cover-letter

/cover-letter — Generate Tailored Cover Letter

Purpose

Generate a cover letter tailored to a specific job description using wilson-resume.yml as the source of truth. Every factual claim must trace back to wilson-resume.yml; narrative synthesis is allowed, fabrication is not.

Anti-Fabrication Rules (MANDATORY)

1. NEVER add technologies, metrics, or experiences not in wilson-resume.yml
2. NEVER modify quantified metrics from wilson-resume.yml
3. NEVER invent company knowledge the user did not provide
4. You MAY synthesize narrative connecting multiple verified resume facts
5. You MAY reference company information provided by the user or from public knowledge
6. You MAY frame gaps positively but NEVER claim skills that do not exist
7. ALWAYS run claim verification after drafting

Writing Style Rules (MANDATORY)

• NEVER use em-dash (—) or en-dash (–) in generated text. Use commas, periods, or semicolons instead.
• NEVER use hyphens (-) as separators between clauses. Hyphens are only for compound words (e.g., "full-stack").
• Prefer direct, concrete language. Avoid filler phrases.

Process

Step 1 — Gather Inputs

• Read wilson-resume.yml from the project root.
• Accept JD as file path or pasted text. A JD is required; a cover letter without a target is generic and weak.
• Check knowledge/sessions/{slug}/company.yaml for an existing CompanyProfile. If found, load it — this replaces the need to ask the user for company research. Use CompanyProfile.pain_points for problem-solver hooks, CompanyProfile.recent_news for specific-company-knowledge hooks, and CompanyProfile.mission_vision + CompanyProfile.culture_signals for the closing paragraph.
• Check knowledge/sessions/{slug}/{role-slug}/ for existing /match sessions (*_match.yaml, latest by date). If found, read the match analysis to leverage gap data, transferable skills, and tailoring recommendations.
• Check knowledge/sessions/{slug}/{role-slug}/ for existing /qualify sessions (*_qualify.yaml, latest by date). If found, use the strategic brief to strengthen positioning — lead with pain-solution match evidence, use leverage signals for confident tone, and reference ROI potential metrics in the qualification paragraph.
• Ask the user for optional inputs:
  • Company research (skip if CompanyProfile exists): "Do you know anything specific about this company — mission, recent news, team culture, specific projects? This strengthens the opening hook."
  • Talking points: "Any specific experiences or angles you want to emphasize?"
  • Hook preference: "Any preference for opening style?" (list the 5 types below, or auto-select the strongest based on available context)

Step 2 — Run /match Analysis

If no existing match session found for this company/role, run /match analysis against the JD. This provides:

• Required/preferred skill match scores
• Gap analysis and transferable skills
• Tailoring recommendations

Step 3 — Plan the Cover Letter

Based on match analysis and user inputs, create a plan:

Hook type: Select the strongest opening based on available context — company pain points, referrals, standout achievements, or domain expertise. Leverage CompanyProfile data if available. If a /qualify session exists with a high pain-solution match score, prefer the problem-solver hook.

Strongest qualification: Identify the 1-2 resume bullets that best match the JD's top requirements. If a /qualify session exists, use its ROI potential evidence to select bullets with the strongest metric-to-pain-point mapping.

Gap mitigation: For significant gaps from /match, plan how to address them — frame transferable skills, pivot to strengths. If /qualify scored leverage_position highly, lean into what makes you uniquely qualified rather than apologizing for gaps.

Closing strategy: Strong match -> confident ask. Stretch role -> emphasize eagerness and adjacent experience.

Present the plan to the user for approval before drafting.

Step 4 — Draft the Cover Letter

Write the cover letter following this structure (250-400 words total):

• Paragraph 1 (2-3 sentences): Hook + position identification. Name the company and role. Open with the selected hook type.
• Paragraph 2 (3-5 sentences): Strongest qualification with metrics. Pull directly from wilson-resume.yml bullets. Use X-Y-Z formula evidence from the most relevant experience.
• Paragraph 3 (2-4 sentences): Additional value + gap mitigation. Connect secondary qualifications. Address the biggest gap with a transferable skill or genuine framing.
• Paragraph 4 (2-3 sentences): Closing with call-to-action. Express enthusiasm, reference a specific company value or project, and include a clear next-step ask.

Step 5 — Claim Verification

For every factual claim in the draft, verify it traces to wilson-resume.yml:

## Claim Verification
- [VERIFIED] "reduced p99 latency by 76%" <- wilson-resume.yml > Company > Role > bullet
- [VERIFIED] "built event pipeline handling 2M events/day" <- wilson-resume.yml > Company > Role > bullet
- [NARRATIVE] "This combination of API optimization and event-driven architecture..." <- synthesis of verified claims
- [COMPANY] "Your team's recent work on [X]..." <- user-provided research, not a resume claim

Flag any claim that cannot be traced. Do not proceed until all factual claims are verified or removed.

Step 5.5 — Cover Letter Review

Read agents/cover-letter-reviewer.agent.md and evaluate the draft from a hiring manager's perspective.

Output a brief check:

• Hook Effectiveness: PASS / FLAG
• Company Research Depth: PASS / FLAG
• Claim-Resume Alignment: PASS / FLAG
• Tone: PASS / FLAG
• Beyond-Resume Value: PASS / FLAG

If a CompanyProfile exists for the target company, also read agents/sales-strategist.agent.md and evaluate whether the cover letter sells solutions or features:

• Buyer Empathy: PASS / FLAG
• Problem-Solution Framing: PASS / FLAG

If any item is flagged, note the issue and suggest a revision. Do not block output.

Step 6 — Save Output

Save the cover letter to knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/tailored/cover_letter.md — all application materials stay co-located. Create the tailored/ directory if it doesn't exist.

Step 7 — Log Session (MANDATORY — do not present results until this step is complete)

Save to knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/{date}_cover-letter.yaml:

date: YYYY-MM-DD
type: cover-letter
company: Company Name
slug: company-slug
role: Role Title
role_slug: role-slug
sources_used:
  company_profile: true | false
  match_session: session-filename or null
  qualify_session: session-filename or null
match_score: { required: XX, preferred: XX, overall: XX }
hook_type: specific-company-knowledge | mutual-connection | problem-solver | impressive-achievement | industry-insight
gaps_addressed: [list of gaps mitigated]
claims_verified: X
claims_narrative: X
claims_company: X
reviewer_flags: [list of any flagged items]
word_count: XXX
output_file: knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/tailored/cover_letter.md

Append to knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/summary.md (create with # {Company Name} — {Role Title} header if it doesn't exist):

---

## {date} cover-letter

**Hook**: {hook_type} — "{paraphrase of opening hook}"
**Structure**: {what each paragraph establishes — e.g., "Opens with JD quote re: X, maps Y experience to their Z problem, addresses W gap via transferable skill, closes with ask about team"}
**Gaps mitigated**: {which match gaps the cover letter addresses and how}
**Claims**: {verified} verified, {narrative} narrative | **Word count**: {XXX}
**Reviewer check**: {any flags, or "all clear"}
**Output**: knowledge/sessions/{company-slug}/{role-slug}/tailored/cover_letter.md

When running multiple cover letters in sequence, log EACH run individually as you complete it. Do not batch logging or defer it until after presentation.

Step 8 — Present Results

Present the full cover letter to the user with:

• The verification results from Step 5
• The review results from Step 5.5
• Word count

Options

• With JD file: /cover-letter path/to/jd.txt
• With pasted JD: /cover-letter (then paste JD when prompted)
• With hook preference: specify in your message, e.g., "write a cover letter for this JD, lead with my strongest achievement"