resume-cover-letter

What this skill does

# Resume and Cover Letter Writer

Produces job application documents: a resume/CV, a cover letter, or both. Every output is tailored to a specific role at a specific company — generic documents are not useful.

## Before You Start

Gather these inputs. Ask for anything missing:

1. **Target role** — job title, company name, and the job listing or description (paste or URL)
2. **Mode** — "resume", "cover-letter", or "both"
3. **Region** — AU/NZ, US, or UK (affects format, terminology, length expectations)
4. **Candidate background** — current role, years of experience, key skills, education, career highlights
5. **Special circumstances** (if any) — career change, employment gap, overqualified, underqualified, visa/relocation

If the user provides a job listing, extract the key requirements and tailor everything to match them. Mirror the language the listing uses for skills and responsibilities.

---

## Resume / CV

### Regional Format Differences

| Element | AU/NZ | US | UK |
|---------|-------|----|----|
| Name | CV or resume (both accepted) | Resume | CV |
| Length | 2-3 pages standard | 1 page (<10 years exp), 2 max | 2 pages standard |
| Photo | No | No | No |
| Date of birth / age | No | No | No |
| Nationality / visa | Include if relevant (common in AU/NZ) | No (discrimination risk) | Include visa status if applicable |
| Referees | "Available on request" is outdated — omit entirely, or list 2 if specifically requested | Omit | Omit |
| Address | City/state only (no street) | City/state only | City only |

### Section Order

Adjust based on seniority and what sells the candidate best:

**Entry-level / graduate (0-3 years):**
1. Contact details
2. Professional summary (3-4 lines)
3. Education
4. Experience (internships, part-time, volunteer)
5. Skills
6. Certifications / projects

**Mid-career (3-10 years):**
1. Contact details
2. Professional summary
3. Experience
4. Skills
5. Education
6. Certifications

**Senior / executive (10+ years):**
1. Contact details
2. Executive summary
3. Key achievements (optional highlight section)
4. Experience
5. Board / advisory roles (if applicable)
6. Education
7. Professional memberships

### Writing Achievement Bullets

Use CAR format: **Challenge** (context/problem), **Action** (what you did), **Result** (measurable outcome).

Every bullet should answer: "So what? What changed because of this?"

**Too generic:**
> Managed social media accounts and created content for the company.

**Right approach (CAR):**
> Rebuilt the social media strategy for a stagnant B2B account (Challenge), shifting from product-focused posts to customer case studies with a consistent weekly publishing schedule (Action), growing LinkedIn engagement 340% and generating 12 qualified leads in the first quarter (Result).

Not every bullet needs hard numbers, but aim for at least 60% of bullets to include a measurable result. Acceptable result types:
- Percentages (increased, reduced, improved by X%)
- Dollar amounts (managed $X budget, saved $X, generated $X revenue)
- Volume/scale (team of X, X users, X transactions per day)
- Time (reduced from X weeks to Y days, delivered 2 weeks ahead of schedule)
- Rankings/ratings (achieved #1, rated 4.8/5, top 10%)

When the user does not have specific numbers, ask if they can estimate. If not, use qualitative results: "significantly reduced", "consistently exceeded targets", "recognised by leadership for".

### Action Verbs

Choose verbs that match the type of contribution:

| Category | Verbs |
|----------|-------|
| Leadership | Led, directed, managed, oversaw, mentored, championed, established |
| Creation | Developed, designed, built, launched, created, implemented, introduced |
| Improvement | Increased, improved, streamlined, optimised, reduced, enhanced, modernised |
| Analysis | Analysed, evaluated, assessed, identified, researched, investigated |
| Communication | Presented, negotiated, facilitated, coordinated, advised, authored |
| Technical | Engineered, automated, configured, deployed, integrated, migrated, architected |

Avoid weak openers: "Responsible for", "Helped with", "Assisted in", "Involved in", "Participated in". These describe proximity, not contribution.

### ATS-Friendly Formatting

Applicant Tracking Systems parse resumes before humans see them. Follow these rules:

- Use standard section headings: "Experience", "Education", "Skills" — not creative alternatives like "Where I've Made an Impact"
- No tables, columns, or text boxes — ATS reads left-to-right, top-to-bottom
- No headers or footers — ATS often ignores these entirely
- No images, icons, or graphics
- Use standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Garamond, Georgia)
- File format: PDF unless the listing specifically requests .docx
- Include keywords from the job listing naturally in context — not keyword-stuffed in a hidden block
- Spell out acronyms on first use, then abbreviate: "Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)"

### What to Omit

- "References available upon request" — assumed and wastes space
- Objective statements — replaced by professional summaries years ago
- Every job since high school — include only relevant roles (last 10-15 years)
- High school education (if you have a degree)
- Hobbies/interests — unless directly relevant to the role or culture
- Salary expectations — never on the resume itself
- Reasons for leaving previous roles

### Professional Summary

3-4 lines at the top. Not a personality description — a positioning statement.

**Too vague:**
> Motivated professional with strong communication skills and a passion for technology seeking a challenging role.

**Right approach:**
> Operations manager with 8 years in logistics and supply chain for mid-market retailers. Track record of reducing fulfilment costs (cut 22% at current role) while maintaining 99.4% on-time delivery. Looking to bring that operational discipline to a high-growth e-commerce environment.

Formula: [Role identity] + [years/domain] + [signature achievement or strength] + [what you're looking for].

---

## Cover Letter

### Structure

Three to four paragraphs, under one page. Every paragraph earns its place.

**Paragraph 1 — Opening hook:**
Why this role, why now, why you noticed. Reference something specific about the company or role. No "I am writing to express my interest in the position of..." — that is the most wasted sentence in job applications.

**Paragraph 2 — Why you (the match):**
Two to three specific examples of how your experience maps to their requirements. This is not a resume summary — pick the two strongest matches and give brief context. Use language from the job listing.

**Paragraph 3 — Why this company (the fit):**
Show you have done your homework. Reference their product, mission, recent news, company culture, or a specific project. Explain why this matters to you personally. Generic flattery ("I admire your innovative approach") does not count.

**Paragraph 4 — Close:**
Clear call to action. "I'd welcome the chance to discuss how my experience in X could support your team's work on Y. I'm available for a conversation at your convenience." Confident, not desperate.

### Length and Format

- Under one page, always
- Same header/font as the resume for visual consistency
- Address to a named person where possible (check LinkedIn, company website). "Dear Hiring Manager" as a last resort
- AU/NZ: sign off with "Kind regards" (proposals/applications) or "Cheers" (if tone is casual)
- US/UK: "Sincerely" or "Kind regards"

### Tone Matching

Read the job listing and company website to calibrate tone:

| Company type | Tone | Example phrasing |
|-------------|------|-------------------|
| Startup / tech | Conversational, direct | "I've spent the last 3 years building exactly this kind of thing" |
| Corporate / enterprise | Professional, measured | "My experience in enterprise integration aligns closely with your stated objectives" |
| Government / public sector | Formal, criteria-driven | "I address each of the key