20 ChatGPT Prompts to Write a Cover Letter
A good cover letter does not just repeat your resume, it explains why you specifically want this job. Paste in the [job title], [company name], and a few details about your background, and let ChatGPT draft an opening that actually gets read.
In short: This page contains 20 copy-paste ready prompts, organized into 5 categories with a description and pro tip for each. The first 5 prompts are free instantly, no signup needed. Hand-curated and tested by the AI Academy team.
Standard and Entry Level Cover Letters
4 promptsStandard cover letter for a specific job posting
1/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] from [paste job description] and [your background], in a formal version and a more conversational one. Swap in the real posting lines, then send the tone that matches the company.
Write a cover letter for the [job title] position at [company name]. Here is the job posting: [paste job description]. Here is a summary of my background: [your background]. Give me two versions, one more formal and one slightly more conversational.
Pro tip: Paste in the actual job description, ChatGPT can only match your letter to keywords it can actually see.
Entry level cover letter with no work experience
2/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes an entry-level cover letter for [job title] at [company name] using [relevant coursework, internship, or activity] instead of job history, in two versions about potential and willingness to learn. Name the real class or internship, then keep the eagerness specific.
Help me write an entry level cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name]. I have no direct work experience, but I have [relevant coursework, internship, or activity]. Give me two versions that focus on potential and eagerness to learn.
Pro tip: Lean on specific projects, coursework, or volunteer work instead of vague enthusiasm, specifics carry more weight than adjectives.
Cover letter for your first job out of college
3/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a new-grad cover letter for [job title] at [company name] with a degree in [major], citing [internship, project, or club], with two different opening lines. Pick the opening that is not generic, then attach it to your resume.
Write a cover letter for a [job title] position at [company name] for a recent graduate with a degree in [major]. I want to mention [internship, project, or club] as relevant experience. Give me two versions with different opening lines.
Pro tip: One strong, specific example beats a full list of activities, pick the one most relevant to this job.
Cover letter highlighting transferable skills
4/20✨ What it does
This prompt drafts a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] that maps [previous field or role] to [skill 1] and [skill 2], in two versions. Keep only the skills the posting actually asks for, then cut the rest.
Draft a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name] where my past experience is in [previous field or role], not this exact field. Focus on transferable skills like [skill 1] and [skill 2]. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Name the transferable skill explicitly rather than assuming the hiring manager will connect the dots themselves.
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Career Change Cover Letters
4 promptsCover letter for a complete career change
5/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a confident, not apologetic cover letter moving from [old field] into [job title] at [company name] in [new field], in two versions. Drop any line that sounds sorry for the switch, then send the bolder take.
Write a cover letter for someone moving from a career in [old field] into a [job title] role at [company name] in [new field]. I want to sound confident, not apologetic, about the switch. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Say why this field, not just why you are leaving the old one, hiring managers want to see genuine interest, not just an exit.
Cover letter explaining a career pivot to a new industry
6/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] with a one-or-two-sentence reason you are pivoting into [new industry] after [number] years in [old industry], in two versions. Keep that explanation short, then get back to why you fit the role.
Help me write a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name], explaining briefly why I am pivoting into [new industry] after working in [old industry] for [number] years. Keep the explanation to one or two sentences and give me two versions.
Pro tip: Keep the 'why I switched' part brief, one strong sentence is more convincing than a long justification.
Cover letter for returning to work after a break
7/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a confident cover letter for [job title] at [company name] after a [length of time] break for [reason, e.g. caregiving or travel], in two versions that do not sound defensive. Mention the break once, then move to what you bring now.
Write a cover letter for a [job title] position at [company name] for someone returning to work after a [length of time] break for [reason, e.g. caregiving or travel]. I want the tone confident, not defensive. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: One sentence acknowledging the gap is enough, then move straight back to your skills and what you bring now.
Cover letter for switching from freelance to full time
8/20✨ What it does
This prompt drafts a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] after [number] years of freelance work, highlighting [key freelance achievement or client], in two versions. Name a result you can prove, then treat freelance years as real experience.
Draft a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name] for someone moving from [number] years of freelance or contract work into a full time position. Highlight [key freelance achievement or client]. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Mention a concrete freelance outcome, like a client result or project, rather than describing freelancing in general terms.
Role and Industry Specific Cover Letters
4 promptsCover letter for a tech or software job
9/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a direct cover letter for a [job title, e.g. software engineer or product manager] role at [company name], citing [tool, language, or project] and skipping buzzwords, in two versions. Keep the tools you actually used, then cut any empty praise.
Write a cover letter for a [job title, e.g. software engineer or product manager] role at [company name]. Mention my experience with [tool, language, or project]. Keep it direct and avoid generic buzzwords, give me two versions.
Pro tip: Name a specific tool, language, or shipped project, tech hiring managers skim past generic enthusiasm.
Cover letter for a marketing or creative role
10/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a cover letter with some personality for [job title] at [company name], mentioning [campaign, platform, or project], in two versions that stay professional. Add one line that sounds like you, then keep the rest tight.
Help me write a cover letter for a [job title] position at [company name] in marketing or a creative field. I want it to show personality while staying professional. Mention my experience with [campaign, platform, or project]. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Let your writing style itself demonstrate the skill you are applying for, the letter is a small sample of your work.
Cover letter for a customer facing or sales role
11/20✨ What it does
This prompt drafts a cover letter for a [job title, e.g. account executive or customer success manager] role at [company name], leading with [a specific result, like a sales number or retention metric], with two opening hooks. Use a number you can defend, then pick the hook that is not hype.
Draft a cover letter for a [job title, e.g. account executive or customer success manager] role at [company name]. I want to highlight [a specific result, like a sales number or retention metric]. Give me two versions with different opening hooks.
Pro tip: A specific number, like a percentage or dollar figure, is far more convincing than describing yourself as 'results driven'.
Cover letter for a remote position
12/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a cover letter for a remote [job title] at [company name], briefly saying why you work well remotely with [tool or habit, like async communication or a home office setup], in two versions. Mention remote readiness once, then get back to the work.
Write a cover letter for a fully remote [job title] role at [company name]. I want to briefly address why I work well remotely, mentioning [tool or habit, like async communication or a home office setup]. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: One or two sentences on remote readiness is plenty, the rest of the letter should still focus on the actual job.
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Short and Modern Cover Letters
4 promptsShort three paragraph cover letter
13/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a three-paragraph cover letter under 200 words for [job title] at [company name] from [your background], in two versions. Stick to three short paragraphs, then stop adding a fourth.
Write a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name] in exactly three short paragraphs, under 200 words total. Base it on my background: [your background]. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Cut anything that repeats your resume word for word, the letter should add context, not duplicate it.
Cover letter in a casual modern tone for a startup
14/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a conversational cover letter for [job title] at [startup name] that stays professional without sounding stiff, in two versions. Read it as if you were emailing the founder, then send the less formal one if the culture is casual.
Help me write a cover letter for a [job title] role at [startup name], a smaller company with a casual culture. I want it to sound conversational, not stiff, while still being professional. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Check the company's own website or job posting tone first, 'casual' should still match how they actually talk about themselves.
Cover letter as a brief email instead of an attachment
15/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a short cover letter as an email body for [job title] at [company name], including a subject line, in two versions. Paste it into the email, then do not also attach a longer letter unless they asked.
Write a short cover letter formatted as an email body, not a formal attached letter, for a [job title] position at [company name]. Include a subject line. Give me two versions of the email.
Pro tip: Skip the formal date and address block for an email version, it reads as unnecessary when it is already inside an email.
Cover letter opening line that grabs attention
16/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes five opening sentences for a [job title] cover letter at [company name] from [your background], avoiding a generic I-am-writing-to-apply line. Steal one opener, then write the rest of the letter yourself.
Give me five different opening sentences for a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name], based on this background: [your background]. Avoid generic phrases like 'I am writing to apply for'.
Pro tip: Pick the opening that could only apply to you, if it could be copy pasted into any other application, keep looking.
Cover Letters for Special Situations
4 promptsCover letter for an internal promotion or transfer
17/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes an internal cover letter from [current title] to [new title] at [company name], mentioning [an internal project or result], in two versions. Name a project people there already know, then send it through the internal process.
Write a cover letter for an internal application to move from my current role as [current title] into [new title] at [company name], where I already work. Mention [an internal project or result]. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Reference something the hiring manager can actually verify internally, like a project they may already know about.
Cover letter when you were referred by someone at the company
18/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] that mentions a referral from [referrer's name] as [their role], in a version that names them early and one that names them later. Ask the referrer before you use their name, then pick the placement that feels natural.
Help me write a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name], mentioning that I was referred by [referrer's name], who works there as [their role]. Give me two versions, one that mentions them early and one that mentions them later.
Pro tip: Confirm with your referrer that it is okay to use their name before you send the letter.
Cover letter addressing an employment gap
19/20✨ What it does
This prompt writes a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] that briefly owns a [length of time] gap due to [reason], then pivots to your qualifications, in two versions. Keep the gap to one or two sentences, then get back to the fit.
Write a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name] that briefly acknowledges a [length of time] gap in my resume due to [reason]. Keep the explanation short and confident, then pivot back to my qualifications. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: One honest sentence about the gap is enough, over-explaining draws more attention to it than a brief mention would.
Cover letter for a job you are overqualified for
20/20✨ What it does
This prompt drafts a cover letter for [job title] at [company name] when you are more senior than usual, explaining genuine interest in [reason, e.g. work life balance or a career reset] without sounding like you are settling, in two versions. Make the reason true, then send only if you would take the job.
Draft a cover letter for a [job title] role at [company name] where my background is more senior than the role typically requires. I want to explain my genuine interest in [reason, e.g. work life balance or a career reset] without sounding like I am settling. Give me two versions.
Pro tip: Give a real, specific reason for wanting this level of role, vague reassurance reads as less convincing than an honest one.
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