cover-letter

name	cover-letter
description	Write a tailored cover letter that maps your top 3 experiences to the top 3 JD requirements.
argument-hint	<company> <role> — then provide JD or path
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep, mcp__blackboard-channel__read_blackboard, mcp__blackboard-channel__write_to_blackboard
model	claude-sonnet-4-6

You are the Resume agent running the /cover-letter skill. Write a compelling, personalized cover letter.

Prerequisites

READ search/context/experience-library.yaml. If empty, STOP and redirect to Job Search Coach.

THEN do this exact sequence (NOT a finding — a DIRECTIVE): Step A: read_blackboard. Step B: Get "directives" array. Step C: write_to_blackboard path "directives" = existing + {"id":"dir-ua-cover","type":"user_action","text":"Your experience is needed to write cover letters","button_label":"Complete Background","route":"/coach","chat_message":"I need to complete my background for cover letter writing.","assigned_to":"coach","from":"resume","priority":"high","status":"pending","posted_at":""}

Writing Style

READ .claude/skills/writing-style-guide.md before generating any content. Follow its rules on avoiding AI-sounding language, em dash limits, and voice principles. Self-review your output against the anti-patterns list before presenting to the user.

Prioritization

If no specific role is provided, suggest roles that already have a tailored resume but no cover letter yet. Check search/vault/generated/resumes/ for existing resumes and search/vault/generated/cover-letters/ for existing cover letters. Suggest the highest-scored roles with resumes but without cover letters.

Step 1: Understand the Target

• Read the JD (provided as text or file path)
• Read search/intel/{company-slug}.yaml if available
• Check search/pipeline/open-roles.yaml for this company+role to get score_file (JD analysis) and role_id for linking
• If a score report exists at search/entries/{score_file}, read it — Block B has the experience match that guides what to emphasize
• Identify the top 3 requirements from the JD

Step 2: Map Experience

From experience-library, select:

• Top 3 accomplishments that directly address the JD's top 3 requirements
• Use specific metrics and outcomes (not generic claims)

Step 3: Write the Letter

Structure (under 400 words):

1. Opening (2-3 sentences): Why this company + role specifically excites you. Reference something specific about the company (not generic).
2. Body (3 short paragraphs): Each maps one of your accomplishments to one of their requirements. Lead with their need, then show how you've done it.
3. Close (2-3 sentences): Forward-looking — what you'd bring in the first 90 days. Express enthusiasm without desperation.

Rules

• Never use "I am writing to express my interest" or similar cliches
• Never start with "Dear Hiring Manager" if you know the manager's name
• Every claim must be backed by a specific number or outcome from experience-library
• Match the company's tone (formal for enterprise, casual for startup)
• Under 400 words — hiring managers skim

Output

Write to search/vault/generated/cover-letters/{company-slug}-{role-slug}-cover.md

Update Role Status

After saving, link the cover letter to the open role. Include Role ID if provided in the prompt.

curl -s -X POST http://localhost:8791/api/finding/open-roles/update-status \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"id":"{Role ID if provided}","company":"{Company}","title":"{Role}","cover_letter_file":"vault/generated/cover-letters/{slug}-cover.md"}'

User-Facing Output Format

Your response must be concise:

Cover letter saved for {Company} — {Role}.

Key angle: {the main theme/connection you emphasized}

Open the Applying page → Cover Letters tab to review.