Paste in the job post and your experience, and AI can give you a solid first draft in minutes. Here’s how to get one that fits the job and still sounds like you.
AI chat apps like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot are good at the hard parts of a cover letter: a clear structure, matching your experience to what the job post asks for, and cutting a long draft down to one page.
What they can’t do is know your real achievements. Left alone, AI fills gaps with confident, generic lines. The rule: every claim in the letter must be true and yours.
Write a cover letter with AI in five steps
1
Gather two things
The job post (copy the full text) and your resume, or a quick list of your jobs and achievements.
2
Remove private details
Delete your home address, phone number and any ID numbers before you paste. You can add contact details yourself at the end.
3
Ask for a first draft
Use the prompt below. It tells the AI to use only your facts and skip the clichés.
4
Add one real story
Swap one generic line for a specific example: a number, a result, a problem you solved. This is what makes a letter memorable.
5
Edit and check
Read it out loud. Fix anything you wouldn’t say, and check the company name, the job title and the hiring manager’s name.
Start with this prompt (what you type to the AI):
Draft my cover letter
Help me write a cover letter.
The job post:
[paste the job post]
My experience:
[paste your resume or a list of your experience, with address and phone removed]
Write a cover letter under 300 words that opens with why I want this role at [company], connects my 2 or 3 most relevant experiences to what the job post asks for, and ends with a short, confident closing. Use only facts I gave you. Friendly, professional tone. Avoid clichés like “I am writing to express my interest.”
Match the letter to the job
Employers want to see that you read their post. Ask the AI to pull out what matters most to them first, then build the letter around it:
What does this employer want?
Read this job post and list the 5 things this employer cares about most, in order. For each one, tell me which of my experiences below shows it best, and what’s missing.
Job post: [paste]
My experience: [paste]
Make it sound like you
AI drafts can sound stiff. Give it a sample of your own writing so it can match your style:
Make it sound like me
Rewrite this cover letter so it sounds like me. Here are two short emails I wrote, so you can match my style: [paste]. Keep every fact the same and keep it under 300 words.
Cover letter: [paste]
Changing careers or explaining a gap
These are the paragraphs people struggle with most. AI can help you say it briefly and positively:
Explain a career change
I’m moving from [old field] to [new field]. Write one short paragraph for my cover letter that explains the switch positively and connects my [skill or experience] to this role. Don’t exaggerate.
Explain a gap
I took [time] off work for [reason, as much as I want to share]. Write two honest, confident sentences for my cover letter about it, then move on to what I bring to this role.
Before you send it
Every claim is true. Delete any skill, number or achievement the AI added that you didn’t give it.
Names are right. Company, job title and the hiring manager’s name, spelled correctly.
One page or less. Most cover letters are three or four short paragraphs.
Follow the instructions. If the job post asks for something specific, like a reference number, include it. Some employers also say how they feel about AI use; follow their rules.
Keep it private. Don’t paste other people’s details or anything confidential from your current job. See what not to share with AI.
Yes, as long as the letter is accurate and you edit it to sound like you. Think of AI as a helpful first-draft writer. Check the employer’s application instructions, because a few ask you not to use AI.
Sometimes, when the letter is generic or full of stock phrases. Adding one specific example from your own work and rewriting lines in your own words makes the biggest difference.
For a cover letter, the popular tools are more alike than different. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot all do a good job with the prompts on this page. Use whichever you already have.
You can paste your work history and achievements, but remove your home address, phone number and any ID numbers first. You can add your contact details yourself when you finish.
Usually under one page: three or four short paragraphs, roughly 250 to 400 words. Ask the AI to “keep it under 300 words” and it will stay tight.
General information only, not legal or financial advice. AI tools and their features change often; check the official site for current details.
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