Write a resume/CV or cover letter tailored to a specific role. Handles regional format differences (AU/NZ, US, UK), ATS-friendly formatting, achievement-focused bullets, and cover letter structure. Use when someone needs help with a job application, resume review, CV update, or cover letter draft. Triggers: resume, CV, cover letter, job application, career document.
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.
Gather these inputs. Ask for anything missing:
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.
| 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| Referees | "Available on request" is outdated — omit entirely, or list 2 if specifically requested | Omit | Omit |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 |
Adjust based on seniority and what sells the candidate best:
Entry-level / graduate (0-3 years):
Mid-career (3-10 years):
Senior / executive (10+ years):
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:
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".
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.
Applicant Tracking Systems parse resumes before humans see them. Follow these rules:
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].
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.
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 selection criteria below" |
| Creative agency | Personality forward | "Your work on the X campaign is what made me pay attention" |
| Non-profit | Mission-aligned | "I've followed your work in X for several years and share your commitment to Y" |
Too generic:
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am writing to express my interest in the Marketing Manager position. I have 5 years of marketing experience and am a strong communicator with excellent organisational skills. I believe I would be a great addition to your team.
Right approach:
Hi Sarah,
Your job listing mentioned you are looking for someone to rebuild the content strategy from the ground up — that is exactly what I did at Redgum Digital over the past two years, taking their blog from 400 monthly visitors to 12,000 and making it their primary lead channel.
The two things that stood out in the listing were the focus on SEO-driven content and the need to work closely with the sales team on case studies. At Redgum, I built both of those functions: a keyword-driven editorial calendar that targeted commercial intent terms, and a case study pipeline where I partnered with account managers to document client wins monthly. Five of those case studies became our top-converting landing pages.
I have been following [Company]'s expansion into the SME market since the product launch in October. The positioning challenge — making enterprise-grade software feel approachable for smaller teams — is something I find genuinely interesting, and it is the kind of messaging work I do best.
I would welcome the chance to talk through how I could help build out your content operation. Happy to chat whenever suits.
Lead with transferable skills, not job titles. The professional summary should bridge the gap: "Project manager transitioning from construction to software delivery — 6 years of managing cross-functional teams, budgets, and tight deadlines." Emphasise skills that translate directly.
Do not hide them or get creative with dates. If there is a gap, briefly explain it in the cover letter (caring responsibilities, study, travel, health — one sentence is enough). On the resume, list any relevant activity during the gap: freelance work, volunteering, courses, personal projects.
The cover letter must address the obvious question: "Why do you want this role?" Be direct about your motivation. Scaling back for work-life balance, pivoting into a new area, genuinely interested in the company — whatever the reason, name it.
Focus on adjacent experience and learning velocity. Show you have done something similar at a smaller scale or in a different context. The cover letter should acknowledge the stretch honestly while demonstrating you have closed similar gaps before.
List the company once with each role as a sub-entry showing clear progression. This signals growth and loyalty.
Deliver the document as clean markdown. If the user needs a formatted file, offer to create it as a .md or .txt that they can paste into their preferred tool (Google Docs, Word, Canva). Do not attempt to generate .docx or .pdf files directly.
For "both" mode, deliver the resume first, then the cover letter, in the same response.