Do I still need to edit the letter?

Absolutely. Use the AI-generated draft as a starting point. Personalize it with specific achievements or goals to make it truly yours.

Is it okay to use ChatGPT for job applications?

Yes, as long as you’re honest and accurate in the information provided. Think of ChatGPT as a writing assistant, not a replacement for your voice.

Can employers tell if you use ChatGPT to write cover letters?

Employers are aware that applicants use AI to write cover letters. They could be on the lookout for overuse of polished, but impersonal language. AI tends to produce text that is grammatically correct but overly formal and vague. This is why it is important to edit your letter to add in your voice.

What’s the best format to submit my cover letter?

PDF is usually the safest format to preserve formatting and ensure compatibility across devices.

How long should a cover letter be?

One page, ideally 3–4 concise paragraphs. Keep it focused and avoid repeating your resume.

How to Write a Natural Cover Letter With ChatGPT (+ Prompts)

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Can employers tell when a cover letter is written with ChatGPT?

Yes and no. If you simply copy and paste a generic cover letter that ChatGPT generates based on a job description without editing or adding your personal touch, then yes, it’s usually obvious.

Recruiters and hiring managers have seen enough of these templated, overly polished letters to spot AI-generated content quickly. They tend to sound vague, filled with buzzwords, and lack the unique voice or insight that makes a candidate memorable.

But if you use ChatGPT as a writing assistant instead of a ghostwriter, it becomes a powerful tool. By refining the output and adding your own experiences, you’ll create a cover letter that sounds natural, thoughtful, and most importantly, like you.

If your AI-generated cover letter clearly conveys why you’re the best hire for the particular role you’re targeting, by all means prompt your favorite AI chatbot and go to town. However, I’d like to think most of us can make stronger cases for our own employability than anyone else, and that includes ChatGPT and other LLMs. Get the ball rolling with ChatGPT, and then add your own personality with some tight edits if you want to speed up the writing process without sacrificing quality. Your words are part of your application, and you need the job more than an AI chatbot does, so fight your case as the skilled and experienced human you are with your own language.
Geoff Scott, Senior Hiring Manager at Resume Genius

How to use ChatGPT to write a good cover letter

Here’s how to use ChatGPT to get useful cover letter drafts that you can personalize to suit your needs.

Option 1: Use a targeted prompt

One of the easiest ways to get high-quality output from ChatGPT is by giving it a specific, detailed prompt. Instead of just saying “Write a cover letter for this job,” provide details about the role you’re applying for and your professional background.

A targeted prompt gives ChatGPT the right information to create a draft that’s more tailored — and much easier for you to edit into a polished, personal letter.

Here’s a prompt that will get you a solid first draft:

I’m applying for the following job. Here’s the job description:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]

Here’s my resume:
[PASTE RESUME TEXT OR UPLOAD FILE]

Please write a cover letter tailored to this role and my experience. Keep it under [X] words and use a [professional / enthusiastic / confident, etc.] tone. Make sure it:

Highlights 2–3 relevant skills or achievements from my resume
Reflects genuine interest in the company or role
Avoids generic or overly formal language

Option 2: Use our free ChatGPT-powered chat bot

If you’re not sure what to type into ChatGPT, our free ChatGPT-powered chatbot takes the guesswork out of the process. Instead of creating prompts yourself, you’ll answer a few quick questions about your experience, skills, and the job you’re applying for.

Once you’ve filled that out, the chatbot uses your responses to generate a personalized, well-structured cover letter that sounds natural and professional.

A screenshot of the Resume Genius cover letter GPT interface. — Just open our cover letter chatbot and click “Start my cover letter.” to begin

Once you’ve finalized your cover letter content, paste it into a professional cover letter template.

Additional ChatGPT cover letter prompts for different situations

Every job seeker’s situation is different, and your ChatGPT prompt should reflect your background and career goals. Below are several prompt variations tailored to different situations.

No experience/entry-level

If you’re just starting your career and don’t have much professional experience yet, ChatGPT can help you highlight your education, transferable skills, and enthusiasm for the role.

I’m applying for the following job. Here’s the job description:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]

Here’s my background:
[Include your education, internships, volunteer work, coursework, or projects related to the job]

Please write a cover letter for this role that highlights my transferable skills and enthusiasm. Keep it under [X] words and use a [friendly / confident / professional, etc.] tone. Make sure it:

Focuses on my potential and willingness to learn
Mentions relevant coursework, school projects, or soft skills
Avoids inventing experience I don’t have
Doesn’t apologize for my lack of experience

Mid-career professionals

If you’re a few years into your career, your cover letter should show growth and explain your next aspirations. ChatGPT can help you highlight your experience and impact while keeping your tone polished and professional.

I’m applying for the following job. Here’s the job description:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]

Here’s my resume:
[PASTE RESUME TEXT OR UPLOAD FILE]

Please write a tailored cover letter for this role that highlights my most relevant experience and achievements. Keep it under [X] words and use a [professional / confident / approachable, etc.] tone. Make sure it:

Emphasizes measurable results and key accomplishments from my past roles
Connects my experience to the main priorities in the job description
Shows why I’m motivated to take this next career step
Avoids generic or repetitive phrasing

Senior-level professionals

At the senior level, your cover letter should convey leadership, strategic vision, and alignment with the company’s goals. ChatGPT can help you communicate your value in a concise, tailored way if you provide it with the right context.

I’m applying for the following senior-level role. Here’s the job description:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]

Here’s my resume:
[PASTE RESUME TEXT OR UPLOAD FILE]

Please write a concise and compelling cover letter for this role that reflects my executive-level experience. Keep it under [X] words and use a [confident / strategic / professional, etc.] tone. Make sure it:

Highlights major leadership achievements and measurable results
Demonstrates my ability to drive growth, lead change, or scale operations
Aligns my background and achievements with the company’s mission or strategic goals
Avoids buzzwords, vague claims, or generic AI phrasing

Career changer

When you’re changing careers, your cover letter becomes your most powerful tool for connecting your past experience and skills with your new goals. A well-written prompt helps ChatGPT understand how your background fits the role, even if it’s not a direct match.

I’m transitioning into a new role. Here’s the job I’m applying for:
[PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION HERE]

Here’s my background:
[Brief summary of your past experience, relevant skills, and what you’ve done that connects to this new role. Include resume text or key bullet points.]

Please write a one-page cover letter that:

Emphasizes transferable skills and relevant accomplishments
Clearly explains why I’m making this career move and what excites me about this role
Connects my background to the company’s goals or mission
Uses a [professional / enthusiastic / confident, etc.] tone
Avoids overexplaining or sounding defensive

Tell-tale signs of a ChatGPT cover letter (and how to make yours sound more natural)

Employers are getting better at spotting AI-generated writing. If your cover letter sounds too stiff, too generic, or too polished, it’ll raise red flags.

Avoid these ChatGPT tells, and learn how to rewrite them into something that reflects your voice.

Repetitive language

One of the clearest signs of a ChatGPT-generated cover letter is repetitive phrasing. AI often cycles through the same sentence structures, which makes your letter sound flat and impersonal.

Example (needs improvement)

I’m a motivated, organized, results-driven professional with strong leadership skills. Colleagues describe me as a driven, dedicated, and hard-working team player.

This version repeats similar descriptors in the same list format without adding any real substance. It sounds polished but empty, which is a hallmark of unedited AI output.

Replace the repetition with concrete examples or varied language that demonstrates your strengths:

How to improve it

I’m a proactive team leader who focuses on clarity and collaboration. In my last role, I led a small group through a company-wide rebranding project, improving workflow efficiency and meeting tight launch deadlines.

Copying exact language from the job description

While it’s smart to echo keywords from the job listing, copying entire phrases or bullet points without adding context or personalization is a clear sign that AI was involved.

Example (directly copies the job description)

I am a highly motivated and detail-oriented professional with strong organizational and communication skills. I am a team player who thrives in fast-paced environments and would be excited to bring my passion for sustainable products to GreenLeaf Organics.

This cover letter might sound polished at first, but it’s lifted almost word-for-word from the job posting. It adds no original insight or examples, making it sound like an AI-generated draft with zero personalization.

How to improve it

As someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, I’ve managed multiple marketing campaigns under tight deadlines while coordinating with cross-functional teams. I’m especially passionate about sustainability, and I’d be excited to help grow your brand through thoughtful, mission-driven marketing strategies.

Making things up

ChatGPT sometimes makes things up, adding experience or achievements you don’t actually have, often drawn directly from the job description you pasted in. This situation can happen when your prompt lacks context or when the AI tries too hard to connect your background to the role.

Even if the result sounds impressive, claiming skills or achievements you don’t have is misleading and risky. If an employer asks about them in an interview, it instantly undermines your credibility.

Always double check the output to make sure every detail reflects your actual work experience and qualification.

Using buzzwords incorrectly

ChatGPT is great at sounding polished, but that can lead to overusing industry buzzwords that don’t quite fit. Dropping trendy terms like “synergy,” “stakeholders,” or “cross-functional collaboration” can backfire if they’re not used accurately or don’t reflect your actual experience.

Employers can quickly tell when these phrases are added just to sound impressive.

Example (too many buzzwords)

I regularly ensure Agile methodologies are leveraged across the board to maintain synergy in cross-functional workflows.

This sentence is packed with buzzwords but none of them are explained or tied to any real-life context. It sounds more like a corporate jargon generator than a thoughtful applicant.

Use simpler language, or if you use a buzzword, back it up with a real-world example:

How to improve it

In my last role, I coordinated with design, marketing, and engineering teams to align project goals and timelines. This cross-functional collaboration helped us launch a new product feature two weeks ahead of schedule.

Making illogical connections

Another red flag that often appears in ChatGPT-generated cover letters is drawing conclusions that don’t actually make sense.

AI sometimes links measurable results to unrelated actions simply because they sound impressive together. However, employers can tell when the logic doesn’t hold up, and it weakens your credibility.

Example (illogical result)

As an SEO Analyst, I boosted conversions by 30% by optimizing landing pages, refining internal linking strategies, and enhancing page load speed.

This version tries to connect SEO tasks with a conversion rate improvement, but the cause and effect are unclear. Internal linking and page load speed can improve rankings and traffic, but they don’t directly boost conversions unless paired with UX or conversion-focused optimizations.

Always clarify which actions led to specific results, and separate them from supporting tasks that had indirect benefits:

How to improve it

As an SEO Analyst, I boosted conversions by 30% YoY on two high-value landing pages by optimizing CTA placements. Working with the development team, we improved core web vitals across the site and saw a correlating lift in page ranks for 80% of pages.

No personality

AI tends to default to safe, polished language that’s technically correct but lacks any personal voice, so while the letter might read well, it doesn’t give the hiring manager a real sense of who you are.

Example (overly bland)

I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing Associate position at BrightSpark Agency. I believe my background in digital marketing, combined with my ability to work in fast-paced environments, makes me a strong fit for this role.

This example sounds like anyone could’ve written it. Try injecting a bit of personality instead:

How to improve it

I’ve been following BrightSpark’s work for years, and your recent campaign with EcoCart genuinely made me pause mid-scroll. I’d love the chance to bring my own creative flair and digital strategy background to a team that clearly knows how to make people care.

Frequently asked questions about using ChatGPT to write a cover letter

Here are answers to some of the most common questions job seekers have about using AI in the cover letter writing process.

Should I use ChatGPT to write cover letters?

Yes, but don’t send the first draft as is. ChatGPT is an excellent tool for brainstorming, outlining, or generating a first draft for your cover letter. It helps speed up the process and organize your thoughts. However, you should always personalize and refine the output before submission.

Can ChatGPT really write a good cover letter?

Yes, ChatGPT can write a good cover letter, but only if you guide it properly. Left on its own, the tool tends to create content that sounds generic. When used strategically, with a well-structured prompt, your resume, and the job description, ChatGPT can help you create a strong starting draft.

It’s especially helpful for improving structure, tone, or awkward sentences. That said, the best results come when you take the time to edit the draft to reflect your actual personality and voice.

Do I need to edit a ChatGPT-generated cover letter?

Yes, you absolutely need to edit a ChatGPT-generated cover letter. While ChatGPT can produce a solid first draft, it often relies on generic phrasing and may include vague or irrelevant content if not carefully prompted.

Editing gives you the chance to tailor the letter to your unique experience, making sure it sounds like you. It’s also your chance to add specific examples, correct any inaccuracies, and remove AI-generated fluff.

Build your cover letter in minutes

Skip the long prompts and formatting work. Try our AI-powered cover letter builder to create a polished, application-ready cover letter in just a few minutes.

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Articles Written

Lauren Mastroni is a Digital Content Writer at Resume Genius, where she creates data-driven career content and actionable job search advice. With a background in academic research, she brings a research-focused approach to topics like resume writing, interviewing, and career development. Lauren is dedicated to helping job seekers at all stages navigate the hiring process and present themselves more effectively to employers.

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