AI Cover Letter
GPT-3 powered cover letter generator
Updated May 2023
Role: Product Designer & Strategy
Collaborator: Danial Asaria (Engineering)
Check out the Live Site - (2400+ users, no longer maintained)
Introduction
The task of writing a cover letter is often considered as a tedious and time-consuming process, and hiring managers rarely read them. However, cover letters are still considered an essential component of job applications. In response to this challenge, we wanted to help job seekers quickly and effectively create a compelling cover letter, while exploring and learning about the latest in generative AI technology and APIs.
Problem Statement
Job seekers are required to submit a cover letter as part of their job application, but hiring managers rarely read them. This creates a situation where job seekers need to spend a significant amount of time writing a cover letter that may not even be read. The need for a fast and efficient way to write cover letters is therefore essential.
83% of recruiters prefer candidates with cover letters
86% of job seekers do not personalize their cover letter
59% of cover letters have grammatical errors
Design Goals
Provide job seekers with a tool that can quickly and easily generate a compelling cover letter. The technology should ensure that the generated cover letter is relevant, informative, and personalized to the job seeker's skills and experience and the job’s description,
User Persona
The target users are job seekers across various industries, ranging from entry-level to experienced professionals. This includes recent graduates, job switchers, and people who are returning to the workforce after a break. The users are tech-savvy and appreciate the convenience of using an AI-powered tool to generate a cover letter.
Key Features
We wanted the AI Cover Letter to include the following key features:
- Personalization: Allows job seekers to upload their resume to the tool, which can then analyze the content and extract relevant information to include in the cover letter. The tool should personalize the cover letter to the job seeker's skills and experience.
- Job Relevance: Analyzes the job description and extracts relevant keywords and phrases. By including these keywords in the cover letter, job seekers can increase their chances of getting past the Applicant Tracking System and having their application read by a real person.
- Fast and Efficient: The tool should generate a compelling cover letter in a matter of minutes, saving job seekers a significant amount of time, especially when applying to multiple jobs.
- Professional Language: The tool should use professional language that is appropriate for the job position and the industry.
- User-Friendly Interface: The tool should have a simple and intuitive interface that is easy to use, even for those who are not tech-savvy.
Design Process
Research
We started with extensive research on the job application process. We analyzed the importance of cover letters and the challenges job seekers face in writing them. We also researched the latest developments in AI and machine learning to identify the best tools and technologies to use, ultimately selecting GPT-3, and then refining the model with our own training data of successful cover letters.
Ideation
We brainstormed various concepts and solutions that could address the problem of writing a cover letter quickly and efficiently. We also considered user needs and preferences to ensure that the tool would be user-friendly and intuitive.
Low-Fi Wireframing
Once we had a solid concept, I moved onto wireframing in Balsamiq. I wanted to explore different design options and ensure that the tool's interface would be easy to navigate.
The core product experience can be broken down to a plain web form, but I wanted to create an intuitive story that guides the user through the process step by step, with feedback and a feeling of progress throughout, ultimately concluding in their cover letter.
I explored single and multi-step forms, taking inspiration from signup pages and data entry flows until arriving at a vertically laid out multi-step form, that takes place on one page.
High Fidelity UI Designs
I created high-fi designs in Figma, experimenting with the core product and the landing page.
Core Component
Landing Page
I used a main parent component for the user input flow, with variants for each step and a master button component.
Rejected High-Fi Layouts
Visual Design & Style
I love type, and sometimes use a font as the starting inspiration for a design. “JetBrains Mono” is an open-source type used in IDE’s and code editors that signals “powerful technology” while feeling less robotic and more readable when compared to other mono fonts.
I balanced this with “Degular” for the main headings and callouts to add a playful friendliness to an otherwise stark and productivity oriented design.
At one point, I experimented with texture and color, but ultimately reigned it in to keep it professional and authoritative, with the added bonus of increasing page load speeds.
Prototyping
I created a semi-functional prototype of the tool in Figma which allowed us to test the usability of the interface and identify any issues that needed to be addressed. We also conducted user testing to get feedback from potential users and make improvements based on their input.
Development
Once the prototype was refined, we began the development phase. Danial Asaria spearheaded this using React for the frontend. The backend is powered by our modified GPT-3 model.
Testing and Iteration
After development, we soft launched the tool to our friends and family to get feedback and ensure that the tool was functioning correctly and generating high-quality cover letters. They ended up sharing it and we received 500+ users in the first 30 days.
We are currently taking their feedback and preparing to update the UI, customization, resume saving, and landing page design.
One Win
Speed above all else. The main thing users love is that they can open the page, upload their resume, and get a cover letter quickly. It’s free, there’s no accounts or ads, allowing the core functionality to shine through.
& One Lesson
In hindsight, I wish I had selected the vertical sidebar layout seen in the low-fi mockups. It carries the story narrative through better and would be less technically complex for managing states and progress. As we iterate, I may use that as the starting point for a new layout. The current state management of the buttons needs to feel more logical, the interface needs back buttons, a copy to clipboard button, and ideally a more delightful interaction for presenting the final cover letter.
Conclusion
We addressed the challenges of writing cover letters and leveraged the latest AI and machine learning technologies to generate personalized and compelling cover letters. Key features such as resume upload, job relevance analysis, and keyword detection ensure that the tool is effective in increasing the chances of being read by a real person and making a strong impression on hiring managers.
But my favorite part has been the random texts from a friend of friend saying they used it, they loved it, and they got the interview.