CareerSet CV Checker FAQs

What is CareerSet?

  • CareerSet is The University of Manchester’s online CV feedback tool.
  • You can upload your existing CV or use our online resource to draft your first CV and receive instant personalised feedback. You can access CareerSet 24/7 365 days a year from any location and you can re-submit your CV as many times as you like to keep improving your CV score.     

Who can use CareerSet?

  • If you have an active university email address you can access CareerSet, these include: @student.manchester.ac.uk and @postgrad.manchester.ac.uk, @mba.mbs.ac.uk, @postgrad.mbs.ac.uk, @student.mbs.ac.uk.

I am a graduate, can I still use CareerSet?

  • You will need to register using the email address you use for CareerConnect. You can find the access code in CareerConnect on the CV Pathway or via Resources - CareerSet info. click on the (i) icon.

How many times can I submit my CV for scoring?

  • You can submit your CV as many times as you wish. You can submit different CVs for different job roles to ensure you are tailoring each CV to each individual job description.

How does it work?

  • Once you are logged in, upload your CV as a pdf and follow the instructions given.
  • There are two products ScoreMyCV for general CV feedback and TargetMyCV for tailored feedback against a job description.

How long will it take to get Feedback?

  • Feedback is instant!

Will CareerSet make the changes onto my CV?

  • No. You will need to look at the detailed feedback and make your own recommended changes. You can then re-upload your CV to see if the scoring has changed. The feedback is comprehensive so organise some time to sit and review and implement changes. It could make the difference between you getting an interview or being rejected.

Can I CareerSet feedback on a Strengths or skills based CV?

  • CareerSet has been designed to check chronological CV formats,
  • if a CV is more unconventional i.e., skills based, creative or eccentric  you can use the profile or Other CVs including academic CVs or please contact us for further advice.

Can I CareerSet feedback on a Academic CV?

  • Yes use the profile for "other" CVs including academic CVs

Is CareerSet suitable for recruiters outside the UK?

  • Research for CareerSet is based on UK employer and recruiter market and best practices within the UK.
  • For advice on CV requirements in other countries please visit our website for  Passport Career  or Prospects working abroad.

I achieved a high score but it’s not 100% - what should I do? 

  • It is unlikely that there is a 100% CV score out there! We recommend you aim for a CV Score of 70. Once you have achieved a score of 70 by following the advice and guidance from CareerSet you may want to contact the Careers Service for more in-depth advice against a particular job you are applying for.

Will CareerSet give me feedback on a covering letter or personal statement?

I have a particular job I am applying for will CareerSet Feedback against the job description?

  • Yes, Go to TargetMYCV and upload both the job description and your CV.

What kind of advice can I expect?

  • The feedback report runs across dozens of checks that recruiters and hiring manages pay attention to. As well as making your CV Applicant Tracking Compatible it evaluates your strength of word choice in three main areas Impact, Style and Brevity.
  • As a small example of the checks your CV will be checked for how often you are using Action Verbs and how you have used these in a sentence, filler words are checked to ensure you get the maximum impact.
  • It will also check on how you are describing activities to ensure you will match Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), it will check your use of buzz words like ‘hardworking’ that can add little value to a CV and how you have evidenced your skills.

CareerSet Cover Letter Feedback FAQS

What is Cover Letter Feedback?

Cover Letter feedback is a platform that helps you improve your Cover Letter. You can upload a Cover Letter that is tailored to a specific job and get immediate feedback on how your Cover Letter matches to key themes relevant to the position.

What kind of feedback can I expect?

Immediate feedback is given on checks like salutations, length and spelling as well as relevancy checks on key words and skills in the context of the job description.

Can I use the same Cover Letter for every job?

No. Every recruiter will expect that you have tailored your application to the job you are applying for. You are unlikely to get shortlisted for an interview without tailoring your Cover Letter to the post you are applying for.

I’ve not got a Cover Letter, how do I create one?

There are two Cover Letter Templates on CareerSet, a conventional cover letter and an email cover letter template, you can use either of these and build in your information in these. Alternatively use the example cover letter and cover letter template on our website.

How will my data be used by CareerSet and The University of Manchester?

  • Students and graduates are required to opt-in to the CareerSet terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy before being able to access the service, which can be found on the CareerSet website: https://careerset.io/privacy and https://careerset.io/terms.php.
  • Careers Service will have access to student and graduate information including CV scores, Cover Letters and Feedback reports. This information will be used to inform CV and Cover Letter benchmarking criteria, develop Careers support materials and offer further CV and Cover Letter application advice. CVs will not be accessible and are not stored in Careerset, all other information will be retained in line with The University of Manchester’s data retention policies.
  • More information can be found Privacy and Information Governance.