Introduction
Your CV is the single most important document in your career toolkit. It is the first thing recruiters see, the document scholarship committees use to shortlist candidates, and the artifact that represents years of hard work in a few pages. Yet most people write their CV once and never look at it again — until a deadline forces them to scramble.
Cedar AI was built to change that. Instead of staring at a blank page or guessing what recruiters want, you upload your existing CV (or start fresh) and let an AI career coach guide you through improving every section. The platform scores your CV across four dimensions, then opens a chat interface where you can ask questions, get rewrite suggestions, and iterate until your document is genuinely competitive.
This guide walks you through every feature of Cedar AI, from your first sign-up to exporting a polished final document. Whether you are a university student in Kampala, a researcher in Nairobi, or a professional in Lagos, the workflow is the same — and it takes less than 15 minutes to see real improvement.
Who is this guide for? Anyone who wants to build a stronger CV — students, graduates, researchers, and working professionals. No prior experience with AI tools is needed.
Getting Started
Cedar AI uses a passwordless login system, which means you never need to create or remember a password. Here is how to get from zero to your dashboard in under two minutes.
Visit Cedar AI and click "Get Started"
Head to the homepage and click the Get Started Free button. You will be taken to the login screen. There is no separate sign-up flow — new accounts are created automatically the first time you log in.
Enter your email address
Type in any email address you have access to — Gmail, Yahoo, university email, or a work address. This will be your account identifier. We recommend using the email you check most often, since you will receive a code here every time you log in.
Check your inbox for the one-time passcode (OTP)
Within a few seconds, you will receive an email from Cedar AI with a 6-digit code. This code expires after 10 minutes, so enter it promptly. If you do not see it, check your spam or junk folder.
Enter the code and land on your dashboard
Paste or type the 6-digit code into the verification screen. You are now logged in and can see your dashboard — the central hub where all your CVs, cover letters, and activity live.
Pro tip: Use your primary email address (the one on your CV). This way, if you ever need support, we can match your account to your document instantly.
Uploading Your CV
Once you are on your dashboard, the next step is to upload your existing CV. Cedar AI accepts PDF files, which is the format most people already have. The upload process triggers an automatic AI analysis that extracts your information and scores your document.
Click "Upload CV" on your dashboard
You will see a prominent upload area in the center of your dashboard. Click it, or drag and drop your file directly onto the page.
Select your PDF file
Choose the CV file from your computer. The file must be in PDF format and under 5 MB. The system will begin processing immediately after upload.
Wait for AI parsing (10-20 seconds)
Cedar AI reads every line of your CV, identifies sections (education, experience, skills, etc.), and structures the data. You will see a progress indicator while this happens. When it is done, your CV sections appear in a clean, editable view.
Important: Make sure your PDF is not password-protected or image-only (i.e., a scanned document with no selectable text). The AI needs to read the text layer. If your CV is a scanned image, recreate it in Word or Google Docs first, then export as PDF.
Pro tip: If your CV has columns, tables, or heavy formatting, the parser still works — but simpler layouts produce more accurate results. When in doubt, use a single-column format for upload, then style the exported version however you like.
Understanding Your CV Score
The moment your CV is uploaded, Cedar AI evaluates it across four dimensions and generates a score from 0 to 100. This is not a vanity metric — each dimension maps to something real that recruiters and scholarship committees look for.
Here is what each dimension measures:
1. Impact — Are your bullet points results-driven?
This dimension evaluates whether your experience descriptions use action verbs and include measurable outcomes. "Managed a team" scores lower than "Led a 5-person team that delivered a project 2 weeks ahead of schedule." The AI looks for quantified achievements, specificity, and active language.
2. Brevity — Is your CV concise and scannable?
Recruiters spend an average of 7.4 seconds on an initial CV scan. This dimension checks that your document is the right length (1-2 pages for most people), that bullet points are not paragraphs in disguise, and that there is no unnecessary repetition or filler.
3. Style — Is the formatting professional and consistent?
This covers grammar, punctuation consistency (do all bullets end with periods, or none?), verb tense consistency, and whether your formatting follows accepted conventions. Mixed date formats, inconsistent capitalization, or slang will lower this score.
4. Sections — Does your CV include all required sections?
Based on the Harvard CV format, this dimension checks whether you have included the key sections a reviewer expects: contact information, education, experience, skills, and — for academic CVs — publications, research, and references. Missing sections pull your score down.
📌 Key Takeaway
Your CV score is a diagnostic tool, not a grade. A score of 60 does not mean your CV is bad — it means there are specific, fixable areas where improvement will make a measurable difference. The chat AI will help you address each one.
Chatting with AI to Improve
This is where Cedar AI truly shines. After reviewing your score, click "Chat with AI" to open a conversation with your AI career coach. The AI has already read your entire CV, so you can jump straight into asking for help.
The chat interface works like any messaging app. Type a message, press Enter, and receive a response in a few seconds. The AI can rewrite bullet points, suggest new sections, help you tailor your CV for specific roles, and explain why certain phrasing works better than others.
What to Ask
Here are some example prompts and the kind of responses you will get:
You: "Rewrite my work experience at Kampala Tech Ltd to sound more results-driven."
AI: "Here is a revised version of your Kampala Tech Ltd experience. I have added quantified outcomes and replaced passive descriptions with action verbs: • Developed and deployed a customer portal serving 2,000+ users, reducing support tickets by 35% in the first quarter..."
You: "I am applying for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. What sections should I add?"
AI: "For the Mastercard Foundation, you should emphasize community service, leadership experience, and any work with underserved communities. I recommend adding a 'Community Engagement' section and expanding your education section to include relevant coursework and projects..."
You: "Make my CV better."
This is too vague. The AI will do its best, but you will get more targeted help if you specify which section you want improved, what role you are applying for, or what dimension you want to focus on.
You: "My Impact score is 45. What are the weakest bullet points, and how can I fix them?"
AI: "Your weakest bullets are in the 'Research Assistant' role — they describe tasks but not outcomes. Here are rewrites: Original: 'Collected data for the project.' → Revised: 'Collected and cleaned survey data from 450 households across 3 districts, contributing to a published study on rural health access.'"
Pro tip: You can have multiple chat sessions — one for each role or scholarship you are applying to. This lets you keep a tailored conversation history for each application.
Good to know: The AI will never fabricate information about you. It rewrites and improves what is already on your CV, but it does not invent degrees, jobs, or achievements. If you want to add new content, you tell the AI what happened and it helps you phrase it effectively.
Exporting Your CV
Once you are happy with your CV, you can export it as a professionally formatted document. Cedar AI offers two export formats, each suited for different situations.
| Feature | PDF Export | DOCX Export |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Submitting to online portals, emailing to recruiters | Further editing in Microsoft Word or Google Docs |
| Formatting | Pixel-perfect; looks the same on any device | Editable; may shift slightly between Word versions |
| File size | Typically 50-150 KB | Typically 30-80 KB |
| ATS compatibility | Excellent — most applicant tracking systems parse PDF well | Excellent — DOCX is the most widely supported format |
| When to use | When the application says "upload PDF" or when emailing directly | When you need to make manual edits before submitting |
Pro tip: When in doubt, export as PDF. It preserves formatting exactly and is the preferred format for most scholarship applications and job portals in Africa.
AI Opportunity Matching
Cedar AI does not just help you build your CV — it also helps you find where to send it. The platform aggregates scholarships, internships, fellowships, and job openings from across Africa and matches them to your profile.
Once your CV is uploaded, the AI analyzes your skills, education level, field of study, and location to surface opportunities that are a good fit. You will see these on your dashboard under the "Opportunities" tab, sorted by relevance.
How matching works: The system reads your CV sections — education, skills, experience, research interests — and compares them against opportunity requirements. Matches are ranked by fit, so the most relevant opportunities appear first.
Deadline alerts: Opportunities display their application deadlines prominently. We recommend checking the Opportunities tab at least weekly so you never miss a window.
You can also browse opportunities by category — scholarships, jobs, fellowships, and internships — without a CV, but the personalized matching only activates once you have uploaded a document.
Pro Tips for Power Users
You now know the core workflow. Here are the habits and features that separate casual users from people who consistently land interviews and scholarship placements.
- Upload early, iterate often. Do not wait until a deadline to upload your CV. Upload it now and spend a few minutes each week chatting with the AI to improve one section at a time.
- Use specific prompts. Instead of "improve my CV," try "rewrite my education section for a Chevening Scholarship application" or "make my skills section more relevant for data science roles."
- Check your score after each edit. Re-upload your CV after making significant changes to see how your score has moved. Watching the number climb is motivating and keeps you on track.
- Tailor for each application. A single CV rarely works for every opportunity. Use the chat to create role-specific versions, then export each one separately.
- Pair your CV with a cover letter. Cedar AI also has an AI cover letter generator. Use it alongside your CV for a complete application package.
- Browse opportunities weekly. New scholarships and jobs are added regularly. Set a weekly reminder to check the Opportunities tab so you catch every relevant opening.
- Aim for a score above 75. In our data, CVs scoring 75 or higher receive significantly more positive responses from reviewers. That is your target.
📌 Key Takeaway
Cedar AI is not a one-time tool — it is a career companion. The more you use the chat, the more tailored your CV becomes. Upload, score, chat, improve, export, apply. That is the loop that leads to results.