claude-resume-kit/.claude/skills/make-cl/SKILL.md

description, user-invocable

description	user-invocable
Generate a tailored cover letter from an existing session file and finished resume/CV	true

/make-cl

User input: $ARGUMENTS

Parse $ARGUMENTS:

• Session file path (e.g., output/Acme/session_acme_engineer.md) → read that session file
• Session name (e.g., acme_engineer) → find session file via shared_ops.md derivation
• Empty → check CLAUDE.md Active Sessions for latest

---

Safety Rules (ALWAYS ENFORCED)

Accuracy > Relevance > Impact > ATS > Brevity

Read config.md Provenance Flags before generating any content. Verify every claim against that table.

• Use the email from config.md Personal Info in all outputs
• CL deepens what resume presents — never introduces new claims not traceable to resume bullets
• Source field context from resume_builder/support/significance_*.md files

---

User Input During Execution

If the user provides feedback, corrections, or suggestions at any point:

1. Acknowledge the input immediately
2. If it affects already-written content: fix it, re-verify word count and anti-patterns
3. If it changes the framing: note the change in session file Framing Strategy
4. Never restart — resume from current position

---

Startup

Read resume_builder/reference/shared_ops.md for session startup and file derivation.

Then:

1. Read CLAUDE.md — check Active Sessions and KB Corrections
2. Read config.md — load Provenance Flags, email, role types
3. Find and read the session file
4. Recovery check:
   • If CL Status is DONE → "CL already generated. Run /critique next." Show next command. Stop.
   • If CL Status is IN_PROGRESS → check if CL .tex exists, offer to resume or regenerate
   • If Resume Status is not DONE → "Resume not yet generated. Run /make-resume first." Stop.
   • If CL Status is PENDING → proceed to Phase 1

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Phase 1: Load Context

Read in this order:

1. Session file — specifically: Company Context, Cover Letter Plan, Framing Strategy, ATS Keywords
2. Finished resume/CV .tex — path from session file Output Files. Read to understand what CL must complement.
3. resume_builder/reference/cl_reference.md — CL format rules, paragraph templates, anti-patterns
4. resume_builder/support/ai_fingerprint_rules.md — Banned words, structural rules (CLs are most vulnerable)
5. The matching bundle from session file role type → resume_builder/bundles/bundle_[role_type].md — Section 5 (Cover Letter)
6. All significance files from resume_builder/support/significance_*.md

Update session file Status: Cover Letter: IN_PROGRESS

Progress: "Loading CL context — [company], [role type] bundle, [institution type]..."

---

Phase 2: Generate Cover Letter

Read resume_builder/templates/coverletter_template.tex.

Detect institution type from session file Cover Letter Plan:

• Industry → 3 paragraphs, 250-300 words
• National Lab → 4 paragraphs, 350-450 words
• Academic → 4 paragraphs, 350-450 words (postdoc) or 450-650 words (faculty)

Generate CL following cl_reference.md paragraph structure:

• Use significance files for field-context depth (NOT resume bullet text)
• Use session file CL hooks and "why them" angle
• Ensure every major claim is traceable to a resume/CV bullet
• Open with a specific reference to their work — no generic openers
• Weave credentials into body paragraphs, not closing

Save to output/<FolderName>/e2e_<name>_cover_letter.tex

Progress: "Writing [institution type] cover letter — [N] paragraphs, targeting [N] words..."

CL Hook Verification Gate (MANDATORY before presenting to user)

Web-search every hook used in the CL:

• Academic: PI name + cited paper/research area
• National Lab: named program, thrust area, or group publication
• Industry: product, technology, or company news referenced

Present evidence as:

Claim: [what the CL says] → Evidence: [what the search found] → Source: [URL]

Flag any unverified item: "UNVERIFIED — please confirm"

Do NOT present the CL draft to the user until all hooks are verified or flagged.

---

Phase 3: Compile & Verify

pdflatex -interaction=nonstopmode -output-directory=output/<FolderName> output/<FolderName>/e2e_<name>_cover_letter.tex

Use Read tool to view compiled PDF. Verify:

Gate	Check	If FAIL
Word count	Industry 250-300, Lab/Academic 350-450	Trim/expand
Page count	Resume package: 1 page. CV package: 1-2 pages	Adjust content
Page fill	1pg: well-filled. 2pg: page 2 >= half filled before signature	Adjust
Anti-patterns	No generic opener, no defensive framing, no credential dump	Rewrite
Package cohesion	CL claims traceable to resume bullets, no contradictions	Fix
Compile	Clean pdflatex	Fix LaTeX errors

Update session file:

• Add CL to Output Files
• Status: Cover Letter: DONE
• Add Next Critique command

Progress: "Compiled — 1 page, 278 words. Package cohesion verified."

>>>>>> MANDATORY STOP — DO NOT PROCEED <<<<<<

Present: CL summary (word count, page count, key hooks used). You MUST wait for the user's explicit text response before continuing.

If user requests changes: apply them, re-compile, re-verify. Update session file. If user approves: update Status, present next command.

Do NOT trigger file organization — that happens after /critique approval.

"Cover letter done. Next steps:

1. /clear
2. [exact /critique command with session file path]"