4. AI and Your Career: Tailor Your CV & Cover Letter with AI
Introduction
Your CV and cover letter are often the first impression an employer has of you. But with more and more companies using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to filter applications, the way you write them has changed.
AI tools can help you:
Optimise your CV for ATS scanning.
Tailor each application to the specific role.
Generate personalised cover letters more quickly.
But here’s the key: AI should support your voice, not replace it. Recruiters and employers want to hear your authentic story, so it’s essential to edit and personalise everything AI creates.
1. Why Tailoring Your CV Matters More Than Ever
Most UK employers — from the NHS and local councils to big names like Barclays, AstraZeneca, and PwC — now use ATS platforms such as Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, or Oleeo.
Here’s why that matters:
ATS scans your CV for keywords from the job description.
It ranks applicants based on relevance.
If your CV doesn’t match closely enough, it may never reach a recruiter’s desk.
That means a generic CV is unlikely to get noticed. Tailoring your application for each role massively improves your chances of being shortlisted.
2. Best AI Tools for CV & Cover Letter Tailoring
Compares your CV to a job description and recommends ATS-friendly keywords
Best for: Optimising for ATS
Cost: Free trial / £39+
Try this prompt:
“Compare my CV text to this job description. Highlight missing keywords, skills, and phrases I should add to improve my ATS score.”
CV builder that ensures ATS compatibility
Best for: Quick CV building
Cost: Free / from £19
Try this prompt:
“Build me a CV for a [job title] role using my experience below, ensuring it’s fully ATS-compatible.”But remember to check the output and ensure it sounds like you.
Generates tailored bullet points and cover letter drafts
Best for: Fast customisation
Cost: Free / from £16+
Try this prompt:
“Write 5 achievement-based CV bullet points for my role as [job title], highlighting [specific skills or outcomes].”
“Draft a one-page cover letter for this [job title] role at [company], based on the job description and my CV.”
Researches companies so your cover letter matches their tone and priorities
Best for: Company insights
Cost: Free / Pro £16
Try this prompt:
“Summarise [Company X]’s culture, values, and recent news. Suggest 3 ways I can tailor my cover letter to show alignment.”
3. How to Optimise Your CV with AI
AI can save you time, but the inputs matter. Here’s a simple process:
Step 1 — Extract keywords
📌 Prompt:
“From this job description, extract the top 15 skills and keywords to optimise my CV for ATS.”
Step 2 — Rewrite your CV bullet points
📌 Prompt:
“Rewrite these CV bullet points to align with the [job title] role. Focus on measurable outcomes and include relevant keywords.”
Step 3 — Format for readability
Keep it clean and simple.
Avoid tables, images, or graphics that ATS can’t read.
Save in Word for ATS, PDF for networking.
4. Using AI to Draft Cover Letters
AI can generate a quick draft, but your voice is what makes it stand out.
Step 1 — Research the company
📌 Prompt (Perplexity):
“Summarise [Company X]’s strategy, culture, and recent news in the past 6 months.”
Step 2 — Generate a draft
📌 Prompt (ChatGPT):
“Write a 250-word cover letter for the [job title] role at [company]. Highlight 3 key achievements from my CV and align them with the company’s priorities.”
Then you polish: add your why, your enthusiasm, and your authentic story.
Coaching Advantage: Where I Can Help
AI can help with structure and speed, but it doesn’t know you. It can’t:
Identify which strengths you actually want to carry forward into your next role.
Help you frame your story in a way that connects with employers.
Spot the unhelpful beliefs that may be holding you back, like “my experience isn’t relevant enough.”
Give you the confidence to talk about your achievements at interview.
Through my Career Change Coaching and Career Development Coaching programmes, I help clients:
Craft CVs and cover letters that tell their story — not just tick keyword boxes.
Use insights from tools like the Highlands Ability Battery to highlight natural abilities and strengths.
Translate past experience into future potential, especially if you’re moving into a new field.
Build confidence so you feel ready to talk about your application in interviews.
AI might get you onto the shortlist. Coaching helps you shine when it really matters.
Conclusion
AI can make tailoring CVs and cover letters much faster, helping you pass ATS filters and show up on recruiters’ radars. But only you can bring the authenticity, values, and clarity that employers are really looking for.
By combining AI with career coaching, you’ll create applications that aren’t just keyword-optimised — they’ll also feel human, confident, and memorable.
Want to make your applications stand out for the right reasons?
👉 Learn more about my Career Change Coaching and Career Development Coaching programmes — where we combine AI support with expert coaching to create CVs and cover letters that get noticed and feel authentic.
✨ COMING SOON: AI and Your Career Online Course ✨
Want to learn how to use AI to manage and develop your career with confidence?
I’m launching an online course packed with practical tools and strategies.
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About Diana
I’m Diana Dawson, Interview Coach and Founder of Working Career. With over two decades of experience in career coaching, I specialise in helping clients tell their story authentically. My Career Change Programme includes practical support with CVs and cover letters — ensuring they’re both ATS-friendly and true to who you are.