# 01 Cover Letter Gen

> Generate tailored, professional cover letters from a job posting and the user's CV/resume. Use this skill whenever the user mentions cover letters, job applications, applying for a position, customizing application materials, or asks to adjust/tailor a letter for a role. Also trigger when the user pastes a job description and mentions wanting to apply, or references their resume/CV in the context of a job opportunity. Handles academic, industry, and hybrid roles across communications, UX research, journalism, and related fields.

- Skill: `emaduneme/01-cover-letter-gen` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add emaduneme/01-cover-letter-gen`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/emaduneme/01-cover-letter-gen/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- License: MIT
- Author: emaduneme (https://skillmd.com/u/emaduneme)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/emaduneme/01-cover-letter-gen

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# Cover Letter Generator

## Overview

This skill takes a job posting (pasted or fetched via URL) and the user's CV/resume, then generates a fully customized cover letter that matches the role's requirements to the user's actual experience. It preserves the user's authentic voice and never fabricates credentials.

## When This Skill Triggers

- User says "adjust my cover letter for this role"
- User pastes a job posting and says "I want to apply"
- User mentions "cover letter," "application letter," or "letter of interest"
- User shares a job URL and asks for help with application materials
- User asks to "tailor" or "customize" a letter for a position

## Required Inputs

1. **Job posting** (pasted text or URL to fetch)
2. **User's CV/resume** (uploaded file or stored in `references/resume.md`)

## Optional Inputs

- Specific experiences to emphasize
- Custom opening or closing preferences
- Target tone (e.g., more academic vs. more industry)
- Additional context about the company or team

## Process

### Step 1: Analyze the Job Posting

Extract and categorize:
- **Role title and organization**
- **Required qualifications** (hard requirements vs. preferred)
- **Key responsibilities** (ranked by emphasis in posting)
- **Technical skills or tools mentioned**
- **Cultural signals** (mission language, values, team descriptors)
- **Application-specific instructions** (word limits, specific questions)

### Step 2: Map User Qualifications

Cross-reference the job requirements against the user's CV:
- Identify direct matches (exact skill or experience)
- Identify transferable matches (adjacent experience that maps)
- Flag gaps (requirements the user doesn't meet)
- Rank experiences by relevance to THIS specific role

### Step 3: Select Letter Strategy

Based on the role type, choose the appropriate framing:

**Academic positions**: Lead with research, teaching philosophy, and scholarly contributions. Reference specific departmental strengths and how the user's work complements them.

**Industry/UX roles**: Lead with applied experience, measurable outcomes, and methodological versatility. Emphasize cross-functional collaboration and business impact.

**Hybrid roles** (research + practice): Balance both, leading with whichever the posting emphasizes more heavily.

### Step 4: Draft the Letter

Structure:
1. **Opening paragraph**: State the position, express genuine interest, and deliver a compelling hook that connects the user's unique background to the role
2. **Body paragraph 1**: Strongest qualification match, with specific evidence and outcomes (quantified where possible)
3. **Body paragraph 2**: Secondary qualifications, demonstrating range and versatility
4. **Body paragraph 3** (if needed): Teaching, service, or additional value-adds relevant to the role
5. **Closing**: Restate enthusiasm, reference what excites the user about the specific organization, and include a forward-looking statement

### Step 5: Voice and Style Check

Apply these rules:
- Warm but professional tone
- Declarative sentences; avoid hedging unless strategic
- No cliches ("I am passionate about..." / "I believe I would be a great fit...")
- Show, don't tell: evidence over adjectives
- Keep paragraphs to 4-6 sentences max
- Total length: one page (350-500 words unless specified otherwise)

## Hard Rules

- **NEVER fabricate experiences, publications, or skills** the user does not have
- **NEVER guess** company details. If uncertain, ask or note a placeholder
- **Always use the user's preferred sign-off** (default: "Warmest Regards,")
- **Always ask** before making significant structural changes to the user's established template
- If the user's qualifications don't match a requirement, either omit it or frame adjacent experience honestly. Do not stretch the truth.

## Before You Begin

Ask these questions before drafting any letter. Do not begin Step 1 until you have answers to questions 1 and 2.

1. **Job posting**: Has the user provided the job posting? If not, ask for it before proceeding. A letter cannot be tailored without the posting.
2. **CV/resume**: Has the user provided their CV, or is one available in `references/resume.md`? If not, ask. Do not draft from memory or assumptions.
3. **Emphasis**: Are there specific projects, experiences, or skills you want foregrounded?
4. **Connections**: Do you have any connection to this organization — referrals, mutual contacts, or prior interaction?

## Output Checklist

Before presenting any letter, verify:

1. **Role title matches the posting exactly** — no paraphrasing.
2. **Organization name is spelled correctly.**
3. **No fabricated experiences, publications, or skills** — if a requirement isn't in the CV, it is omitted or framed as adjacent experience honestly.
4. **Quantified outcomes are accurate to the CV** — no invented numbers.
5. **Length is 350-500 words** — count if unsure. Trim before presenting if over.
6. **Sign-off is "Warmest Regards,"** unless the user has specified otherwise.
7. **No em dashes anywhere** — replace with commas, semicolons, or rewritten sentences.
8. **Notes and commentary are separate from the letter body** — do not embed caveats inside the letter itself.

## Output Format

Present the letter as a clean markdown document. If the user wants a .docx, use the docx skill to format it professionally.

## Reference Files

- `references/resume.md` - User's current CV (must be provided by user)
- `references/letter-template.md` - User's base cover letter template (must be provided by user)
- `references/voice-samples.md` - 2-3 sample cover letters the user has approved, used for voice matching

## Test Cases

1. **Academic posting**: Assistant/Associate Professor at a research university
2. **Industry posting**: UX Researcher/Communications Specialist at a media/tech company
3. **Hybrid posting**: Research Scientist at a nonprofit or think tank