Expand to Career Arsenal: 8 AI-powered career skills collection
- Restructured repo from single skill to skills collection - Added 7 new skills: Resume Architect, Cover Letter Craft, Interview Commander, Salary Negotiator, Career GPS, LinkedIn Optimizer, Job Switch Advisor - Rewrote README as collection hub with pipeline diagram, integration map, and usage-by-stage guides Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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skills/cover-letter-craft.md
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# Cover Letter Craft
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**Generate persuasive, role-specific cover letters that get read — not recycled.**
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Most cover letters are generic fluff. This skill writes letters that prove you did your homework.
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## Philosophy
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A cover letter has one purpose: make the reader WANT to look at your resume.
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It's not about you. It's about **what you can do for them**, proven by what you've already done.
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The formula:
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1. **Hook** — Show you know who they are and what they need
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2. **Proof** — Demonstrate you've solved their exact problem before
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3. **Value** — Paint a picture of what you'll deliver in the first 90 days
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4. **Close** — Make the next step effortless for them
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## Input Required
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- Target job posting (URL or text)
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- Your resume or career summary
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- Company research notes (from jobhunter-master Phase 1)
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- Hiring manager name (if known)
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## Workflow
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### Phase 1: Research Synthesis
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```
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Gather company intelligence:
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- Recent product launches or feature updates
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- Company mission/values language
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- Tech blog posts or engineering challenges
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- Recent funding or growth news
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- Glassdoor culture themes
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- Hiring manager's background (LinkedIn)
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```
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**Output:** 3-5 specific hooks unique to this company.
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### Phase 2: Pain Point Mapping
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```
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From job post, identify:
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- What problem does this role solve?
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- Why is this position open? (growth, backfill, new initiative)
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- What's the urgency signal?
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- What would success look like in 6 months?
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```
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**Output:** The problem statement this letter addresses.
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### Phase 3: Story Selection
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```
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From your experience, pick 1-2 stories that:
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- Directly solve their stated problem
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- Use the same technologies they mentioned
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- Show measurable impact (numbers, percentages)
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- Demonstrate cultural fit signals
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```
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### Phase 4: Letter Assembly
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**Paragraph 1 — The Hook (2-3 sentences)**
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```
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Opening options (pick one):
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Option A (Product-led):
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"I've been following [Company]'s work on [specific product/feature], and I was excited to see the [Role] position open up. [Specific observation about their product/challenge]."
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Option B (Mission-led):
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"[Company]'s mission to [specific mission language from their site] resonates deeply with me. [Brief personal connection to the mission]. When I saw the [Role] position, I knew I had to reach out."
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Option C (News-led):
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"Congratulations on [recent funding/product launch/news]. [Specific thought showing you understand the implications]. This is exactly why the [Role] position caught my eye."
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Option D (Referral/Warm):
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"[Mutual connection] mentioned [Company] is looking for a [Role]. After looking at [specific thing], I'm convinced I can contribute from day one."
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```
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**Paragraph 2 — The Proof (3-4 sentences)**
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```
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Template:
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"At [Previous Company], I [specific action] that [specific result with metric]. I achieved this by [method/technology relevant to target role]. This experience is directly applicable to [Company]'s need for [specific need from job post]."
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Rules:
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- One concrete example, not a laundry list
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- Include at least one number
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- Mirror their language and tech stack
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- Connect YOUR past to THEIR future
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```
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**Paragraph 3 — The Value (2-3 sentences)**
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```
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Template:
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"In my first 90 days at [Company], I would [specific, realistic contribution]. I'm particularly excited about [specific challenge or opportunity] because [why you're uniquely qualified]."
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Rules:
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- Be specific, not aspirational
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- Show you understand their current stage
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- Reference something they're actively working on
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```
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**Paragraph 4 — The Close (2 sentences)**
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```
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Template:
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"I'd love to discuss how my experience with [relevant skill] can help [Company] [specific goal]. Are you available for a 15-minute call [specific time suggestion]?"
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Rules:
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- Make it easy to say yes
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- Suggest a specific next step
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- Don't beg or grovel
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```
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### Phase 5: Tone Calibration
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```
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Match tone to company type:
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Startup (Seed-Series B):
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- Casual but competent
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- Use "I" not "we" for achievements
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- Show scrappiness and ownership
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- Mention specific product features
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Scale-up (Series C+):
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- Balance scrappiness with scale thinking
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- Reference growth metrics
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- Show you can build for 10x current size
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- Data-driven language
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Enterprise:
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- Formal and structured
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- Emphasize process and reliability
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- Reference compliance, security, governance
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- Team-oriented achievements
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Agency/Consultancy:
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- Client-facing language
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- Emphasize adaptability
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- Reference diverse project experience
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- Show business impact for clients
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```
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## Templates
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### Software Engineer
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```
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Hi [Name],
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I've been using [Company]'s [product] for [context], and I'm impressed by [specific thing]. When I saw the [Role] position, it felt like the perfect intersection of my skills and your mission.
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At [Current Company], I [built/shipped/led] [specific thing] that [metric — reduced latency 40%, scaled to 1M users, etc.]. I did this using [tech from their stack], which I noticed is central to your engineering approach. I'm particularly drawn to [Company] because [specific challenge they're facing that matches your expertise].
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In my first quarter, I'd focus on [specific, realistic contribution]. I've been thinking about [relevant technical topic] and would love to bring that perspective to your team.
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Would you have 15 minutes this week to chat? I'm available [specific times].
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Best,
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[Name]
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[LinkedIn] | [GitHub]
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```
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### Career Changer
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```
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Hi [Name],
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[Hook showing genuine passion for the new field]. While my background is in [previous field], I've spent the last [timeframe] [building/shipping/learning] in [new field].
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[Specific project or achievement in new field with metric]. This taught me that [transferable skill] translates directly — in fact, my experience with [previous domain] gives me a unique angle on [their challenge].
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I know transitioning fields requires proving yourself twice. That's why I've [concrete step: built a portfolio project, earned certification, contributed to open source]. I'm ready to hit the ground running.
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I'd love to discuss how my unconventional background can be an asset to [Company]. Free for a quick call anytime this week.
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Best,
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[Name]
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```
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### Senior/Leadership
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```
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Hi [Name],
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After [X] years building [domain] teams and systems, I'm drawn to [Company] because [specific strategic reason — not generic].
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Most recently at [Company], I [leadership achievement with org-level metric]. The key insight: [strategic lesson applicable to their challenge]. I see parallels with what [Target Company] is tackling in [area].
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I build teams that [specific culture/outcome]. My approach: [1-2 sentence leadership philosophy relevant to their stage]. I believe this aligns with [something from their values/culture page].
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I'd appreciate the chance to discuss the [Role] and how I can contribute to [Company]'s next chapter. Would [specific time] work for a conversation?
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Best,
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[Name]
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[LinkedIn]
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```
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## Anti-Patterns (Never Do These)
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- "I am writing to apply for..." (wastes the first sentence)
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- "I believe I would be a great fit because..." (show, don't tell)
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- Repeating your resume in paragraph form
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- Generic compliments ("great company", "innovative team")
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- More than 4 paragraphs or 300 words
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- "Please find attached my resume" (they know)
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- BCC-ing multiple companies
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## Integration with Other Skills
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- **resume-architect**: Shares job fingerprint for keyword consistency
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- **jobhunter-master**: Receives company research and hiring manager data
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- **nano-pdf**: Final formatted output
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- **gog**: Direct email sending
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## Files
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- `memory/cover-letters/[company]-[role].md` — Per-application letters
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- `memory/company-research/[company].md` — Research notes feeding into letters
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