Happy February!

If you tried FitCheck in January, you probably noticed it tells you pretty quickly whether a job is worth pursuing. But knowing you're a good fit and actually applying are two different problems. This month we fixed that.

What's New: FitCheck Generates Application Materials

FitCheck v1.0.5 now does more than score jobs. After you get your fit score, you can click "Generate Materials" to create:

• Interest Statement — A concise response for those "Why are you interested in this role?" fields on WellFound, LinkedIn, and quick-apply forms
• Cover Letter — Tailored to the specific job and company, ready to paste into any application portal
• Plain Text Resume — Your resume converted to clean text for ATS copy/paste boxes that don't accept uploads

This feature is designed for FitCheck-only users who want to move fast. You get a high score, you generate materials, you apply—all without leaving the job posting. No separate tools, no context switching.

If you're a ReApply user, you already have something better. ReApply's cover letters draw on deep company research, gap analysis, and strategic positioning that FitCheck's quick-generate can't match. For jobs you're serious about, "Create Application" in FitCheck still imports the job into ReApply where you get the full intelligence suite. These new materials are for FitCheck-only users who want a quicker path from score to application.

Generating materials costs 1 additional credit (separate from the initial FitCheck). It's optional, and materials are cached for 24 hours so you can revisit them without extra cost.

If you haven't installed FitCheck yet: Get it from the Chrome Web Store →

Also New: Better PDF Resumes

For ReApply users, I’ve made several improvements to resume formatting:

• Easier to Read Format — New heading and body fonts and better spacing in the layout to make generated/downloaded resumes much easier to read
• Contact footer on every page — Your email, phone, and page numbers now appear at the bottom of each page
• "Continued on next page" markers — When a section splits across pages, the PDF now notes where it picks up
• Cleaner pagination — No more orphaned section headers sitting alone at the bottom of a page

These are small things individually, but they add up to a more polished, professional document.

From the Blog

January was the biggest month so far for writing—16 posts across four complete series. Here are the highlights:

The Ethics of AI in Job Searching (3 parts, Dec 29 - Jan 3) Is using AI in your job search cheating? What does ethical AI use actually mean? And why are resumes broken in the first place? Start with Part 1: Is Using AI in Your Job Search Cheating?

Surviving Long-Term Unemployment (3 parts, Jan 5-9) What happens when the job search stretches past a few months. How unemployment starts to affect your identity, how to stay functional while you wait, and how it actually ends. Start with Part 1: When Unemployment Becomes Your Identity.

The Startup Reality Check (5 parts, Jan 12-30) The full series on what it's really like to join a startup—from the seductive dream to decoding job ads, making an informed bet, why equity isn't compensation, and what a genuinely good startup job ad would actually look like. Start with Part 1: The Startup Dream.

The Informed Job Seeker (3 parts, Jan 19-23) The practical knowledge that experienced job seekers have and nobody teaches you. Employer types and what they're really like, how to interview your interviewer, and negotiation without the games. Start with Part 1: Employer Types Explained.

Now publishing: A 5-part series on what it means when you hate your job—and what you can actually do about it. Two parts are already up: I've Hated Every Job I've Ever Had and What Hating Your Job Actually Tells You.

See all posts on the blog →

Quick Tip: The February Lull Is Your Advantage

February is when a lot of job seekers lose momentum. The New Year's resolution energy fades, and people start telling themselves "I'll wait until spring." That means less competition for you. If you're actively searching, keep going—hiring doesn't stop just because motivation does.

That's it for February. If you have questions, feedback, or just want to say hi, reply to this email. I read everything.

— John

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