How to write a cover letter with AI that does not sound generic
A cover letter has a simple job: to show a hiring manager, in about a minute of reading, why you are worth meeting for this particular role. Most cover letters fail because they sound the same. AI can produce a smooth draft in seconds, but smooth is not the same as convincing. This guide shows how to use AI for the drafting while keeping the substance, the proof and the voice your own.
What a good cover letter does
It answers three questions: why this job, why this company, and why you. It does not repeat your CV line by line. Instead it picks two or three points from your experience that matter most to this employer and explains them in a few sentences. Aim for one page, roughly 250 to 350 words.
Step 1: Write down three real points
Before using any AI tool, choose three things you have done that match the job: a result you achieved, a skill the advert asks for, and a genuine reason you want this role. Write each in one or two plain sentences. These are the parts AI cannot know, and they are what will make your letter different from everyone else’s.
Step 2: Find one specific detail about the company
Spend ten minutes on the company’s own website or recent news. Note one real detail: a product, a project, a value they state, or a change they are making. One accurate detail shows genuine interest. Do not rely on AI for company facts, because it can be out of date or wrong.
Step 3: Give the AI the material and strict rules
Paste the job advert, your CV, your three points and your company detail. Then set clear limits.
Step 4: Check the structure
A reader should know within the first two sentences which job you want and why you are a fit. The middle should contain evidence, not adjectives. The ending should be simple: thank them and say you would welcome a chat. If the draft opens with a long story about your childhood love of the industry, cut it.
Weak: “I am a hard-working professional with a passion for marketing.”
Stronger: “At my last job I rewrote our email newsletter and our open rate went from 18% to 27% in three months, which is the kind of result I would like to bring to your growth team.” Use a sentence like the second only if the numbers are true.
Step 5: Edit it into your own voice
Read the letter aloud. Any sentence you would never say in a conversation should be rewritten. Shorten long sentences, remove stock phrases and replace vague claims with specific ones. Typical AI giveaways include “I am excited to leverage my skills”, “proven track record” and “dynamic environment”. If you can swap in a plain sentence, do it.
Step 6: Check every detail
Confirm the company name, the job title, the hiring manager’s name if you have it, the dates and the spelling. Copy-and-paste mistakes, such as leaving another company’s name in the letter, are among the fastest ways to be rejected. Then ask the AI to act as a critic, not a writer.
Common mistakes
Repeating your CV, writing more than one page, using the same letter for every job, praising the company without a specific detail, apologising for lack of experience, and sending a draft you have not read twice.
Common questions
Do I always need a cover letter? If the advert asks for one, yes. If it is optional, a short, specific letter can still help you stand out.
Can I reuse one letter? Keep a master version of your three points, but rewrite the opening and the company detail for each application.
Should I mention that I used AI? There is usually no need, as long as the letter is true and you can discuss everything in it. What matters is that the content is accurate and yours.