feat: rebuild evidence-first application workflow
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# Cover Letter Generation — Reference
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# Cover Letter Reference
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> CL-specific rules. Read by `/make-cl` and `/edit-resume` (for CL edits).
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> Shared rules (provenance, anti-fabrication, LaTeX notation): `CLAUDE.md`
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> A cover letter is optional by default. The resume must earn a screen on its own.
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---
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## Decision Gate
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## CL Format Rules
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Generate a cover letter when at least one is true:
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- Cover letter with resume: 1 page (250-300 words)
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- Cover letter with CV: 1-2 pages (350-450 words). If 2 pages, page 2 >= half filled before signature.
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- Full package: Resume + CL = 3 pages | CV + CL = 6-7 pages
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- The posting or portal requests one.
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- The employer is a traditional Swiss/DACH institution, public body, NGO or mission-led organization where motivation is material.
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- A credible career/location/domain transition needs a short explanation.
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- Work authorization, language, relocation or a genuine personal connection materially strengthens the application.
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- The user explicitly requests a letter.
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---
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Normally skip it when:
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## Institution Type Detection
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- The portal provides no upload field.
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- A standardized process already asks motivation questions.
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- It would merely repeat the resume or paraphrase company news.
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- **Industry:** Any company (manufacturing, tech, consulting, energy, etc.)
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- **National Lab:** DOE labs, national research facilities, government lab fellowships
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- **Academic:** University postdoc or faculty positions
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Record `Cover Letter Decision: YES/NO` and the reason in the session file before writing.
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---
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## Evidence Rules
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## INDUSTRY Cover Letter (250-300 words, 3 paragraphs)
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1. Read `resume_builder/canonical/claims.json` first.
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2. Every work claim must be traceable to the resume and canonical registry.
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3. Significance files supply optional context only; reverify external claims from current primary sources.
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4. Company or industry scale never becomes Dennis's personal scale or impact.
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5. Do not introduce a skill, metric, customer, ownership claim or result absent from the resume.
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**P1 — HOOK:** Connect their product/technology to your achievement. State core identity + position. Open with a specific reference to their work, not a generic opener. Minimize jargon for HR readers.
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## International Tech / Industry Letter
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**P2 — EVIDENCE:** 2-3 achievements translated to business value. Max 3-4 quantified claims. Mirror JD terms. Frame as deliverables.
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- One page, normally 200--300 words.
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- Two or three short paragraphs.
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- Open with the candidate-role connection, not a company press-release summary.
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- Use one or two proof points and explain why they matter for this role.
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- Add motivation or context the resume cannot show.
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- Close directly and professionally.
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**P3 — CLOSING:** Forward-looking value + active call to action. Address "why industry" positively if pivoting — frame what industry enables, not what academia lacks.
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## Swiss/DACH Letter
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---
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- One A4 page.
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- Match the language and formality of the posting.
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- Explain motivation, relevant evidence and practical fit such as location/language.
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- References and diplomas remain separate attachments when requested.
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## NATIONAL LAB Cover Letter (350-450 words, 4 paragraphs)
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## Employer-Specific Formats
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**P1 — HOOK:** Mission alignment + division/group + position. Reference specific programmatic thrust or group's publication. Technical vocabulary OK.
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For NATO, government or academic applications, follow the employer's explicit format and portal fields. Do not force a generic three-paragraph industry structure when the application requests a motivation statement or competency answers.
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**P2 — CURRENT POSITION:** Current work with mission framing. Theory-experiment bridge. HPC scale. Collaborative tone.
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## Hook Verification
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**P3 — PRIOR WORK:** Transferable methodology arc. Custom tools → ML infrastructure. International collaboration. Quantify.
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Verify every named product, programme, paper, executive statement or current company initiative before use. Prefer first-party sources. Record the source in the session file. If a hook is not necessary, omit it rather than spending a paragraph proving company familiarity.
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**P4 — CLOSING:** Programmatic vision + collaboration offer + seminar availability. Lab vocabulary: "thrust area," "programmatic direction."
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## Quality Checks
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---
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## ACADEMIC Cover Letter (350-450 postdoc, 450-650 faculty; 4 paragraphs)
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**P1 — HOOK:** Connection to PI's specific paper + your identity + position. Name the PI.
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**P2 — CURRENT RESEARCH:** Current position with field-context framing (use significance files if available). Future direction: 1-2 sentences MANDATORY.
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**P3 — PRIOR FOUNDATION:** Transferable methodology + collaboration + mentorship. Faculty: departmental fit narrative.
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**P4 — CLOSING:** Forward-looking + name 2-3 faculty for collaboration. Postdoc: "contribute to your research program." Faculty: "build independent research program complementing..."
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---
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## Universal CL Rules
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- Open with a specific reference to their work — avoid generic openers like "I am writing to express my interest"
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- Add narrative context the CV cannot — motivation, "why this company," research vision
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- Limit quantified claims to 3-5 per CL
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- Credentials woven into body paragraphs, not dumped in closing
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- Active call to action in closing — not passive "Thank you for your consideration"
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- If pivoting domains: lead with methodology in P1, not apologetic framing
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---
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## Jargon Calibration
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- **Industry:** Assume HR reads first. Minimize subfield jargon.
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- **National Lab / Academic:** Domain expert reads. Use field vocabulary.
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---
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## Package Reading Rules
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- Resume/CV must stand alone — many hiring managers never read the CL
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- CL deepens, not introduces — every major CL claim traceable to a resume/CV bullet
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- No contradictions between documents
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- Resume + CL = 3 pages | CV + CL = 6-7 pages
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---
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## CL Hook Verification (MANDATORY)
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Before presenting any CL draft to the user, web-search and verify every external reference:
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- **Academic:** PI name + cited paper title/topic → confirm paper exists, journal, year
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- **National Lab:** Named program, thrust area, or group publication → confirm it exists
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- **Industry:** Product name, technology claim, or company news → confirm accuracy
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**If verified:** Note source URL in session file Cover Letter Plan.
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**If unverified:** Flag as **"UNVERIFIED — please confirm"** in the draft. Never guess names, titles, or journal details.
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---
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## CL Anti-Patterns
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- No generic opener ("I am writing to express my interest...")
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- No defensive framing ("Despite my background in...")
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- No credential dump in closing paragraph
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- No repeating resume bullets verbatim — CL deepens, doesn't duplicate
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- Limit quantified claims to 3-5 per CL
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- **Em-dashes in CLs:** Max 2 per document. CLs are prose-heavy and em-dashes compound quickly. Use commas for parenthetical asides, colons for elaborations, periods for new sentences. Paired em-dashes (X --- detail --- Y) should use commas or parentheses instead.
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- The resume stands alone.
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- The letter adds motivation, decision context or a meaningful connection.
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- The voice is direct and natural.
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- No generic opening, credential dump, defensive gap list or copied resume bullet.
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- The canonical validator passes for the cover-letter `.tex`.
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- The compiled document is one readable page unless the employer explicitly requests otherwise.
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