.
- Can you read it aloud without wincing? If a line sounds like a speech, rewrite that line.
- Is it under a page? A short true letter beats a long polished one.
One extra tip
Hard conversations after you apply, such as a follow-up or a no, belong on Write a difficult work email. Everyday replies are on Reply to work emails. Browse the rest of Work when this application is sent.
Common questions
How long should the letter be?
About 200 words is enough for most jobs. If you cannot point to the sentence that says why you want this role, it is too vague, not too short.
Should I mention that I used AI?
The employer is hiring you, not the chat. The letter has to be true and in your voice. Follow any application instruction that asks you to disclose writing tools.
What if I have never done this exact job?
Say what you have done that transfers, in a story with a real detail. Do not let the draft claim you have held the title.
By Joe Rangel · Last updated · More Work guides