Resume and Cover Letter Writer
Produces job application documents: a resume/CV, a cover letter, or both. Every output is tailored to a specific role at a specific company — generic documents are not useful.
Before You Start
Gather these inputs. Ask for anything missing:
- Target role — job title, company name, and the job listing or description (paste or URL)
- Mode — "resume", "cover-letter", or "both"
- Region — AU/NZ, US, or UK (affects format, terminology, length expectations)
- Candidate background — current role, years of experience, key skills, education, career highlights
- Special circumstances (if any) — career change, employment gap, overqualified, underqualified, visa/relocation
If the user provides a job listing, extract the key requirements and tailor everything to match them. Mirror the language the listing uses for skills and responsibilities.
Resume / CV
Regional Format Differences
| Element | AU/NZ | US | UK | |---------|-------|----|----| | Name | CV or resume (both accepted) | Resume | CV | | Length | 2-3 pages standard | 1 page (<10 years exp), 2 max | 2 pages standard | | Photo | No | No | No | | Date of birth / age | No | No | No | | Nationality / visa | Include if relevant (common in AU/NZ) | No (discrimination risk) | Include visa status if applicable | | Referees | "Available on request" is outdated — omit entirely, or list 2 if specifically requested | Omit | Omit | | Address | City/state only (no street) | City/state only | City only |
Section Order
Adjust based on seniority and what sells the candidate best:
Entry-level / graduate (0-3 years):
- Contact details
- Professional summary (3-4 lines)
- Education
- Experience (internships, part-time, volunteer)
- Skills
- Certifications / projects
Mid-career (3-10 years):
- Contact details
- Professional summary
- Experience
- Skills
- Education
- Certifications
Senior / executive (10+ years):
- Contact details
- Executive summary
- Key achievements (optional highlight section)
- Experience
- Board / advisory roles (if applicable)
- Education
- Professional memberships
Writing Achievement Bullets
Use CAR format: Challenge (context/problem), Action (what you did), Result (measurable outcome).
Every bullet should answer: "So what? What changed because of this?"
Too generic:
Managed social media accounts and created content for the company.
Right approach (CAR):
Rebuilt the social media strategy for a stagnant B2B account (Challenge), shifting from product-focused posts to customer case studies with a consistent weekly publishing schedule (Action), growing LinkedIn engagement 340% and generating 12 qualified leads in the first quarter (Result).
Not every bullet needs hard numbers, but aim for at least 60% of bullets to include a measurable result. Acceptable result types:
- Percentages (increased, reduced, improved by X%)
- Dollar amounts (managed $X budget, saved $X, generated $X revenue)
- Volume/scale (team of X, X users, X transactions per day)
- Time (reduced from X weeks to Y days, delivered 2 weeks ahead of schedule)
- Rankings/ratings (achieved #1, rated 4.8/5, top 10%)
When the user does not have specific numbers, ask if they can estimate. If not, use qualitative results: "significantly reduced", "consistently exceeded targets", "recognised by leadership for".
Action Verbs
Choose verbs that match the type of contribution:
| Category | Verbs | |----------|-------| | Leadership | Led, directed, managed, oversaw, mentored, championed, established | | Creation | Developed, designed, built, launched, created, implemented, introduced | | Improvement | Increased, improved, streamlined, optimised, reduced, enhanced, modernised | | Analysis | Analysed, evaluated, assessed, identified, researched, investigated | | Communication | Presented, negotiated, facilitated, coordinated, advised, authored | | Technical | Engineered, automated, configured, deployed, integrated, migrated, architected |
Avoid weak openers: "Responsible for", "Helped with", "Assisted in", "Involved in", "Participated in". These describe proximity, not contribution.
ATS-Friendly Formatting
Applicant Tracking Systems parse resumes before humans see them. Follow these rules:
- Use standard section headings: "Experience", "Education", "Skills" — not creative alternatives like "Where I've Made an Impact"
- No tables, columns, or text boxes — ATS reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom
- No headers or footers — ATS often ignores these entirely
- No images, icons, or graphics
- Use standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Garamond, Georgia)
- File format: PDF unless the listing specifically requests .docx
- Include keywords from the job listing naturally in context — not keyword-stuffed in a hidden block
- Spell out acronyms on first use, then abbreviate: "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)"
What to Omit
- "References available upon request" — assumed and wastes space
- Objective statements — replaced by professional summaries years ago
- Every job since high school — include only relevant roles (last 10-15 years)
- High school education (if you have a degree)
- Hobbies/interests — unless directly relevant to the role or culture
- Salary expectations — never on the resume itself
- Reasons for leaving previous roles
Professional Summary
3-4 lines at the top. Not a personality description — a positioning statement.
Too vague:
Motivated professional with strong communication skills and a passion for technology seeking a challenging role.
Right approach:
Operations manager with 8 years in logistics and supply chain for mid-market retailers. Track record of reducing fulfilment costs (cut 22% at current role) while maintaining 99.4% on-time delivery. Looking to bring that operational discipline to a high-growth e-commerce environment.
Formula: [Role identity] + [years/domain] + [signature achievement or strength] + [what you're looking for].
Cover Letter
Structure
Three to four paragraphs, under one page. Every paragraph earns its place.
Paragraph 1 — Opening hook: Why this role, why now, why you noticed. Reference something specific about the company or role. No "I am writing to express my interest in the position of..." — that is the most wasted sentence in job applications.
Paragraph 2 — Why you (the match): Two to three specific examples of how your experience maps to their requirements. This is not a resume summary — pick the two strongest matches and give brief context. Use language from the job listing.
Paragraph 3 — Why this company (the fit): Show you have done your homework. Reference their product, mission, recent news, company culture, or a specific project. Explain why this matters to you personally. Generic flattery ("I admire your innovative approach") does not count.
Paragraph 4 — Close: Clear call to action. "I'd welcome the chance to discuss how my experience in X could support your team's work on Y. I'm available for a conversation at your convenience." Confident, not desperate.
Length and Format
- Under one page, always
- Same header/font as the resume for visual consistency
- Address to a named person where possible (check LinkedIn, company website). "Dear Hiring Manager" as a last resort
- AU/NZ: sign off with "Kind regards" (proposals/applications) or "Cheers" (if tone is casual)
- US/UK: "Sincerely" or "Kind regards"
Tone Matching
Read the job listing and company website to calibrate tone:
| Company type | Tone | Example phrasing | |-------------|------|-------------------| | Startup / tech | Conversational, direct | "I've spent the last 3 years building exactly this kind of thing" | | Corporate / enterprise | Professional, measured | "My experience in enterprise integration aligns closely with your stated objectives" | | Government / public sector | Formal, criteria-driven | "I address each of the key s