For years we have heard that cover letters and Resumes were put through an Applicant Tracking System searching for ‘keywords’, which meant that some candidates were more likely to make the Shortlist and others missed out (and maybe never heard back from the Recruiter).  If we are looking to optimise our Cover Letters and ensure that we showcase our experience and credentials, is AI the way to do it? 

Australian HR Institute Chief Executive Sarah McCann-Bartlett said “You can use AI as a support tool to help you write your Resume or help you to write a Cover Letter [but] check it to make sure it’s accurate..and make it feel a little bit like you, because if you do get to the next stage, someone still could read your Application Letter and your Resume.”

What are the benefits and risks for outsourcing your Cover Letter to Chat Gpt?

Here’s some of the ways that your Cover Letter can benefit from AI:

• Efficiency:

If you’re spending forever trying to align your Cover Letter to the Selection Criteria required, AI can be a more efficient way of pulling out relevant data. It can quickly generate content for you, analysing large amounts of data to tailor the letter to the role requirements.

• Customisation:

Some AI models can customise Cover Letters based on the job requirements, highlighting the achievements, experience and credentials that employers want.

• Professionalism:

If you’re struggling to find the right way to express your credentials in a professional way, you can get some great ideas from Chat GPT – you might just need to adapt these to the tone and style of your writing.

Here are some things you need to consider when using Chat GPT for your Cover Letter:

**Positive Aspects:**

• Tone of Voice:

Your Cover Letter needs to capture your tone of voice. Chat GPT will use the tone of voice that fits the writing – perhaps a bit too formal for what you’re requiring in a Cover Letter. You may want to consider re-writing the copy so that it reflects your personality.

• Limited Understanding:

Chat GPT isn’t an expert on what your skills, experiences and credentials are. It is going to produce responses that sound OK, but don’t really have the depth of understanding of what you can offer the role.

• Risk of Errors:

You will need to read through your Cover Letter and correct any errors that might be in it. Ensure it’s a true reflection of your experience.

If you are using Chat GPT or another AI, you need to ensure you’re giving it clear directions. Chris Westfall, writing for Forbes has some great recommendations on instructions than can be given::

• Summarise the skills required in the Job Description into two categories: hard skills and soft skills.
• Summarise the job skills with the appropriate experience on my résumé, referencing company names and roles in my job history.
• Write five different ways to express enthusiasm and interest in the company and the position.
• Summarize the hard and soft skills on my Résumé and write a single, short paragraph on how my background and qualifications are a perfect fit for the job.  
• Rewrite this Cover Letter to align my background with the job skills listed in the Job Description.  . 
• Write five different ways to request an interview, at the Recruiter’s convenience.
• Please write this Cover Letter in a way that is more compelling for a Recruiter or Hiring Manager, based on my skills and background, in less than 200 words.

Using any content from Chat GPT should be avoided, but it can be a great place to start. It can provide some great suggestions and then update to reflect your tone of voice and language.