5 Steps to Write a Targeted Cover Letter with ChatGPT

Ready-to-use prompts to craft a targeted, professional cover letter that aligns your skills and experiences with your dream job's requirements.

ChatGPT is a powerful mentor for navigating your career path and personal growth. However, if you send a prompt like 'Write me a cover letter for company X' and expect a ready-to-send cover letter immediately, it doesn’t work that way.

The most effective way to use ChatGPT is to treat it like a human being. Imagine how you would brief a task to your team member or a friend, and then apply it to ChatGPT. In this 5-step process, we will brief ChatGPT to tailor a targeted cover letter for you and your dream job.

Step 1: Brief through the entire process with ChatGPT

To maximize the potential of ChatGPT, it’s essential to approach the process systematically. Let’s start with a detailed briefing to set the foundation.

Prompt:

“You are an experienced career coach. I need you to guide me in writing a targeted cover letter that can cover the job description’s requirements and my personal experience. With your own experience, keep in mind what a recruiter would want to look for in the letter, and how the letter can stand out to them. 

Here are the steps we will go through:

1. I send you the job description and you highlight the most important keywords.
2. I send you my resumé and ask you which experience I should highlight in the cover letter to emphasize the keywords the job is looking for.
3. Write the cover letter.
4. You proofread the cover letter after I edit it to match my own tone and voice.

Is the process clear to you?”

Step 2: Identify the main requirements of the job

Once ChatGPT understands the process, the next step is to dive into the job description and identify the key traits and qualifications the ideal candidate should possess.

Prompt:

“Attached is the job description. Can you help me highlight the most important keywords about an ideal candidate they are looking for? Please specify which requirements are the must-have and which are nice-to-have.”

Step 3: Choose the experience to emphasize in the cover letter

With the main requirements outlined, we now focus on aligning your experiences to these qualifications, ensuring they stand out effectively in your application.

Prompt:

“Based on my resumé and the main requirements you have identified, which experiences should I highlight in the cover letter, and how they can help me stand out?”

‍Step 4: Write the cover letter

Having identified the most relevant experiences, it’s time to let ChatGPT help craft a compelling, tailored cover letter that connects your skills with the job's needs.

Prompt:

“Based on all the information you have, please help me write a cover letter that can make me a strong candidate for the job. In the process, you should focus on authenticity and relevancy. You should ensure all keywords in the job description are mentioned but avoid keyword stuffing. Show, don’t tell. Illustrate each skill with my relevant experience. 

(Optional) Here is my current cover letter template.”

Step 5: Ask ChatGPT to proofread the final version

Finally, after refining the initial draft to match your voice and tone, ChatGPT can assist with a critical review to ensure your cover letter is polished and specific.

Prompt:

“Here is the version I have edited with my tone and voice, and elaborating the specific tasks I have done in my past roles. As a career coach, please be critical and give me feedback on the strength of my cover letter and suggest how I can make it more specific for this role.”

By following these five steps, you can use ChatGPT as a helpful partner to create a personalized and thoughtful cover letter. This approach not only helps you tailor your application but also gives you a clearer understanding of how to present your skills and experiences in the best way. I’d love to hear how these steps worked for you! Feel free to share your feedback, tips, or ideas for future guides.

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