Resume Cover Letter

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:

1. Target role — job title, company name, and the job listing or description (paste or URL)
2. Mode — "resume", "cover-letter", or "both"
3. Region — AU/NZ, US, or UK (affects format, terminology, length expectations)
4. Candidate background — current role, years of experience, key skills, education, career highlights
5. 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.

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Resume / CV

Regional Format Differences

Section Order

Adjust based on seniority and what sells the candidate best:

Entry-level / graduate (0-3 years):

1. Contact details
2. Professional summary (3-4 lines)
3. Education
4. Experience (internships, part-time, volunteer)
5. Skills
6. Certifications / projects

Mid-career (3-10 years):

1. Contact details
2. Professional summary
3. Experience
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Certifications

Senior / executive (10+ years):

1. Contact details
2. Executive summary
3. Key achievements (optional highlight section)
4. Experience
5. Board / advisory roles (if applicable)
6. Education
7. 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:

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].

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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"