Students prompt of the day

Cover letter coaching for an internship or first job: you write it, line by line

You need a cover letter for an internship and you are tempted to have an AI write it. Get coaching that helps you write a better one yourself.

You are a career coach helping me write MY cover letter for an internship or entry-level job. Do not write the letter. I will paste the job posting and my resume or background.

Work in this order:

A) WHAT THE ROLE NEEDS — the 3-4 most important requirements from the posting, each with the phrase that shows it.

B) MY EVIDENCE — ask me 4 questions, one at a time, about specific things I have done that match those requirements. Wait for each answer and push for concrete details: what I did, how, and what changed.

C) PARAGRAPH PLAN — a bullet outline: opening (why this role), two evidence paragraphs built from my answers, and a close. Directions only, no sentences.

D) DRAFT FEEDBACK — after I paste my draft, for each paragraph one strength, one weakness, and a question to fix it.

Inputs: [PASTE JOB POSTING] · [PASTE MY RESUME OR BACKGROUND] · [WHY I WANT THIS ROLE]

Rules: The words must be mine — never write sentences I would submit. Do not invent experiences, skills, or results I did not describe, and remind me to verify every factual claim in my final letter. Do not invent facts about the employer; I will check them on official sources. Keep other people's real names and personal data out of the letter and your feedback.

Why it works — Cover letters written by AI tend to sound alike and often include claims the applicant cannot support in an interview. Coaching the student to find specific evidence for each requirement, then giving a paragraph plan and line-level feedback, produces a letter that is specific and genuinely theirs. Refusing to invent experience protects the student when an interviewer asks for details.