SylphCV analyses your CV and cover letter across 10 dimensions that directly affect whether you get shortlisted. Here's what each one means and why recruiters and hiring systems care about it.
You upload
Your CV and cover letter — PDF or Word, up to 5MB each.
We analyse
Claude AI scores your documents across all 10 dimensions and identifies specific issues.
You receive
A detailed PDF report in your inbox within 5 minutes — scored, graded, and full of specific rewrite suggestions.
Each dimension is scored 0–10 and graded A+ to F. Your report tells you exactly where you lost points and what to do about it.
What it is: Most large companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to automatically filter CVs before a human ever reads them. Up to 75% of CVs are rejected at this stage.
Why it matters: If your CV isn't formatted in a way ATS can read — no tables, no text boxes, no graphics — it gets binned automatically regardless of how qualified you are.
What it is: ATS and recruiters scan for specific words and phrases from the job description. If those words aren't in your CV, you don't match the role on paper.
Why it matters: A brilliant candidate with poor keyword alignment looks less qualified than a mediocre candidate who mirrored the job ad. Keywords are the language of hiring systems.
What it is: The difference between 'responsible for managing a team' and 'led a team of 8 to deliver a £2M project 3 weeks ahead of schedule' is the difference between forgettable and memorable.
Why it matters: Recruiters read dozens of CVs. Passive, task-based language blurs into noise. Active, results-focused language stops them in their tracks.
What it is: Recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds on an initial CV scan. Your structure — section order, headings, hierarchy — determines what they see first.
Why it matters: A CV that requires effort to read gets skipped. A logically structured CV guides the reader exactly where you want them to go.
What it is: Font choices, spacing, margins, consistency of dates and punctuation. It sounds minor. To a recruiter it signals professionalism and attention to detail.
Why it matters: Poor formatting tells a hiring manager you rush things. Consistent, clean formatting tells them you care about quality — before they've read a single word.
What it is: The 3–5 lines at the top of your CV. Most people either skip it or write something vague like 'a hardworking, motivated individual seeking new challenges.'
Why it matters: Your summary is the first thing read. A sharp, specific summary tailored to the role tells the recruiter immediately: this person gets it. A weak one sets the wrong tone for everything that follows.
What it is: How your skills are listed, organised, and evidenced. A wall of buzzwords scores poorly. Skills contextualised with evidence score highly.
Why it matters: Listing 'Microsoft Office' as a skill in 2025 wastes valuable space. Knowing which skills to highlight, and how to back them up, is what separates strong CVs from weak ones.
What it is: The bullet points under each role. This is where most CVs fall apart — long paragraphs, job descriptions copied from the company website, or lists of duties with no outcomes.
Why it matters: Your experience section is your evidence. Employers aren't hiring your job title — they're hiring what you actually did and what it produced.
What it is: Numbers, percentages, values, timeframes. 'Grew revenue' vs. 'Grew revenue by 34% in 6 months.' The difference is enormous.
Why it matters: Metrics make claims credible. Every quantified achievement is a trust signal. CVs with strong metrics consistently outperform those without — even for equivalent candidates.
What it is: Whether your cover letter and CV tell a consistent, complementary story — not the same story twice, but two parts of the same picture.
Why it matters: A cover letter that contradicts or simply repeats your CV is a missed opportunity. One that builds on it, addresses the company directly, and bridges your story to their need is what gets interviews.
Upload your CV and cover letter. Get your full scored report in under 5 minutes.
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