Show Your Swipe File

You're writing a cover letter for a senior role. You type: "I am writing to express my strong interest in this exciting opportunity. With my extensive background in cross-functional leadership and proven track record of driving results, I believe I would be an excellent fit for your dynamic team." They read the first line. Close the tab. Next candidate. Try this instead: "I've shipped three products that sound impossible until they work. Your job posting mentioned 'building something that doesn't exist yet'—that's the only kind of problem I take." They read it twice. Forward it to the hiring manager. The difference? You studied what actually gets responses. David Ogilvy kept a swipe file of every ad that made him stop and read. He didn't copy them—he learned the patterns. AI can build your swipe file in an hour.

Every great cover letter you've read follows patterns you can't quite name. The opening that made you lean in. The proof that felt real. The close that made you want to meet them.

Most people write from scratch every time. They reinvent the wheel, badly.

The best candidates study what works. They collect 20 cover letters that got interviews, break down the structure, and adapt the patterns.

You're not plagiarizing. You're learning the invisible architecture of communication that works.

Gary Halbert made his students hand-copy winning sales letters. Not to plagiarize—to burn the rhythm into their fingers. After copying 100 letters, they could feel when a sentence was too long or a transition felt wrong.

AI does this instantly. Feed it 15 cover letters that worked, and it extracts the patterns you'd need months to notice.

You're not stealing words. You're learning structure. There are only so many ways to open strong, prove value, and close with confidence. Now you know them all.