Full Reference

Setup Guide

Accurate as of app v1.10.3 — 29 Jul 2026

Just want to get started fast? See the Buyer Guide instead — come back here when you need the details.

1. Activating your license 2. Choosing and setting up your AI provider 3. Setting up your backup folder 4. Your license key 5. When your initial access expires 6. Core features, walkthrough Troubleshooting

1. Activating your license

Settings → License → paste your key. Your key comes from your purchase confirmation email (Stripe buyers) or your LemonSqueezy order page (LemonSqueezy buyers). Activation is instant — no account creation, no waiting.

If your key doesn't activate: check for extra spaces when pasting, and confirm you're using the most recent key if you've purchased more than once.

2. Choosing and setting up your AI provider

CareerPocket AI is bring-your-own-AI — you connect the AI provider you want, and your data goes only to that provider, using your own credentials. Go to Settings → AI Provider.

Recommended for most people: Google Gemini's free tier. No payment card required, no technical experience needed. Follow these steps exactly:

  1. Go to aistudio.google.com/app/apikey and sign in with any Google account (a free Gmail account works — create one first if you don't have one).
  2. Click Create API key.
  3. If asked, choose Create API key in new project — this is fine, you don't need to configure anything else.
  4. Copy the API key that appears (a long string of letters and numbers). Keep this window open, or paste the key somewhere safe — you'll need it in the next step.
  5. In CareerPocket AI, go to Settings → AI Provider and click the Google Gemini quick-select option.
  6. Paste your copied API key into the API Key field.
  7. In the Model field, type exactly: gemini-3.6-flash — all lowercase, no spaces. (Model names are case-sensitive; typing it any other way, like Gemini-3.6-Flash, will cause an error.)
  8. Click Test & Save. You should see a green "Connected successfully" message.

That's it — you're ready to use every AI feature in CareerPocket AI. This is currently the most stable, no-cost way to run the app. If you'd rather use a different provider (OpenAI, Claude, or your own setup), see Option A below.

Option A — Cloud AI (recommended for most people)

Works with OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, or any OpenAI-compatible provider (including custom endpoints).

  1. Create an account with your chosen provider (e.g. platform.openai.com, console.anthropic.com).
  2. Generate an API key from their dashboard.
  3. Add a small starting credit — USD 10 is a reasonable starting point.
  4. Paste your API key into CareerPocket AI's Settings → AI Provider.
  5. In the same provider's dashboard, set a monthly budget limit (USD 20 recommended) to prevent unexpected charges.

Actual usage cost depends heavily on your provider, model choice, and how often you use the app — check your provider's own usage dashboard regularly, especially in your first weeks. You don't pay inflated credit prices, just the tokens you actually consume.

Option B — Local AI (free, runs on your own computer)

Run a model entirely on your machine — no cost, no data leaving your computer at all, but requires reasonably capable hardware.

  1. Install a local model runner (the app will guide you to compatible options in Settings → AI Provider → Local).
  2. Point CareerPocket AI at your local endpoint.
  3. We offer a one-time guided setup session for USD 100 if you'd like help — we'll assess your hardware first to confirm it can run a suitable model at a useful speed before you commit.

Important: output quality depends heavily on which local model you choose. A model that's too small or the wrong type for this kind of writing task will produce noticeably worse resumes and cover letters than a cloud provider — this isn't a CareerPocket AI limitation, it's a real capability difference between models. We're still testing and will publish specific model recommendations here once confirmed; in the meantime, if a local model's output feels weak, try a larger or more general-purpose model rather than a code-specialized one.

You can switch between cloud and local anytime — nothing else about your data or documents changes.

3. Setting up your backup folder

Your data lives in your browser's local storage — it is not stored on our servers. To protect against losing it (clearing browser data, switching computers), set a backup folder:

  1. First launch prompts you to choose a folder — pick a real, persistent location (e.g. Documents/CareerPocket Backups) or a cloud-synced folder.
  2. The app backs up automatically after meaningful changes.
  3. You can also trigger a manual export anytime from Settings → Backup → Export Now.
  4. To restore on a new computer: Settings → Backup → Restore, then select your most recent backup file.

Retention: the app keeps your most recent 30 backups and automatically prunes older ones — your settings and configuration are never touched by pruning, only the backup files themselves.

4. Your license key

You'll receive a license key when you purchase — the exact format depends on how you purchased (directly, or via an affiliate/reseller), so don't worry if it doesn't match an example you've seen elsewhere. Paste it exactly as given in Settings → License.

Keep it somewhere safe — you'll need it again if you reinstall or move to a new browser/computer, and if you ever change your key, your saved data (resume, applications, settings) is not affected.

5. When your initial access expires

Your initial access period runs for 3 months from activation. Starting a few days before it ends, you'll see a banner showing how many days remain, with a link to continue for US$6.99/month.

If your access does expire before you continue, you'll see a full-screen prompt rather than losing anything — follow the link shown to purchase continued access, then enter your new license key.

Your data is preserved throughout. Entering a new license key does not affect your saved resume, applications, or settings — everything picks up exactly where you left off.

6. Core features, walkthrough

Adding a Job

Every application starts here — there are two ways in:

Paste manually: open Add Job, paste the job description directly.

Job Capture Bookmarklet Beta: captures job title, URL, and full job description automatically from most job boards — no copy-paste needed. Set it up once in Settings → drag the "Capture Job" button into your browser's bookmark bar (or copy the bookmarklet code manually if dragging doesn't work). When you're on a job posting, click the bookmarklet, then go to Add Job and click "Paste Captured Job" to auto-fill.

Known limitation: Safari may block this bookmarklet on some sites, including LinkedIn. For best results, use Chrome or Edge.

Job Scoring

Once a job exists in the app, score it — CareerPocket AI compares it against your real profile and highlights genuine fit, not just keyword overlap. From here, decide whether to start tracking it as a real application, or delete it if it's not a fit.

Tailored Resume & Cover Letter Generation

Generate documents grounded in your actual career history for each specific job. Use Regenerate to produce a fresh version, or Polish to refine an existing draft without starting over.

AI-generated content may need review for accuracy. Review and edit every generated cover letter or tailored resume before sending it to an employer.

Application Tracking

Every application you generate documents for is saved and tracked — see status, dates, and which documents you sent, in one place.

Tasks

Tracks follow-up actions, recruiter nudges, and networking to-dos across your entire job search — not tied to any single application. Use this to keep track of everything you need to do: research a company, prepare for a specific interview, follow up with a recruiter, submit a reference. Your Dashboard also surfaces reminders drawn from this.

Notes

Attach notes to any application — useful for capturing details about the role, the company, or your own positioning thoughts before generating documents.

Career Chat

A conversational space to think through your job search, discuss your scores, explore how to position yourself for a specific role, and capture insights from interviews. See Getting the Most Out of It for how to use this well.

Troubleshooting

Need more help?