Let’s be real - most of our cover letters are going to be pretty similar for the companies. I used a mix of what I learned from DS4A Career Section & Wonsulting (@jerryjhlee on Instagram). I hate re-writing cover letters - and if I try to just reuse one, I tend to miss something to change. I decided to use a combo of google sheets, google docs, and a google doc add-in/extension to make life easier. This is a lot like a mail merge on Word.

What do you need?

• Publigo document merge by Scriptit
• Editable Cover Letter Template on Google Docs
  • Make sure to edit this letter some to make it fit your narrative.
• Spreadsheet linked to cover letter template
• Optional: ChatGBT (the site or google add-in extension)
  • This can be used to help come up with skills, edit your cover letter, check grammar, and whatever else you need.

Set Up Cover Letter:

1. Create copies of the cover letter template & accompanied spreadsheet

2. make sure to install Publigo Document Merge add-on

3. Fix up cover letter template

• Add your name/contact info
• Your name on bottom too
• Spruce up letter to match your (general) experience and vibe more.

Create New Personalized Cover Letter

This is where the magic happens. In the cover letter you will see specialized fields (called Markers) like {{Hiring Name}}. These curly brackets correspond with a column in the spreadsheet.

Markers on Refresh Cover Letter Template

Refresh Cover Letter Merge spreadsheet Sheet 1 headers

1. Open Refresh Cover Letter Merge sheet. Fill out spreadsheet cells - Hiring Name is for the hiring managers name. Job responsibility I take right from the listing - something that interests you about the position. Skills - I have a tab for skills, since I tend to use the same skills over and over again. You can keep adding these skills and altering when needed. What 2-3 skills are most relevant to this job? You can copy/paste these into the (sheet 1) merge tab. Make sure to fill out all cells that match to the template (Columns A:0). Note: You do not fill out column P & Q. They are auto-populated.

2. Open the Refresh Cover Letter Template doc. On the right side you should see the add-ons. Choose the Publigo Document Merge.

• Document Merge
• Spreadsheet or an Excel File
• Already have a spreadsheet? —> Open
• Choose “Refresh Cover Letter Merge”
• Choose tab (Sheet 1) —> Save

Publigo Document Merge to the right of screen - sidebar on google docs

3. Generate your Cover Letter(s).

• Choose “Output: One Google Doc per row.”
• “Naming Convension” - I suggest something like “YourName {{Company Name}} Cover Letter”
• click Generate (#) Google Docs button
• The link to your Cover Letter will appear on the google sheet.
  • **Example Cover Letter** Make sure to look over the cover letter (especially the first one) to make sure it come out correct. This allows you to personalize it further if you like. From here you can download the Doc as a PDF onto your computer, or use the share link (where applicable on some applications). There is your letter!

Generated links to cover letter(s) in Refresh Cover Letter Merge spreadsheet