Using AI for a CV and cover letter

AI is good at structure and wording and poor at knowing your life. Give it the facts and let it do the shaping.

Start with your facts, not a request

Write a plain list first: jobs with dates, what you did, numbers you can prove, tools you used, and what you are proud of. The model can only rearrange what you give it. Without facts it fills gaps with plausible inventions, and an invented skill on a CV is a problem you will meet at the interview.

Give it the job advert

Paste the advert in a marked block and ask: which five requirements matter most, and which of my facts answer each one? That gives you a map before any writing starts.

Ask for the draft with limits

Example: write a cover letter of under 250 words for this advert, using only the facts below. Do not add any skill, number or employer I did not list. Open with something specific about the role, and skip phrases like passionate team player. The limits remove the generic filler that every reader recognises.

Make it sound like you

Paste two or three paragraphs you wrote yourself and ask the model to match that tone. Then read the result aloud. If you would not say a sentence, change it.

Check before you send

Every date, title, number and tool must be true and match your CV. Check names and the company spelling. Read it for sentences that could be about anyone. Remove them. Some employers also ask whether AI helped, so be ready to answer honestly.

What not to paste

Leave out your ID number, full address, date of birth and other people contact details. Use the CV content only, and add contact details yourself at the end. what-not-to-paste-into-a-chat-window covers this in more detail.

Informational only

This guide is general information. It is not legal, medical, financial or professional advice, and the details change. You use it at your own risk, and we are not liable for any loss or damage that follows. See the disclaimer.