Documentation

CareerForge AI is a personal career agent that runs inside WordPress. This guide takes you from install to your first tailored application.

Requirements

• WordPress 6.3 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer.
• An API key from Anthropic or OpenAI, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint such as Ollama or LM Studio.
• Optional for Pro PDF export: TeX Live or MiKTeX with pdflatex on the same machine as WordPress.

1. Install

Activate the CareerForge AI Installer plugin and follow the four steps: server check, edition, options, install. The installer unpacks the theme and the edition you choose, activates them, creates these pages and menus, and saves your API key encrypted.

2. Connect your AI provider

Open CareerForge AI, then Settings. Pick a provider, paste your key, and press Test connection. Leave the model blank to use the default, or type any model name your provider offers. For a local model choose OpenAI-compatible and enter the base URL, for example http://localhost:11434/v1.

3. Complete the profile interview

The interview has eight steps: basics, work history, education, skills, proof of impact, goals, personality and writing voice. Answers save automatically. Real numbers make better documents, so give team sizes, percentages and deadlines wherever you can. On the last step press Build my brief with AI to create your positioning brief. Pro also asks adaptive follow-up questions and fingerprints your writing style.

4. Find roles

Open Job search, enter a role and optionally a location, choose boards and search. Each result has a match score based on title fit, skills overlap, location and freshness, with the matching skills shown. Lite searches Remotive and Arbeitnow. Pro adds RemoteOK, Jobicy, The Muse and your own RSS feeds, plus AI re-ranking.

5. Apply

Paste a posting link on the Apply screen, or press Evaluate and apply on a search result. CareerForge reads the posting and scores your fit, showing where you match, your gaps by severity and the keywords to mirror. Press Generate CV and cover letter and watch the drafter-reviewer loop run:

1. The drafter writes version 1 using only facts from your profile.
2. The reviewer scores it, flags anything unsupported, vague bullets, missing keywords and generic lines.
3. The drafter revises using the critique. Lite runs one round; Pro runs up to three, adds a final score and stops early once the reviewer approves.

CareerForge prepares the documents. It does not submit anything for you. Read every document before you send it.

If a site blocks automated reading or needs a login, open Link blocked or behind a login and paste the description instead.

6. Documents

The CV and cover letter are typeset in LaTeX from structured data. Use the tabs to read both, see the review log and copy the LaTeX source. Download the .tex file, open the print view and choose Save as PDF in your browser, or on Pro press Download PDF to compile with pdflatex. Pro includes four templates: Classic, Modern, Compact and Elegant. Paper size (A4 or US Letter) is set in Settings.

7. Track applications

Every role you evaluate or save appears under Applications with a status, fit score and notes. Pro adds a kanban board you can drag between columns, follow-up dates that appear on your dashboard, and CSV export. Lite tracks up to 15 applications.

8. Prepare for interviews

On Interview prep choose a specific application or your general target roles. You get an opening pitch, likely questions with answer outlines drawn from your own stories (STAR format for behavioural questions), questions to ask, watch-outs and a research checklist. Lite creates eight questions per pack and Pro creates twenty. Pro also includes a mock interview that scores each answer and shows a stronger version.

Lite and Pro

Area	Lite	Pro
Job boards	2	6 plus RSS
Review rounds	1	Up to 3 plus final score
Templates	Classic	Four
PDF	Print view and .tex	One-click compile
Tracked applications	15	Unlimited
Interview questions	8 per pack	20 per pack plus mock interview

Upgrading keeps all of your data. Both editions use the same profile and application storage.

Troubleshooting

• A step times out. Each AI step is a separate request, but slow models can still exceed your server limit. Raise max_execution_time to 180 or more, or use a faster model.
• The AI answers in an unexpected format. Retry the step, or choose a more capable model in Settings.
• A job link cannot be read. Paste the description instead.
• PDF export says pdflatex was not found. Install TeX Live or MiKTeX, or enter the full path to pdflatex in Settings.
• The installer cannot write files. On a local site add define( 'FS_METHOD', 'direct' ); to wp-config.php.

Your data

Your profile, applications and generated documents are stored in this site’s database and uploads folder. Profile and job text are sent to the AI provider you choose, using your own key. Under Settings, Your data you can download your profile as JSON or erase the profile and every application.