InterviewAlpha

How to use InterviewAlpha (step by step)

A calm walkthrough of the interactive demo. No account needed. Edits stay in this browser for the demo session.

What you'll do

In about ten minutes you will:

  • Open a sample Board (or build a small one from scratch) and see how applications move through stages
  • Add a labelled CV version in CV Vault and link it to a role
  • Check Insights and Today so you know what's working and what to do next

Short coach tips appear in the product as you go. This guide does not repeat them; use them when they show up.

Step 1: Open the demo

  1. From the homepage, choose Try the interactive demo.
  2. You land on /demo with two paths:
    • Explore a full sample board - seeded applications, CV versions, and Insights ready to browse
    • Build from scratch (guided) - empty board with short coach tips (capped at 5 applications and 2 CVs)
  3. Pick one. You can change later with Switch demo in the nav.
Demo entry: choose full sample board or build from scratch
Figure 1. Demo entry: pick a full sample board or a guided empty board.

Step 2: Tour the Board

The top nav is: Today · Board · Insights · CV Vault · Switch demo.

Open Board. Applications sit as cards in stage columns (for example Wishlist, Applied, Response, Interview, Offer). Each card shows company, role, tags, and a next step when one is set.

Use search and Filters when the board gets busy. The purple + New application button is how you add roles.

Pipeline Board with stage columns and application cards
Figure 2. The Board: applications as cards across pipeline stages.

Step 3: Add an application

  1. On the Board, select + New application.
  2. Fill in the two required fields: Company and Role.
  3. Optionally add category, effort, job board, opportunity type, linked CV, job URL, and tags.
  4. Open More details (optional) and set a Next action (suggestion dropdown + free-text box). Helper text: "Choose a suggestion or type your own."
  5. Save with either:
    • Save to wishlist (not applied yet), or
    • Already applied (sends it into the Applied stage)

Keep the first pass light. You can enrich the card later.

New application form with Company, Role, and save options
Figure 3. New application form: Company, Role, and save options (More details collapsed).

Set a Next action (dropdown)

InterviewAlpha's next action field uses a suggestion dropdown plus a free-text box underneath (helper: "Choose a suggestion or type your own."). You'll find it in two places:

  1. New application → More details (optional)
  2. Application detail → Next steps & timeline

Suggested options:

  • Follow up with recruiter
  • Send thank-you note
  • Prepare for interview
  • Complete assessment / take-home
  • Research company
  • Update CV for this role
  • Check application status
  • Schedule screening call
  • Negotiate offer
  • Decide on offer

Keep one clear next action per live role. Today later groups those actions so you can work the shortlist without hunting the board.

Next action suggestion list open, with free-text box below
Figure 3b. Next action: open the suggestion list, or type your own in the box below.

Step 4: Open an application and link a CV

Select any card to open its detail view. You'll see stage, category, job board, tags, timeline, and a Linked CV section.

Under Next steps & timeline, use the same Next action controls (suggestion dropdown + free-text box).

To connect a version:

  1. Open the application.
  2. Choose a labelled CV from CV Vault (or add one first in Step 5).
  3. Confirm the link so Insights can attribute outcomes to that version.
Application detail with stage, linked CV, and timeline summary
Figure 4. Application detail: stage, Linked CV, and timeline summary (next action closed / filled).

Step 5: Add a CV version in CV Vault

Open CV Vault. Versions are organised by family (for example software developer, lead QA). Each version has a label, a change note, and optional Current status. Interview rates appear per version when applications are linked.

Honest demo note: file uploads are disabled here. You'll see "File uploads are disabled in the demo." / upload deferred. You still create labelled versions and change notes so the board and Insights work.

To add a version:

  1. Open CV Vault.
  2. In Add CV version, enter a clear Version label (for example My software developer CV - v3).
  3. Write a short Change note (what changed vs the previous version).
  4. Optionally tick Mark as Current / Master for this family.
  5. Select Add version.

Then link that version from an application's detail view (Step 4).

CV Vault listing labelled versions with interview rates
Figure 5. CV Vault: labelled versions, change notes, Current badge, and per-version rates.
Add CV version form showing uploads disabled in the demo
Figure 6. Add CV version: label and change note only; file upload is disabled in the demo.

Step 6: Check Insights (CV performance)

Open Insights. By default it looks across all tracked applications, so early searches still get a useful picture. You can narrow to the last 30 days or last 7 days if you want a shorter view. The CV performance table lists each linked version with:

  • Applications
  • Responses
  • Interviews
  • Interview rate
  • Edge

Interview rate uses clear denominators (interviews ÷ applications), so you compare versions fairly rather than by raw totals alone. Small samples are labelled as early indications.

Above that, What worked highlights early leaders: best CV, best job board, and strongest source of opportunity across the applications in view.

Insights CV performance table with rates and Edge
Figure 7. Insights: CV performance across tracked applications.
What worked cards for best CV, job board, and opportunity type
Figure 8. What worked: early leaders for CV, job board, and source of opportunity.

Step 7: Use Today for next actions

Open Today. Next steps are grouped so you can act without hunting the board:

  • Follow up (overdue and due today)
  • Upcoming (for example interviews)
  • Deadline
  • Stale
  • Missing CV

Select a row to jump back to that application. Treat Today as your daily shortlist; keep the Board for the full picture.

Today page with Follow up and Upcoming next-step groups
Figure 9. Today: next steps grouped by Follow up, Upcoming, and related cues.

Short tips

  • Capture the role the day you apply, then refresh the next step when something moves.
  • Prefer clear CV labels and change notes over perfect files in the demo; linking is what powers Insights.
  • The header logo returns you to the homepage (/), not Today.
  • Use Switch demo if you want to reset between sample and guided paths.
  • Coach tips in the product are short on purpose; read them when they appear, then close them.

Try the demo

Ready to click through? Open the interactive demo from the homepage (Try the interactive demo), pick a sample board or the guided path, and walk Steps 2-7 once. Ten calm minutes is enough to see the loop: Board → CV Vault → Insights → Today.