AI Cover Letter Writing: A Guide with Tips

What Does AI in Job Applications Mean?

The increasing prevalence of AI job search tools is changing both the way people apply for jobs, and how recruiters and employers manage the hiring process. While the use of AI in the world of work hasn’t fully entered the mainstream, there’s growing acceptance of its use in some sectors, and for some types of work.

AI use for recruiters and employers

This is particularly true regarding recruitment, where AI usage can increase efficiency and reduce costs for employers. With the average employee changing jobs more frequently than ever, and increasing competition for jobs often resulting in hundreds of applications per vacancy, recruitment teams regularly feel the strain.

AI tools have helped employers cut costs and increase efficiency in their recruitment by managing some aspects of the process. Application tracking software (ATS) can automate certain administrative aspects of the recruitment cycle, including sending correspondence and scheduling interviews, but one of the greatest advances has been AI involvement in CV screening. ATS apps can now scan CVs more accurately than ever before, ranking the most suitable applications for the position and saving the hiring manager time by selecting only the best-fitting candidates for the role.

AI use for jobseekers

On the job seeking side, AI is also becoming more influential, offering solutions to help candidates improve their applications, making them more relevant and impactful. While you can deploy tools to write an AI CV or AI cover letter from scratch, this is rarely a fruitful approach. Instead, the most valuable AI job search tools tend to review existing applications and offer enhancements.

There are numerous AI writing assistants for CVs and cover letters that use natural language processing techniques to review your existing CV and cover letter content, and edit, modify and distil it to make it more relevant and impactful. AI cover letter writing apps like CVwizard give you the power to select a job title, add your content, then turn to an AI assistant to offer improvements to your original text. This could involve increasing the keyword density, editing the content down to make it more concise or simply adjusting language for clarity and impact.

Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini chatbot can also offer useful improvements to your job application workflow. This could involve asking for suggested improvements to a CV or cover letter, or pasting in a CV and asking how well it fits compared to the job description. You can also ask chatbots to review a job advert and pull out keywords, helping you to make your CV and cover letter more relevant and impactful.

Other types of AI job seeking​​ tools include apps for managing the job search process and interview preparation tools that can coach you to improve your job interview technique. In fact, it’s now possible to deploy AI tools to support your job applications at nearly every step of the process.

Using AI to Write a More Engaging Cover Letter

One of the most critical aspects of your job application is the cover letter. This formal, professional letter accompanies your CV and introduces you to the employer. Candidates typically use their cover letter to highlight a few of their key skills and achievements, and explain briefly why they think they’re a strong candidate for the position.

While your CV contains a more detailed account of your career to date, your cover letter gives you the chance to draw out key themes and create a compelling narrative. This can help the employer to understand how well you’d fit with the organisation, as well as understanding your motivations for applying for the role.

Letter conventions and formalities can risk your cover letter becoming formulaic, dry and unengaging. This can be especially true if you’re applying for numerous roles simultaneously, or over an extended period. As such, using AI tools can keep your cover letter fresh, engaging and relevant to each individual job application.

How to Create a Winning Cover Letter with AI

If you’re interested in using AI tools to improve the impact of your cover letter, follow the step-by-step guide below:

Plan your initial draft

The first step to writing a successful cover letter is to plan what you’re going to focus on, and decide the structure and format of your letter. Pick a few key skills or achievements that are particularly relevant to the role, and research the company so you can show your knowledge in your cover letter.

Draft your cover letter

While AI tools can write a cover letter from scratch, this will lack the personal touch needed to make a strong impression with employers. Create your initial cover letter draft personally, without any assistance from AI or other job application tools. Use a professional cover letter layout with the following elements:

• Header with your contact information.
• The employer’s name and address.
• A professional greeting.
• Introductory paragraph, confirming the role you’re applying for and expressing why you’re applying for it.
• Middle paragraph highlighting your relevant skills and achievements.
• Closing paragraph, expressing your enthusiasm and gratitude, and leaving a call to action.
• A complimentary close (‘yours sincerely’ or ‘yours faithfully), followed by your signature and printed name.

Use a professional cover letter template

Paste your cover letter into a resume and cover letter maker tool, or draft it directly into the application, to improve the look and feel of your cover letter. Add professional-looking design elements to make your cover letter template stand out from other applications.

Utilise AI prompts to improve your content

Whether you use an AI chatbot or a cover letter maker that has AI integration, this is the stage to deploy AI to enhance your cover letter. Specify the job title, and, if you’re creating a ChatGPT cover letter or using a similar AI assistant, paste in the job description for comparison. Either prompt the tool to review your cover letter and suggest improvements, or if you’re using a cover letter maker, activate the AI assistance and action the suggested optimisations.

Check your cover letter for personalisation and cultural fit

After implementing the AI-suggested changes to your cover letter, check it carefully to ensure the letter retains the personal touch and doesn’t feel too generic. Make sure you retain references to your personal ambitions, motivations, skills and achievements, as well as showing knowledge of the hiring company. Also be mindful to check your cover letter still fits with the local culture, especially regarding language (British English), format, letter-writing conventions and industry expectations.

AI tools can help to keep your cover letter fresh, engaging and relevant to each individual job application.

Tips for Responsible AI Use in the Job Search

Although AI use in job applications is becoming more acceptable in many quarters, it’s important to use it responsibly and ensure your CV and cover letter are still your own work. Follow these quick tips for responsible AI use in your job search:

• Avoid over-reliance on AI-generated content: Always start from a foundation of your own work, and use AI tools to edit, improve and optimise your cover letter.
• Check for privacy and data security issues: If you’re concerned about submitting your personal data to AI job search tools, check the privacy policies and terms of use to ensure you’re comfortable with how the tool will store and use your data.
• Keep your applications personalised and authentic: After using AI tools to assist with your applications, review your work and ensure it remains personal to your experience, with an authentic voice.
• Be aware of UK legal regulations: Never use AI to generate false or misleading information for your applications, as this could be considered ‘fraud by false representation’ under the UK Fraud Act 2006.
• Take note of UK job application cultural standards: Observe UK cultural attitudes and standards when it comes to your job applications. This means avoiding over-reliance on AI, using British English and ensuring your applications meet a formal, professional standard.

What Do Employers in the UK Expect?

Attitudes towards AI usage in job applications appear to be softening in the UK. However, reliance on AI tools to generate significant parts of an application, or using AI to write a CV or cover letter from scratch, is likely to be frowned upon, and may even disqualify you from the running.

UK employers will be looking for a personalised, authentic application that highlights your strongest qualities and demonstrates how you can put these to good use in the role. As such, your applications should be primarily your own work. However, if you can use AI tools to enhance the relevance and impact of your application without compromising authenticity, it’s worth considering. Always check the job advert to see if the employer explicitly states that they forbid the use of AI tools in job applications, as some employers still prefer to know they’re reviewing applications that are 100% the candidate’s own work.

Soft skills are becoming increasingly valued by UK employers. As such, if you use AI tools to enhance your applications for UK jobs, make sure it doesn’t neglect the inclusion and emphasis of relevant transferable skills in either your CV or cover letter. Think about the role and industry you’re applying for, and always check you have the right balance between soft and hard skills.

Key Takeaways for Writing an AI Cover Letter

Responsible use of AI can make a big difference to your chances of job search success. Always use your own work as the foundation, and deploy AI to suggest improvements that can help your applications have a greater impact. Avoid over-reliance on AI, and ensure your cover letter retains that personal, authentic voice after you apply AI-suggested improvements. Tools like CVwizard can enhance your applications using AI assistance, while also providing eye-catching CV models and cover letter templates to make your applications stand out. Sign up today to get started with CVwizard’s cover letter examples, templates and AI tools.