# Cover letter that only you could have written for this job

> Writes a 220-280 word cover letter tied to one company and your real evidence, bans the usual filler, then audits every claim and generic sentence.

- **Author:** [Charlotte Bennett (@charlotte_bennett)](https://promptabide.com/charlotte_bennett)
- **Tested on:** Claude · Opus 5.5
- **You fill in:** `job_posting`, `company_notes`, `experience`, `real_reason`
- **Published:** 2026-09-12
- **Updated:** 2026-09-24
- **Tags:** `job-search`, `writing`, `career`, `copywriting`
- **Keywords:** cover letter that is not generic, specific cover letter example, cover letter prompt without buzzwords, write a cover letter for startup job, ai cover letter that sounds human
- **Views:** 1806
- **Likes:** 28

**Best for:** Applicants to smaller companies and mission-driven roles where a real cover letter still gets read, and a generic AI-sounding one hurts.

## Prompt

```
Write a cover letter for this application that could only have been written by me, for this company. If a sentence would work in anyone else's letter, cut it.

Job posting: {{job_posting}}
What I know about the company (site, product, news): {{company_notes}}
My relevant experience: {{experience}}
Why I actually want this job: {{real_reason}}

Structure (220-280 words total):
- Opening (2 sentences): connect one specific thing about the company to one specific thing I've done. No "I am writing to apply for".
- Middle (2 short paragraphs): the 2 requirements they care most about, each backed by one piece of evidence with a number or concrete detail.
- Why this company (2-3 sentences): use my real reason, specifically, without flattery.
- Close (1-2 sentences): a clear, confident next step.

Banned: "passionate", "dynamic", "I believe I would be a great fit", "team player", "fast-paced environment", "hit the ground running".

After the letter, list: (a) every factual claim and which part of my input it came from; (b) any sentence that's still generic, with a sharper alternative.
```

## Variables

- `{{job_posting}}` — The role and its key requirements. (e.g. Operations Associate at Ferrybox, returnable packaging for grocery delivery...)
- `{{company_notes}}` — Specific things you learned about the company. (e.g. Founder's blog post says return rates stalled at 71%)
- `{{experience}}` — Your most relevant experience, with numbers. (e.g. 3 years shift lead at a regional food bank...)
- `{{real_reason}}` — Your honest reason for wanting this job. (e.g. I spent 3 years watching pallets disappear)

## Example input

```
job_posting: Operations Associate at Ferrybox, a startup making returnable packaging for grocery delivery in Portland, OR. Responsibilities: coordinate reverse logistics with 12 partner stores; analyze return rates in spreadsheets; improve process documentation; comfortable working on the warehouse floor.

company_notes: Their site says each box is designed for about 30 trips. They launched with local independent grocers. The founder wrote a blog post saying return rates have stalled at 71%.

experience: 3 years as shift lead at a regional food bank. Ran volunteer shifts of 20-40 people. Rebuilt the pallet tracking sheet in Google Sheets; lost pallets went from about 25 a month to 6. Wrote the onboarding manual now used at all 3 of our sites. Forklift certified.

real_reason: I spent 3 years watching pallets and crates disappear, and I want to work on making reusable packaging actually come back. I also bike everywhere in Portland and see their boxes on porches.
```

## Output

*Produced by Claude · Opus 5.5.*

```
Dear Ferrybox team,

Your founder's post about return rates stalling at 71% described the problem I've been chasing for three years. At a regional food bank, I watched pallets disappear the same way, until I rebuilt our tracking sheet and lost pallets fell from about 25 a month to 6.

You need someone to keep reverse logistics running across 12 partner stores. As a shift lead, I've run volunteer shifts of 20 to 40 people who needed clear instructions the first time, and I wrote the onboarding manual that all three of our sites now use. Keeping a process consistent across locations, when the people doing it change every week, is most of the job.

You also need someone who can find answers in return-rate data. The pallet fix started exactly there: a Google Sheet that nobody trusted, which I rebuilt until the losses were visible and could be fixed. I'd bring the same habit to your return numbers, and I'm forklift certified and at home on a warehouse floor.

I bike everywhere in Portland and see your boxes on porches. After years of chasing crates that never came back, I want to work somewhere that makes reusable packaging the whole business, and help each box reach its 30 trips.

I'd welcome a conversation about how I'd approach that 71% figure.

Sincerely,
[Your name]

---

**(a) Claims and sources**
- 71% return rate, founder's post: company notes
- 12 partner stores: job posting
- 25 to 6 lost pallets a month, Google Sheets: experience
- Shifts of 20-40, manual used at 3 sites, forklift certified: experience
- Boxes on porches, cycling in Portland: real reason
- 30 trips: company notes

**(b) Still generic or unsupported**
- "a Google Sheet that nobody trusted" is my dramatization; your input doesn't say that. Replace it with what was actually wrong with the old sheet.
- "when the people doing it change every week" assumes volunteer turnover. Keep it only if true, or swap in: "with new volunteers on most shifts."
- "I'd welcome a conversation" is safe but soft. Sharper: "I'd like 20 minutes to walk you through how I cut pallet losses, and what I'd look at first in your returns."
```

## Why it works

The opening rule, **"if a sentence would work in anyone else's letter, cut it"**, sets the standard the whole letter is judged by. Requiring the opening to **connect one company fact to one thing you've done** forces specificity from the first line, where hiring managers decide whether to keep reading.

The **banned-phrase list** removes the phrases that make letters sound machine-written. The **claim audit** at the end is the safety net: every fact must trace back to your input, so nothing invented reaches an employer, and the **generic-sentence check** gives you a second pass for free.

## When not to use it

Many large-company application systems barely read cover letters; spend that time on your resume and a referral instead. If you have nothing specific to say about the company, research first, because this prompt can't create real interest. For roles in a language you don't write well, have a fluent person read the final version.

---

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