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The complete job application platform.

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CV

The Story Behind SmarterCV

Founder story • Why this matters
Formula Student car

When I graduated from the University of Liverpool with my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, I faced one of the most challenging periods of my life. I applied to over 300 roles and received countless rejections before finally breaking through.

Those rejections were incredibly demoralising, but they taught me invaluable insight. Through persistence, research, and countless iterations of my approach, I eventually secured a position at Rolls‑Royce on one of the most competitive engineering graduate schemes in the UK, with acceptance rates around 1 in 4000.

Looking back, I’m grateful for every rejection. Those difficult months inspired me to create SmarterCV, a platform designed to help others navigate the same challenges I faced. I understand firsthand how disheartening the job search process can be, but I also know that with the right tools and mindset, success is achievable.

That’s why I’m offering you a free online portfolio worth £120 per year—to give you that crucial step up in your career journey. Because everyone deserves the opportunity to present their best self to potential employers.

1. Upload your CV

Drag and drop or click to upload

Upload or drag and drop CV

2. Edit your online portfolio

https://smartercv.com/portfolio/?user=chris

3. Upload a job description

https://careers.example.com/jobs/PM-12345
Project Manager
at A Company · London · Hybrid · £45k–£60k + benefits
  • Agile / Scrum
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Budget & Forecasting
  • Risk & RAID
  • Jira / Confluence

Lead cross‑functional initiatives to deliver product or process improvements across technology, operations or marketing. Own scope, timeline and budget; coordinate teams and vendors to achieve measurable outcomes.

  • Define scope, roadmap and milestones with stakeholders; maintain RACI.
  • Deliver projects on time and within budget; track burn and forecast variances.
  • Facilitate Agile ceremonies and unblock teams; manage dependencies.
  • Run RAID: document risks, issues and decisions; escalate with impact/owner/due date.
  • Report KPIs to leadership: on‑time %, budget variance, cycle time, NPS.

Essential: 3+ years project management, Agile/Waterfall delivery, stakeholder communication, budget tracking (Excel/Sheets), Jira/Confluence. Desirable: PMP/PRINCE2, SQL/BI tools, experience in SaaS/operations/marketing, vendor management.

4. Optimise your generated CV

ATS analysis • Real-time suggestions67% match
Example Company — Project Manager
February 2023 – September 2023
  • I delivered workshops and training sessions to help people understand strategic decisions.
  • Created newsletters, intranet posts and ran town halls to manage stakeholders during company changes.
  • Used Jira and Power BI to produce monthly reports and communicate research to stakeholders.
  • Managed project budgets and deliverables sucessfully using my many years of project management experience.
  • Led change champions and conducted regular 1‑1s with project teams to improve business objectives.
AI Assistant suggestions
  • Remove "I". Add specific numbers: "Delivered workshops and training for {how many people?} people, influencing senior colleagues on strategic decisions in portfolio management." Style & Evidence
  • Be more specific about impact: "Produced internal campaigns, newsletters and town halls for stakeholder management of {how many?} company-wide strategic changes." Evidence
  • Add the outcome: "Produced monthly reports using Jira and Power BI to simplify and communicate research to {how many?} stakeholders, improving {what improved?}." Impact
  • Be specific about deliverables: "Delivered {how many?} deliverables for projects ranging from £50k to £500k, drawing upon 20+ years of project management experience for accurate planning." Detail
  • Add concrete results: "Led {how many?} change champions and conducted monthly 1‑1s with {how many?} project teams, delivering on {what specific objectives?}." Evidence
  • Missing: Add a bullet about budget tracking and forecasting (key JD requirement). Example: "Tracked project burn rates and forecasted variances for {£amount} budget, maintaining {what %?} accuracy." Missing
  • Missing: Add Agile/Scrum experience. Example: "Facilitated {how many?} Agile ceremonies and managed dependencies across {how many?} teams, improving delivery by {what %?}." Missing
  • Missing: Add RAID management. Example: "Documented risks, issues and decisions in RAID logs, escalating {how many?} critical items with impact/owner/due dates." Missing

5. Create a cover letter

AI assisted cover letter • Real‑time suggestions92% match
{First Name} {Last Name} — Cover Letter (Example Company)
Draft v1

I'm excited by Example Company's mission to deliver product and process improvements across technology and operations. Your focus on measurable outcomes and cross-functional collaboration aligns perfectly with my approach to project management.

In my current role, I have successfully led transformation initiatives that required both technical delivery and change management expertise. I understand the challenges of coordinating multiple teams and stakeholders while maintaining budget control and timeline adherence. My experience spans both traditional project management methodologies and modern Agile approaches.

I'm particularly drawn to this role because it combines my passion for driving operational improvements with the opportunity to work on diverse projects across different business areas. Thank you for your time and consideration.

AI Assistant suggestions
  • Good company research! Now add a specific example: "Your recent {specific project/initiative} particularly interests me because it aligns with my experience in {relevant area}." Research
  • Be more specific about Agile experience: "My experience spans Waterfall, Agile, and Scrum, with particular expertise in {specific Agile framework} and {specific tool like Jira/Confluence}." Detail
  • Strengthen the close: "I'm available for an interview next week and can be reached at {contact details}. I look forward to discussing how my experience in {specific skill} can contribute to your team's success." Style
  • Add a question to show engagement: "I'd love to learn more about your current {specific challenge/initiative} and how I could contribute to its success." Missing
  • Missing: Add a specific achievement with numbers. Example: "I delivered {how many?} projects worth £{total amount} on time and under budget, improving {what metric?} by {what %?}." Missing

6. Submit and track your applications

Analytics dashboard • Last 30 days
Applications Sent
23
+12% vs last month
Profile Views
156
+8% vs last month
Response Rate
30.4%
+5.2% vs last month
ATS match ratings
  • Project Manager — Example Company
    89%
  • CAE Engineer — A Car Company
    65%
  • Software Engineer — Google
    72%
  • Data Scientist — Microsoft
    45%
Recent job applications
Application
Status
Views
Days
ATS
Reply
Project Manager
Example Company
LIVE
10
10
89%
High
CAE Engineer
A Car Company
LIVE
4
53
65%
Low
Junior Developer
Millenium
PENDING
—
—
65%
Low

Our Plans

Free

£ 0 /month

Perfect for individuals looking to create a professional online presence.

  • Create a free online portfolio
  • Create a free ATS‑optimised CV for a job role
  • Explore the paid features of smartercv
Start Free

Basic

£ 1 /month

Perfect for individuals who want stand‑out features on their portfolio.

  • Create an online portfolio
  • Access customisable features and AI assistance
  • Create a free ATS‑optimised CV for a job role
Get Started

Professional

£ 10 /month

Ideal for job seekers targeting specific companies

  • Create unlimited versions of your portfolio to personalise each application
  • Create unlimited ATS‑optimised CVs with QR links to portfolios
  • Access multiple portfolio templates
Choose Professional
Most Popular

Enterprise

£ 20 /month

Complete solution for serious job applicants

  • All Professional features
  • Cover letter creation
  • Enhanced job tracking and analytics
Contact Sales

Our CVs are AI‑assisted and not written by AI. We make suggestions, highlight improvements and prompt you to think about how to sell yourself for the role you are applying for. This human‑in‑the‑loop approach helps you stand out. Employers can spot fully AI‑generated CVs, and that won’t help you succeed in the job market.