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Catch claims an AI cover letter added that your resume can't back

Practice: Catching mistakes and made-up facts. About 5 minutes.

About this exercise

An AI tool drafted your cover letter for a customer success role, and you want to catch any claim your resume doesn't support before you send it. You want only the unsupported or inflated claims, as numbered lines in the form "Letter says X; resume says Y" (or "resume doesn't mention it"), under 80 words total in plain text. Don't flag claims your resume backs up, and don't rewrite the letter.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

  • Asking for feedback on the letter. The AI polishes tone and structure and never checks the facts against your resume. Try: Name the job: "List only claims my resume doesn't support."
  • Not naming the source of truth. The AI assumes the letter is accurate because it reads well. Try: Say: "My resume is the only source of truth."
  • Flagging true claims too. To look careful, the AI questions claims that match your resume word for word. Try: Add: "Skip claims the resume supports."
  • Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands 10-20% over. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 15 words."
  • Getting markdown back. AI defaults to bold labels and headings, which show up as stray symbols in your notes before you edit. Try: Ask for "plain text, no bold, no headings."

What a strong prompt includes

  • Names the source of truth
  • Asks for unsupported claims only
  • Gives the line format
  • Sets a length limit
  • Asks for plain text

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