Winning ChatGPT Prompt for Cover Letter That Gets Interviews

Writing an effective cover letter can be challenging. With AI assistants like ChatGPT, crafting a compelling cover letter that grabs the hiring manager’s attention is now easier than ever. In this article, I’ll share some winning ChatGPT prompts to help you create a cover letter that gets interviews.

The key to an interview-winning cover letter is specificity and relevance. Generic cover letters full of cliches don’t make much of an impression. With ChatGPT, you can easily create a tailored cover letter that highlights your fit for the specific role and company.

Here’s an example prompt to get a first draft from ChatGPT:

Write a compelling cover letter for the position of [position] at [company]. Incorporate the following information:

- My 5 years of experience as a [relevant position] 
- My skill in [specific required skill] which I have used to [accomplishment] 
- My strong communication abilities that have helped me [accomplishment]
- Why I am interested in this role at this company specifically 
- A summary statement of why I am an excellent fit for this position

Let’s break this prompt down:

  • It includes key details about my background and abilities relevant to the job
  • It asks ChatGPT to explain why I’m interested in this specific role
  • It requests a summary statement that emphasizes my fit

This provides the AI with the prompts it needs to generate a tailored and compelling letter.

Refining the Cover Letter

Of course, the first draft usually needs some refinement before it’s ready to submit. Here are some additional prompts I use to improve my cover letters:

Rewrite the cover letter you previously generated to have a more conversational and enthusiastic tone. Maintain the key details and value proposition.
Edit the cover letter to be more concise while retaining the most compelling information. The final length should be under 300 words.  

I may go through several iterations of drafting and refining prompts before settling on a final cover letter.

Personalizing With Additional Context

To further personalize and strengthen my cover letters, I provide ChatGPT with additional context about my motivations and interest in the company:

Append a paragraph explaining why I am truly passionate about the mission of [company] based on [specific personal reason or experience] and how I align with their values of [core company values].  

This level of personalization and specificity is what takes my ChatGPT-generated cover letters to the next level.

Pro Tip: I always explicitly instruct ChatGPT to never include false information or exaggerate in any cover letter responses. Integrity is key!

Cover Letter for Leadership Position

If you’re applying for a leadership role, use prompts that emphasize your management abilities:

As someone with [X years] of experience managing cross-functional teams of up to [Y members], craft a cover letter for [leadership position] at [company]. Highlight how my collaborative leadership style and ability to develop talent have driven business results.

Cover Letter as an Industry Switcher

Switching industries can create an additional challenge when writing a compelling cover letter. Use prompts that focus on transferable skills:

Although my background is in [current industry], I am now pursuing opportunities in [new industry] due to my passion for [aspect of new industry]. Please write a cover letter for [position] at [company] that emphasizes my transferable skills in [relevant hard and soft skills] and ability to quickly learn, deliver impact, and lead change.

The key is connecting your past accomplishments to the future abilities you will bring to the new role.

Pro Tip: Always review the final cover letter thoroughly for any errors before submitting. I also tweak sentences to add my own voice and perspective.

Helpful Resources

Need more cover letter inspiration? Here are some handy AI tools and resources: