How To Write A Cover Letter Using ChatGPT?
The idea of having a logical conversation with your browser and having it answer all your questions as if your teacher is sitting before you has always been a dream. Now it’s here. We have AI in our hands and can use it in our daily lives in infinite ways. For instance, we can write a cover letter using ChatGPT and forego the trouble of writing an entire letter on our own. This article will tell you everything about writing a cover letter using ChatGPT.
What is ChatGPT?
Chat-based Generative Pre-trained Transformer, or ChatGPT, is a newly developed chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to generate natural conversations with users. This chatbot can give you the exact information you require as long as you ask the right question and direct the conversation on the right path. Therefore, you can ask ChatGPT about anything, from the recipe to your favorite marmalade to a formal yet friendly cover letter for your latest job application.
How can ChatGPT help you hunt for jobs?
ChatGPT has been created to make your daily tasks more manageable, like any other AI tool. For example, want to write a more professional-looking resume? ChatGPT is there for you. You can also use this magical tool to optimize your LinkedIn profile, write a letter of interest, and write a cover letter.
In addition, ChatGPT can advise you about the best career path for you based on your previous experiences and areas of interest. Think of it as talking to a career consultant for free, one that has all the information in the world at its disposal.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is that ChatGPT’s database is slightly limited to information that belongs to 2021 and before that. Therefore, the information it provides should be cross-checked with more up-to-date resources. Of course, ChatGPT responses start with a warning if the question you’re asking requires time-sensitive responses. So, you will know when to trust the answers you get completely and when to take it with a grain of salt.
What are the advantages of writing a cover letter using ChatGPT?
It feels good to be current and use the latest technology in your daily tasks. But using ChatGPT goes much deeper than this. It can bring you several advantages that really cannot be overlooked.
It saves you time
Having a personal assistant write you a letter precisely how you want saves you a lot of time and energy. You only have to give it the proper prompts and have some proofreading skills. It’s certainly much better than writing the whole letter from scratch.
It makes your letter more creative
Many people don’t know how to express themselves in an engaging and creative way in written form. These people can significantly benefit from ChatGPT and its assistance in the writing process. A letter that is both creative and readable can increase your chance of getting hired as well.
It’s free
The creators of ChatGPT have not yet set a price for using its services. Perhaps because it’s still a work in progress, and there is much to be done to create a perfect AI system. At any rate, ChatGPT is free for now, and it can provide you with a cover letter that will stand out in the competition.
What are the drawbacks of using ChatGPT for a cover letter?
Like any newly developed technology, ChatGPT has a long way to go. Its database certainly could use an update as it only contains information up to 2019. Regarding a cover letter, there are a few drawbacks to using ChatGPT that you need to consider:
It might look too generic
One of the weak points of ChatGPT is that the content it delivers you is only as good as the information you have fed it. Therefore, if your prompts are not complete enough, you will end up with a less personal letter than ideal.
There might be too many hallucinations
Hallucinations are pieces of information that are factually incorrect. They happen when the prompts you gave the AI system are too broad and vague. These hallucinations might lead to some unintentional lies in your cover letter that might cause you serious trouble later on.
Limited specialized knowledge
If you need your cover letter to contain some technical information in your field, or if you want to use some jargon that has a specific meaning in your line of work, remember that you have to explain everything very clearly in your prompts because ChatGPT does not have this data, especially if it is something cutting edge.
How to write a cover letter using ChatGPT?
As the AI system will do all the heavy lifting, the whole process is really straightforward and doesn’t take much time and effort. Here are the steps you must take to write a cover letter with ChatGPT.
1. Register in Open AI
To create the account:
- Visit ChatGPT page in OpenAI website and click on Try ChatGPT.
- Click on Sign up.
- Then follow the instructions to create the account. The registration process consists of entering your email address and phone number and confirming the latter with a message that you will receive.
2. Ask ChatGPT to write a first draft cover letter
This would be a generic letter without any personalized information about you or the company you are applying to. This draft will be completed as you give the AI system more prompts. The only thing you have to specify at this point is the tone of voice and the style you want your letter to have.
3. Give ChatGPT some information about the company
The more information you give the AI system, the more personal your letter will be. You can provide the system with the company’s name, a job description, a job title, and the relevant skill. It’s good to know that ChatGPT does not repeat the sentences exactly as you have written them. The sentences are written in a way to suit the whole letter with complete coherence and cohesion.
4. Add your resume
The next step is to add your own personal information and qualifications to the cover letter. Finally, you can copy and paste the whole text of your resume in the chat box and ask ChatGPT to include information from the resume to complete the letter.
The AI system will automatically pick the relevant information and add it to the letter to make it more readable and impressive. However, this is not the final step. You cannot create an effective cover letter just by restating the content on your resume. A cover letter has to include information beyond that.
5. Make it personal
This is the time to feed the AI system with as much information as you can about your personality, your unique skills that can add value to the company, your insight into how you can improve your work environment and process if you get hired, and so on. This information will give your cover letter the unique voice it sorely needs.
6. Proofread
This draft of the letter that you have received is far from perfect. You will need to heavily proofread the letter and add whatever you think needs to be added to the letter. This is your chance to make the letter less AI-generated and more hand-written.
The best ChatGPT prompts to use for writing a cover letter
- “Please write me a cover letter showing why I would be of great value to the …… team. Here is the job description: ……” and when you have the first draft, write: “rewrite this letter to incorporate my CV …….”
- “Please draft a (formal/informal) cover letter for the position of …… at ……. company”. After the first draft, please tailor this letter to include information from the job description: ….”. and, finally, ask ChatGPT to personalize the letter: “Please include my personal traits, education, skills, and experiences from my resume….”.
- “Write a cover letter for the ……. Position at the ……. company showing my education ……… and my experiences………….” And for the second draft: “rewrite this letter to showcase the value I can add to the company and its future.” And finally: “include this personal anecdote to make the letter more personal.”
- “Write a cover letter for a job as an IT engineer.” On the second draft: “Rewrite the letter to include the introduction and information on my resume.” On the third draft: “Rewrite this letter to mention information about the job. Here is the job description….”
- “Can you write a cover letter for the role of … at …? I graduated from … and have previously worked at….” For the second draft: “Can you include some personal information about me? I’m a …, I can …, I have … skills, and I can bring … to the company.”
Some points to keep in mind
- Remember that a cover letter is still a letter. You need to include elements such as contact information, an introduction, a body, a conclusion, and proper greeting and closing phrases.
- Do not over-rely on ChatGPT. Nothing can replace a human’s keen eyes in detecting shortcomings and mistakes in a text. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that you read the letter carefully and make changes whenever you see fit. Do not assume the AI system has generated something perfect for you.
Final words
ChatGPT is one of the most valuable tools humans have come up with in recent years. However, this is a tool, and like any other, it must be appropriately used to yield the best results. Therefore, it is up to you to give the system the appropriate prompts, read, and reread the final result to look for mistakes and hallucinations. Other than that, writing a cover letter using ChatGPT is much simpler than writing it on your own. So give it a try the next time you are job hunting!
FAQs
Is writing a cover letter using ChatGPT considered plagiarism?
Using the letter that ChatGPT has come up with directly can be considered plagiarism. To avoid that, you need to use the AI system’s letter as a model and make it personalized by adding your own tone of voice and personal writing style.
Can the company I am applying to find out that my cover letter is AI generated?
Yes! There are multiple tools to detect whether a person or Artificial Intelligence has written a text. To avoid any awkward questions, it’s highly recommended that you rewrite the letter ChatGPT has come up with and personalize it to the point beyond recognition.
Can you use ChatGPT to answer technical questions at an interview?
NO! Misrepresenting your skills and information is unethical and against many companies’ policies. You have to be honest about your knowledge in your technical job interview. You can get help from ChatGPT when you have obtained a job and need assistance with something.