A good cover letter is all that stands between you and your dream job.
However, writing a cover letter for every job you apply for can be time-consuming and frustrating if you’re on a job hunt.
The whole point of the cover letter is to stand out from hundreds of other candidates, so every employer expects a unique cover letter. You must get the cover letter game right to score your dream job.
How to write unique cover letters for every employer without spending hours on them? Well, ChatGPT is one solution off the top of my head and a mighty good one.
ChatGPT can write cover letters and resumes for job seekers in seconds. In this post, I reveal all the tips and tricks for writing the perfect cover letter for your job search.
Let AI do the paperwork while you focus on nailing the interview!
What is a Cover Letter, and Why is it Important?
While applying for a job, you’d often notice the employer asking for two things: your resume and a cover letter. You must be pretty familiar with the resume, as it is the document that remains the same for all employers. However, a cover letter is unique to each job application.
In a nutshell, a cover letter is a document addressed to a specific employer that details why you’re perfect for the role. It’s different from your resume, as you don’t write about qualifications and experience. The resume already has that information.
The cover letter considers the soft and hard skills mentioned in the job description and mentions how you have the desired skills and interests for the position.
You can also talk about any additional skills you may have that align with the company’s goals. While a resume may look the same for every candidate, the cover letter is where you attempt to stand out.
Not only does it give information about you, but it also allows your unique personality to shine. This is why a well-written cover letter makes a much-needed fantastic impression on the employer. If you get your cover letter right, your chances of getting selected for any role skyrocket.
Benefits of a Good Cover Letter
There’s a reason why I am creating so much fuss about the cover letter. The perfect cover letter has several benefits. Here are some, to name a few.
#1 Builds Rapport with the Employer 👤
Why should an employer pay you any attention over hundreds of other applicants? You have the same qualifications and experience as fifty others, so what makes you so unique?
Through a cover letter, you tell your story. You tell how you are best suited for the role over everyone else. It also allows you to explain any gap between jobs or why you want to leave your current company and join a new one.
It gives you a chance to explain your situation. People love honesty, so the more real you are, the better the odds.
#2 Showcases Interest in the Role 📄
One of the most common questions job applicants are asked is why are they interested in the role. It’s a common question because it’s an important one.
Any company would want to hire passionate people with a genuine interest in the position. Your cover letter is an opportunity to showcase your desire for the role.
You can list why you’re intrigued by the position, such as shared vision with the organization, growth prospects, learning opportunities, good infrastructure, favorable references, and more.
Flattery takes you a long way in jobs, so appreciate the company’s vision and tell them why you’d rather work with them than with anyone else.
#3 Demonstrates Writing Skills ✍️
Writing is a soft skill that most employers appreciate, regardless of your industry. If your cover letter flaunts flawless grammar, sentence structure, and cohesiveness while detailing your experience, interest, and suitability, you will stand out from the people who didn’t put much effort into their writing. Good writing will shoot up your chances of being selected.
Cover letters can impress employers while showing your vibrant personality. The catch is that the cover letter has to be unique for every job posting, as the requirements of each posting may differ.
If you want to make the best impression, you must let the employer know that you have done your research right and are extremely interested in joining their company. Your cover letter conveys exactly that.
Writing several unique cover letters can be time-consuming and energy-draining for someone on a job application spree. This is where you’d love what ChatGPT can do.
The AI chatbot can write cover letters on your behalf. You can get many cover letters written by AI in just a few minutes, all unique, depending upon each unique job description and the prompt you’ve entered.
ChatGPT can whip up the perfect cover letter for any job role. Of course, you’d have to edit it since ChatGPT content would have a bit robotic tone.
Even though its raw content looks appealing, it’s best to add some personal touches to the mix and showcase your unique personality.
Here’s how to use ChatGPT to write a cover letter:
Step 1: Gather Relevant Information
The first thing to do is gather the relevant information for ChatGPT’s understanding. The chatbot will be able to generate results based on the input you give it. You need to write a concise yet detailed enough prompt to get the best out of AI. For this, gather as much information as you can about the job.
Go to the website that has posted the job. If it’s on LinkedIn, you can click the company’s page and find the posting on their profile.
Scroll down to the “About the job” section on the profile. This will contain the job description for the role. Other job platforms also have an “About” section that consists of specifics of the applicant’s expectations, including roles and responsibilities and relevant skills that the candidate needs to possess.
You can copy the job description to the clipboard if you fit the bill.
Step 2: Draft the Perfect Prompt
Next, curate the prompt for ChatGPT. All AI chatbots work on prompts, as it’s their way of understanding exactly what you’re looking for. The best results lie in perfectly written prompts.
The best way to write a prompt is first to provide some information about yourself, such as your experience, qualifications, aspirations, skills, hobbies, and more. Then, paste the job description and mention in one or two sentences why you’re perfect for the given role.
ChatGPT will sift through all the information provided and summarise the key points to create an engaging cover letter that the employer would love.
You can also decide the tone, flow, structure, and voice of the letter, depending on your preference. If you don’t want the cover letter to be too long or the employer has set a word limit, you can mention the letter length in the prompt. ChatGPT will generate the results based on that.
Prompt Example: Write a 300-word light-hearted and engaging cover letter for [role] at [company]. I have X number of experience and possess all the soft and hard skills required for the position. Here is the description of the job [paste the JD from the clipboard].
Step 3: Refine the Results
ChatGPT will generate the results based on the content you’ve provided in the prompt. You can tweak the results by providing more input in the same chat.
ChatGPT saves the information you give in a single chat. It’s as if you’re talking to a human writer. So, you can ask how and what edits to make in the draft it has provided.
Once you have a good enough draft, you can add personal elements to the letter, such as your hobbies, aspirations, strengths, weaknesses, growth expectations, and more.
You can also ask ChatGPT to add industry keywords in the cover letter. Some employers skim these documents, as they get many for just one posting. One way to stand out from the other applicants is to show the employer you know your deal. This can be done using certain keywords.
Another reason keywords are important is that certain companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline the hiring process. These systems are designed to analyze resumes and cover letters to identify relevant applications. They look for specific keywords; if the cover letter doesn’t have them, they are robotically weeded out.
So, if you want to pass the AI exam and score an interview with the employers, ask ChatGPT to do the keyword research and implementation for you.
Closing Thoughts
Cover letters are an excellent way to grab the attention of the employer with your quirky personality. While not all companies demand it, sending every employer a cover letter is best, so your chances of getting noticed shoot up.
If you don’t have the time to write cover letters, you can ask ChatGPT to do that. Ensure you put extra thought into the prompt, as only a good prompt can generate a good response from AI. Practice makes perfect.
Ensure that each cover letter you generate is better than the last. All the best!
If you’re unsure of how to write the best prompt, you can use PromptVibes to get instant prompt ideas that’ll give you the desired results from ChatGPT.