I wanted to get better—and faster—at writing cover letters. At first? Honestly, they were so cringe I hesitated to even hit “send.” But once I started using a basic prompt guide, things slowly got better. I got into a rhythm. The AI started improving too, especially when I gave it more context—like specific experiences that weren’t even in my resume.
But then, something weird happened. The quality started slipping. Even after cranking out over 80 cover letters, I still couldn’t fully rely on what the AI generated. It just wasn’t hitting the mark anymore.
So I figured… there’s got to be a more efficient way to do this. Something with minimal hand-holding. I tried setting up Projects and custom GPTs, fed it my best prompt plus 15 solid examples—but nope, still not quite there.
Templating
That’s when I thought: maybe it’s time to try templating. I’ve got enough strong cover letters under my belt—why not use those as a base to see if I can get more consistent results?
Step 1
Structure of the template
Dear [Hiring Manager or Team Name],
[Hook: Show genuine, specific interest in the company or role.]
[BODY – Ground experience in results and relevance.]
[Body: Connect your past experience to the role’s current needs. Mention what excites you about the role and how you can contribute.]
[Skills: in bullet points , matching the jobs requirement with skills.provide proof with work done.]
[Close: Express desire to speak further. Sign off confidently but humbly.]
[Best Regards,
Name
Contact]
