Activities · Cover letter
Draft a cover letter from a job posting you paste in
Paste a real posting you're interested in. Two prompts: one to understand what the company actually wants, one to draft a letter that addresses it. End with a rubric to keep it honest.
About 30 minutes. Everything you write stays in your browser.
Most cover letters fail in the first paragraph because they open with “I am writing to apply for…” and never get specific. The fix: know exactly what the company is asking for before you start writing, then address it directly. AI helps with both steps.
Find a real posting
Open a tab. Go to LinkedIn, Indeed, Handshake, or the company’s careers page. Find a job you’d actually apply for. Copy the full posting text (not the URL).
If you don’t have one in mind, use this sample to practice on:
Customer Service Associate (Part-Time)
We’re a growing regional bookstore with three locations. We’re looking for a friendly, reliable associate for our Uptown store. Responsibilities include greeting customers, answering questions about books and store events, ringing up purchases, restocking shelves, and occasionally helping with author event setup.
What we’re looking for:
- Someone comfortable talking to all kinds of people, including ones who want to tell you their life story.
- Basic computer skills (we use Square for checkout).
- Available evenings and weekends.
- No retail experience required. We train.
- Reading habit is a big plus but not required.
Start: immediate. Pay: $16/hour. Send resume and a short note about why you’re interested.
Ask AI to extract what they actually want
Before you write, know the target. This first prompt pulls the posting apart so you can see what matters.
You are helping an early-career job seeker understand a job posting before writing a cover letter. I'll paste a posting. Analyze it. Format: 1. Three-sentence plain-English summary of what the job actually is day-to-day. 2. "What they want" list: three specific qualities or skills they mention (use their exact words when you can). 3. "What they don't require" list: two or three things that aren't required that early-career applicants sometimes assume are required. 4. One honest question the applicant should ask themselves before applying (about fit, schedule, or lifestyle). Do not invent anything the posting doesn't say. Posting: [paste your posting from step 1]
Draft the letter with their words in mind
Now you have a target. This prompt drafts the letter using what they said they want.
You are helping an early-career job seeker write a short cover letter. I'll give you the job posting analysis from earlier plus a few facts about me. Draft the letter. Rules: - Under 250 words total. - Three short paragraphs. - Opening paragraph: name the specific role and one thing about the company or role that caught my attention. Do not start with "I am writing to apply for..." - Middle paragraph: connect two of MY actual experiences to two of the qualities they listed. Use their language when possible. - Closing paragraph: a simple line about when I'm available and one sentence that sounds like me. - Do not invent experiences I didn't describe. - Do not use corporate filler (passionate, results-driven, team player). - Avoid em dashes. Job posting analysis: [paste the extraction output from step 2] About me (edit before you paste): - My name: [your name] - What I've done before: [list 2-3 actual experiences such as jobs, volunteer work, school projects, sports, church activities, anything where you did work] - When I'm available: [evenings, weekends, full time, whatever's true] - Why this particular place or role: [one honest sentence]
Compare: what you'd write vs what AI wrote
What you'd write from scratch
Before reading what AI produced, think: what would your opening line be if you wrote this yourself? Write it here, briefly.
What AI wrote
Look at the AI draft. What did it do that you wouldn’t have thought to do? What did it say that sounds wrong or too polished?
Revise into your voice
Open the draft from step 3. Edit line by line. Cross out anything that doesn’t sound like you. Fix anything that exaggerates. Add one detail AI couldn’t know (a specific time you did the thing, a specific reason you want this job).
Self-check: does this letter work?
Check each one you can honestly say yes to. Saved to your browser.
What to watch for
- AI will try to sound impressive. Cross out words like “passionate,” “results-driven,” “dynamic,” “proven track record.” They make the letter weaker, not stronger.
- AI will invent experiences. If you didn’t mention it, and the letter says it, delete it. Fake is worse than humble.
- AI will miss what’s specific about you. Add one concrete detail only you know: the specific person who encouraged you to apply, the specific event you attended, the specific reason this company matters.