/make-cl

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

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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

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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

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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) 5. 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]..."

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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.

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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]"