If you're applying for a new job and are looking for AI tools to help you get a leg up, ChatGPT is probably the best way right now to do that. It's powerful and flexible, and many people use it for writing cover letters. Cover letters are vitally important in job applications, as they can help you stand out by showcasing your interest in a role, and by making it clear why a company should hire you and not someone else.
It's challenging to write a good cover letter, though, and you may find yourself mired in writer's block. That's why you should use ChatGPT for this task, and this is how you can do that. You'll need a ChatGPT account and a basic understanding of how the service works. Therefore, familiarize yourself with the service before proceeding.
How to use ChatGPT to write a cover letter
Step 1: Plan it out
As this ChatGPT response indicates, you first need to plan and outline the details you want to include. ChatGPT can't write an effective cover letter without information about the job you're applying for or the specific skills you want to emphasize. If you have ChatGPT Plus, it may be able to pull straight from the job listing, but you can still guide the free version of ChatGPT quite effectively if you don't have the upgraded version. You'll just have to provide the tool with the following:
- Job title and main responsibilities
- Key qualifications and skills required for the job
- Any specific points you'd like to highlight (such as relevant experience, skills, and achievements)
- The company's name and any details about it that you'd like to include
Some websites won't work with ChatGPT Plus anyway. If that's the case, you'll need to do this task manually, regardless. The questions ChatGPT asks me in the above screenshot are a good way to begin. Otherwise, feel free to ask ChatGPT what it needs from you for a cover letter.
Step 2: Fill in the details
Once you have all the details ready to go, use them to customize the draft that ChatGPT generated, further clarifying the individual responsibilities, skills, and other key points about the job. You'll need to be clear and thorough about your own experience as well. If you've also already used ChatGPT to help you write your resume or CV, you're ahead of the curve in generating a seamless cover letter. ChatGPT will come back to you with a cover letter based on what you provided during the resume-writing task.
The screenshot above is the cover letter that ChatGPT created based on the information I gave it from the job description. It's certainly not bad, and you can make any minor edits or changes that you want. However, if you'd like it to have a different tone or to contain more information, you can ask ChatGPT to do that for you.
Step 3: Optionally export to PDF
If you want ChatGPT to export to a PDF, you'll need ChatGPT Plus for this step. Simply ask it to export to a PDF, and it'll do so. Sometimes, however, the results may be a bit weird. For example, the above output did not scale right in a PDF and ran off the side of the page. I'd recommend simply copying and pasting what ChatGPT provides into a text editor of your choice, such as Google Docs or Overleaf.
That's it! Writing a cover letter in ChatGPT is quick and relatively painless once you plan it out correctly. It's also ideal for knocking this task out on the go, such as on a phone or tablet.
FAQ
Q: Why use ChatGPT for a cover letter?
For many of us, writing a cover letter is painful and arduous. It can be hard to figure out what to write and how to organize it. ChatGPT takes the most difficult part out of the process and makes it easier to present yourself effectively.
Q: What limitations does ChatGPT have when writing a cover letter?
ChatGPT can't always access job listing websites, meaning you'll have to copy and paste the job details. Also, you need you to provide all your relevant personal details so that it can create the optimal cover letter for you.