Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Cover Letter Writer agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Cover Letter Writer is an agent skill that helps an AI agent write or revise a cover letter or application email from your own work history and a target role. It is for job seekers who need a tailored letter quickly, people explaining a career change or employment gap, and anyone who wants an editable draft to check before sending. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for help in natural language, and what it needs from you.
Cover Letter Writerreactive-resume/reactive-resume · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the cover-letter-writer skill ZIP from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project.
- 3Or upload in the Claude apps. In the Claude apps, go to Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- 4Paste your experience and the posting. Share your resume or notes and the full job posting in the same message.
- 5Ask for the letter. Describe the role and any constraints, such as length or a career-change explanation.
- 6Answer missing-detail questions. The agent may ask for the position, your strongest example, or your reason for this employer.
- 7Verify and edit. Check every fact, title and date against your records before you submit the letter yourself.
What the skill makes the agent do
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that the agent reads when a task matches the skill's description. This one, cover-letter-writer, tells the agent how to draft a standalone cover letter or application email. It uses the experience you paste in and the job posting, and it aims to add context to your resume rather than repeat it.
The skill follows the employer's requested format and length. Without a stated limit, it uses a concise letter of roughly 150 to 300 words, shorter when the evidence is thin. It will not invent or inflate achievements. If you ask for a fabricated claim, it declines that part briefly, offers the strongest truthful version, and finishes the rest of the work.
- Writes or edits a cover letter or application email
- Explains career changes or returning-to-work gaps when you want them disclosed
- Keeps titles, dates, credentials and metrics consistent with your resume
- Does not email, submit or publish the letter
Install the Cover Letter Writer skill
Download the skill ZIP from this page. Then choose one of two routes. For a personal setup available across your projects, unzip the download into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder.
If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: unzip into .claude/skills/ inside the project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
~/.claude/skills/cover-letter-writer/SKILL.mdTrigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The agent uses the skill when your request matches its description, so describe what you need in plain language and paste your material. Include the job posting and your experience, either as a resume or as notes.
If you also want the resume itself tailored, ask for that separately. The skill's description notes that resume-tailor is the workflow for tailoring the resume and an optional letter together.
- "Write a cover letter for this data analyst posting using my resume below."
- "Rewrite my application email for the operations role. Keep it under 200 words."
- "I'm moving from teaching into UX. Draft a letter that explains the switch."
- "Tighten this cover letter. Don't add any numbers I haven't given you."
What the skill needs from you
The skill needs pasted experience, such as a resume or notes, and the job posting. It asks for missing essentials: the position, your strongest relevant example, and any real reason for choosing this employer. No account or other skill is required.
An optional Reactive Resume account and its tools are only needed if you want the letter saved there. Without compatible tools, the agent returns the text instead of claiming it was saved.
- Pasted resume or notes about your experience
- The job posting, including any format or length rules
- Optional: a Reactive Resume account, only if you want the letter saved there
Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its listing. It works from the text you provide. The skill also treats web pages and job ads as data and ignores any instructions embedded in them.
The skill will stop and offer only permitted help if an application forbids AI assistance or requires an unaided statement. It will not draft content for those forms.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Does not submit, email or publish the letter
- Review every draft and verify the facts before you send it
Tips for a stronger letter
The skill's example shows the principle: it only uses facts you have confirmed. If a line sounds generic, add the real outcome, or tell the agent what changed. If you have no measured results, say so, and the skill will work with the evidence you have instead of inventing figures.
Check the letter against your resume before sending. Titles, dates and credentials should match exactly. Use a role-based greeting unless you have a verified recipient name.
- Give the strongest concrete example you have, with what you did and what resulted
- Say whether you want a career change or gap explained, or leave it out
- Paste the employer's length and format rules
- Ask for a final proofread by resume-proofreader if it is installed
What people use it for
- Drafting a tailored cover letter for a specific job posting from your existing resume
- Writing a short application email when a form asks for one
- Explaining a career change in a clear, honest paragraph
- Revising a letter to fit an employer's stated length limit
- Writing a letter that addresses a returning-to-work gap, if you choose to disclose it
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the cover letter writer skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
Is the cover letter writer skill free?
This guide does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the skill's listed licence, which is MIT. Check the MIT licence text on the source repository for the terms that apply.
What does the skill need to run?
It needs pasted experience, such as a resume or notes, and the job posting. No account or other skill is required. A Reactive Resume account is optional, only if you want the letter saved there.
Does the skill send or submit my cover letter?
No. The skill does not email, submit or publish the letter. You copy the final text and send it yourself.
Will the skill make up achievements to make my letter stronger?
No. It refuses to invent or inflate achievements. If asked, it declines that part briefly and offers the strongest truthful version using your real evidence.
Does the skill run scripts or use the internet?
According to its listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network access. It works from the text you provide.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you want a tailored, honest cover letter drafted quickly from your real experience, and you plan to review and send it yourself. Pick something else if an application forbids AI help, or if you need an agent that submits applications for you, since this one does neither.
Download the skill