14 ChatGPT Cover Letter Prompts to Use for Your Job Search

Cover letters are one of the most controversial aspects of the job search. 

Some people advocate for them and see them as a unique opportunity to help candidates stand out when they otherwise might not have, while others see them as a waste of time. 

Luckily, whether you love or loathe writing cover letters, ChatGPT can provide a first draft in an instant that’s personalized to the role you’re applying for. 

And in case you’re unsure where to start, we’ve got you covered. 

In this article, we’ll dive into how to use ChatGPT to create a cover letter and, most importantly, ensure the cover letter you generate is still high quality. And spoiler alert—the way to do so is through a well-crafted prompt.  

At the end of this post, we’ll recap all the cover letter prompts we suggest so you can save them for easy access. 

So let’s get started!

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT (which stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a revolutionary artificial intelligence (AI) technology that OpenAI Labs created.

The technology understands language and responds naturally in conversation. Its algorithms can adapt to each exchange, which makes interactions feel personal rather than programmed. 

ChatGPT is such an impactful resume-writing tool that we've integrated its GPT-3 technology into the Teal AI Resume Builder. You can use this AI cover letter writer to create letters tailored to particular roles and write bullet points and professional summaries for your resume all in one place without toggling back and forth between ChatGPT and your AI Resume Builder.

The benefits of using ChatGPT in your job search

In today’s competitive market, the job search can feel like a job within itself.

Some people submit dozens of applications each week throughout their search. And not only are they doing that, but to stand out amongst a sea of applicants, it’s also vital to customize job search assets.

But who has the time for that? 

None of us did before ChatGPT, but the game has changed with its arrival.

ChatGPT is an incredible tool, and when used correctly, it can significantly help job seekers reach their career goals even faster.

Here are four key benefits of leveraging ChatGPT throughout your job search process:

1. Speed: ChatGPT can save you significant time when applying for jobs. Not only can it help you quickly create a compelling cover letter, but it can also help you apply for jobs, prepare for a job interview, and even generate a resume in record time. 
2. Quality: Job search assets generated by ChatGPT will never be 100% perfect—but they're a great starting point. So long as you’re giving ChatGPT the best possible prompts and direction, you can generate cover letters and resumes highlighting the most important skills and metrics for the roles you’re applying to.
3. Added Edge: A surefire way to stand out in a crowded job market is by customizing your resume and cover letter for each role you apply to. Very few job seekers are doing this, allowing the ones who actually do to have the opportunity to stand out. But when you're applying to hundreds of roles, you need a way to do this at scale. You can do it with a purpose-built resume builder (like the Teal AI Resume Builder) or get similar results from ChatGPT. With either solution, tailor your resume to focus on the relevant skills for a specific job to demonstrate your understanding of what the potential employer is looking for and enhance your chances of getting an interview.‍
4. Inspiration: Not only can ChatGPT help you generate personalized cover letters and resumes, but it can also help you get inspiration for them too. With the help of valuable prompts, you can ask ChatGPT to show you successful job search assets in your industry and create templates that you can use for each job application you submit.

Can ChatGPT write a cover letter?

Yes—ChatGPT can instantly generate a concise cover letter draft for you, saving time while ensuring all the required elements are included. However, it won’t be a perfect cover letter. Chances are it’ll be pretty generic and won’t accurately reflect your experience.  

To create a memorable letter that catches the eye of a recruiter or hiring manager, enhance ChatGPT's framework by weaving in a resume, job requisite, and specific tone and length suggestions. 

This extra information will help ChatGPT understand your unique strengths, values, and enthusiasm for the role and help you distinctly convey why you're an ideal candidate to the hiring manager.

Don't just replicate AI suggestions—revise and rework them to keep your cover letter concise. ChatGPT provides a useful launchpad, but humanity is the power behind a pitch that accomplishes your goals. The technology generates the draft; people perfect it.

What are ChatGPT prompts?

Prompts are suggestions, questions, or ideas for what ChatGPT should write or say.

And for ChatGPT to provide a helpful response to its user, it needs a thorough prompt with some background information.

Becoming a solid prompt writer takes time and experience, but there are also some best practices that you can use to see success with ChatGPT fairly quickly. 

Here are four best practices to get the most out of ChatGPT prompts for your cover letter:

1. Be specific: When using ChatGPT to conceptualize creative assets, it’s important to be as specific as possible. Being specific can include tone suggestions as well as length. You should also help ChatGPT be really clear on what it’s creating and how it can be impactful.  For example, “Write me a cover letter in a persuasive tone for X role at Y company. This cover letter should be engaging to read and focus on my experience in A, B, and C. Please keep the cover letter to no more than 250 words. Use short paragraphs.”

2. Provide Context: While the above prompt is extremely helpful, it’s missing one core component: context. And luckily, context is very easy to incorporate. You could still use most of the prompt above; you’d just also ask ChatGPT to skim a job description and resume that you’d paste underneath your prompt and use those resources to shape the final product. That way, ChatGPT could create a cover letter that’s really specific to you and the role you’re applying for. We’ll share a ton of prompts with some added context within this post. 

3. Use Multiple Prompts: Using multiple prompts is a great way to get comfortable with ChatGPT and the answers it provides. It’s also great for job search assets, like resumes, with multiple sections and requirements. You can use each prompt to mold a new section of your assets. For example, “Write me a cover letter opening paragraph for the content strategist role a Spotify using the job description below as a reference. Ensure the introduction packs a punch and will engage the reader immediately.”

4. Always Refine: While ChatGPT can be a beneficial tool for job applicants in their search, it should never be taken at face value and always be enhanced with the creator's own perspective and voice. The results are meant to provide suggestions—not be copied and pasted word-for-word. Think of these cover letter prompts as a supplement to your own thoughts and ideas, not an exact replacement. 

How to use ChatGPT prompts for cover letter writing

Now that you’ve gotten a breakdown of the fundamentals of ChatGPT and how it can help you create an impressive cover letter, let's get into the ways you can use ChatGPT to write your cover letter—and the specific ChatGPT prompts to try out for the best results.

We'll touch on three main ways you can use ChatGPT to write a quality cover letter.

• Tailor your existing cover letter to match specific job descriptions better
• Create a cover letter from scratch 
• Improve your current cover letter

To speed up the process outlined below, you'll want to grab a copy of your resume before we start. Now's also a good time to create a ChatGPT account and sign up for a free Teal account if you haven’t already.

Use these ChatGPT prompts to tailor your cover letter to a job description

Tailoring your cover letter and resume to a job description can be one of the most effective ways to increase your chances of reaching the interview phase in the hiring process! 

Here's how to create a personalized cover letter using ChatGPT:

1. Pull up the job description for the role you're preparing to apply for. (We highly recommend using Teal's free Job Application Tracker, highlighting the most important job posting keywords.)
2. In another tab or window, pull up a copy of your resume (you can create multiple versions in Teal's free AI Resume Builder tool, but be sure to select the resume most relevant to the role you're applying to).
3. Open ChatGPT in a third tab or window. Copy and paste each of the following prompts into ChatGPT one at a time, followed by "Shift" + "Enter" for a line break, and then the job description, your existing resume, and your current cover letter (when applicable). 
4. Take the responses generated by ChatGPT, copy them, and paste them into a new, blank document. Pull what you love, and remove what doesn’t accurately reflect or speak to you. 
5. Though ChatGPT can make suggestions, they're only sometimes 100% accurate. Edit as needed to ensure it accurately reflects your experience, voice, and excitement for this particular role. 

Here's a quick view of what that looks like:

The best ChatGPT prompts to use:

1. "Draft a persuasive cover letter in 150 words or less highlighting my qualifications and enthusiasm for the [job title] at [company] using my resume achievements below." [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste your resume achievements under the prompt.]
2. "Compose a professional cover letter demonstrating how my abilities align with the requirements for the [job title] at [company]. Use the information below as a guide." [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste the job description under the prompt.]
3. "Write a cover letter for [job title] role at [company] and include the five most important keywords from the job description below." [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste the job description under the prompt.]
4. Write a personalized cover letter for a [job title] role at [company] based on this job description and the experience in my resume. Don't worry about including the address or date at the top. [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste the job description and your resume under the prompt.]

Alternatively, you can use Teal's AI Resume Builder tool, which leverages GPT-3 technology and capabilities, to write a personalized cover letter tailored to the role you're applying for. 

Use these ChatGPT prompts to create cover letters from scratch 

When you ask ChatGPT to write an entirely new cover letter, you'll need to provide all the relevant information you're comfortable with in as much detail as possible. 

ChatGPT utilizes machine learning—so the more information you give it, the more it'll tailor responses.

However, we definitely suggest familiarizing yourself with their privacy policy before copying/pasting any personal data or information into ChatGPT so you understand how they use your information.

Here's how to do it using ChatGPT:

1. Pull up the job description you're interested in. (We recommend doing so in Teal's free Job Application Tracker, which highlights the most important ATS keywords from the job posting and removes a step when you ask ChatGPT to create a tailored cover letter. It also saves you from toggling back and forth between multiple job boards!)
2. You can use your Google or Microsoft account to create your cover letter in a Word document, Google document, or a similar tool. 
3. Open ChatGPT in a third tab or window. In ChatGPT, copy and paste each of the following prompts, one at a time, followed by the job description where specified.
4. Take the responses generated by ChatGPT, copy them, and paste them back into your document. Pull what you love, and remove what doesn’t accurately reflect or speak to you. 
5. Though ChatGPT can make suggestions, they're only sometimes 100% accurate. Edit as needed to ensure it accurately reflects your experience, voice, and excitement for this particular role. 

The best ChatGPT prompts to use:

1. "Show me an example of an impactful cover letter for a [role type].  Please keep the cover letter to no more than 250 words or less. Use short paragraphs."
2. "Write a cover letter for a [job title] based on this job description." [Press "Shift + "Enter," then copy and paste the job description.]
3. "Write a cover letter based on this [job title] position at [company] and include bullet point achievements that show impact and metrics." [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste the job description.]
4. "Create a template for me that I can use to create my first-ever cover letter in the [industry.] I am looking for a [job title] role. This cover letter should be engaging to read and use persuasive, intelligent, and clear language. Please keep the cover letter to no more than 250 words. Use short paragraphs."

Use these ChatGPT prompts to improve your current cover letter

Let’s say you already have a cover letter created that you’ve used in the past. 

You know it’s effective—but it’s also very generic. And you’ve used it to apply for multiple roles.
You’re also ready to start customizing your final cover letter for each role you apply to, but you’re not sure how to scale that process.

Luckily, ChatGPT is the perfect solution.  

For this example, we’ll use ChatGPT, Teal, and Google Docs to edit an existing cover letter.

Here's how to do it using ChatGPT:

1. Pull up the role you're preparing to apply for. (We highly recommend using Teal's free Job Application Tracker, which highlights the most important keywords from the job posting.)
2. In another tab or window, pull up a copy of your resume (you can create multiple versions in Teal's free AI Resume Builder tool, but be sure to select the resume most relevant to the role you're applying to).
3. In a third tab or window, pull up a copy of your most recent cover letter. 
4. Finally, open ChatGPT in a fourth tab or window. Copy and paste each of the following prompts into ChatGPT one at a time, followed by "Shift" + "Enter" for a line break, and then the job description, your existing resume, and your current cover letter (when applicable).ƒ 
5. Take the responses generated by ChatGPT, copy them, and paste them back into your document. Pull what you love, and remove what doesn’t accurately reflect or speak to you. 
6. Though ChatGPT can make suggestions, they're only sometimes 100% accurate. Edit as needed to ensure it accurately reflects your experience, voice, and excitement for this particular role. 

The Best ChatGPT prompts to use:

1. "Below is my current cover letter. How does it stand up to current best practices for cover letters? What should I do to improve it?" [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste your cover letter.]
2. "Below is my current cover letter. Please rework it to make me seem like an obvious choice for a new [job title] at [type of company.] [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste your cover letter.]
3. "Here's my current cover letter. How would you rewrite it if you were applying to this [job title] role at [company]? Include metrics in the achievements." [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste your cover letter and the job description.]
4. "Below is my current cover letter. I'm concerned it may not be attention-grabbing enough to stand out from other applicants applying for the [job title] role at [company]. Give me some suggestions on how to start my letter in a way that immediately captures attention and sets me apart from the competition. I've also included the job description for reference." [Press "Shift" + "Enter," then copy and paste your cover letter and the job description.]

Teal's AI Resume Builder now integrates with ChatGPT

Suppose you want to leverage ChatGPT but want to avoid the hassle of perfecting your prompt-writing abilities.

In that case, sign up for Teal's AI Resume Builder to generate professional summaries, write resume bullet points, and craft an effective cover letter in seconds.

Our latest update allows all members to leverage AI in their job search process in a variety of ways, including:

• Generating professional summaries
• Writing resume achievements
• Crafting highly personalized cover letters in seconds
• Tailoring your resume to specific jobs based on your experience

Here's what that looks like.

‍Can employers tell that ChatGPT generated your cover letter?

Most likely, no, it’s doubtful an employer would know that you used ChatGPT to write your cover letter—as long as you take the time to review and customize the content. 

There are tools that can test for AI-generated material (like GPT Zero), but it’s doubtful people will use them often for this purpose. But keep in mind it’s important to do as much legwork as possible and rely on ChatGPT only to create a first draft instead of a verbatim cover letter you submit instantly. 

Remember – your cover letter should be personalized, especially if you’re saving time by generating the foundation of your draft with ChatGPT. If you’re uniquely adding your own spin on why the job and company intrigued you, the hiring managers will absolutely know a real person was primarily responsible for the submission. 

A few final thoughts about using ChatGPT for your cover letter writing

Using a tool like ChatGPT or Teal to help create AI-generated cover letters can be a massive time-saver—but it shouldn't be a complete substitute for doing the work. 

That’s why creating a quality prompt that provides adequate context and guidance is crucial to your success. And, of course, enhancing and personalizing your final version is equally as imperative to make your cover letter stand out. 

We hope you find these prompts useful in your job application process! If you’re interested in identifying more ways to use ChatGPT in your job search, head here:

• How to use ChatGPT to write your cover letter quickly
• See how ChatGPT can help you apply for jobs
• Ways to write your resume with ChatGPT
• The best ChatGPT Prompts to use for your resume
• How ChatGPT can actually help you prepare for a job interview