Using AI to write a cover letter: a good first draft, if you feed it your facts.
AI assistants are fast at structure and fluent prose, but they can't know your results, and they invent details when you don't give them. Use them for the draft; you own every fact.
You can use an AI assistant to draft a cover letter, but give it the job posting and your own facts first: the role, two or three results from your resume, and why you want this job. Ask for a one-page letter in plain language. Then edit: check every claim is true, remove generic phrases, and make sure it sounds like you. Never send a draft you haven't verified.
Illustrative examples to adapt
Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.
Prompt to copy
When to use: Any AI assistant.
Write a one-page cover letter for the [Job title] role at [Company]. Use only the facts below; do not invent results, employers or numbers. Job posting: [paste the posting] My two strongest relevant results: [result 1], [result 2] Why I want this job: [your reason] Tone: professional, plain language, no cliches. Length: 250 to 350 words.
Editing checklist
When to use: Before you send an AI-drafted letter.
[ ] Every result and number is true and on my resume [ ] The company name and job title are correct [ ] No phrase I wouldn't say out loud [ ] No invented detail about the company [ ] It reads as one person writing to another
Disclosure: TryHired makes HIRED, a paid job-search program, so we have a conflict of interest when we mention it. Every sample on this page is free to use without buying anything.
What AI is good and bad at
| Task | AI helps? |
|---|---|
| Structuring paragraphs | Yes |
| Matching tone to the posting | Yes, with your review |
| Knowing your results | No: you must supply them |
| Facts about the company | Check everything it says |
| Final judgement on what to include | No: that's yours |
The same line, rewritten
Illustrative example with placeholders.
| Version | Example |
|---|---|
| Weak | I am thrilled to apply for this exciting opportunity at your esteemed organization, where I can leverage my synergistic skill set. |
| Strong | I'm applying for the [Job title] role because your team is [specific priority from the posting], and at [Employer] I [result you can prove]. |
Why it matters: The weak line is the generic prose AI produces when it has no facts. The strong one is specific because the writer supplied the facts.
Mistakes to avoid
- Sending an AI draft without reading it carefully.
- Letting the tool invent results, numbers or company details.
- Keeping inflated phrases that don't sound like you.
- Pasting confidential information from your current employer into a tool.
- Using one AI letter for every job.
Build yours
Questions people ask
Is it OK to use AI to write a cover letter?
Can employers tell if a cover letter is AI-generated?
What should I tell an AI tool before it writes my letter?
Should I let AI write my whole application?
How this page is built
Written by Maid Dizdarevic, a career coach and 8x LinkedIn Top Voice. Advice is labelled as advice. Every sample uses a fictional person marked '(illustrative)' or a 'Your name' placeholder, and every employer, school, date and result is a bracketed placeholder for your own true details.
- What a specific employer screens for: always read the posting.
- Your results: we never invent numbers, and you should never copy a result you did not achieve.
- Outcomes: no resume, letter or program can promise an interview or a job.
- TryHired editorial guidance by Maid Dizdarevic, career coach, Nov 2, 2026.