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See how every feature fits together

A step-by-step guide from resume to offer, with each feature tagged Free, Pro or Premium.

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How are my answers scored?

STAR, the 5-point rubric, voice delivery and composure: what each score measures and how to read it.

How scoring works

Common questions

Why not just use ChatGPT or another AI chatbot to prep?+

You can, if you're willing to do the setup every time. A general chatbot only works with what you paste in: your resume, the job description and instructions for what you want, repeated in each conversation, and then you still have to check it didn't invent a number or drift off the role. Smuker keeps all of that for you. Your resume, your STAR stories and each saved job's gap analysis stay connected, so your tailored resume, cover letter, practice questions and mock interviews build on the same facts, across every job and every resume you keep. There's no prompting: one click runs a gap analysis, an ATS check or a mock interview, and every answer is scored on the same rubric, so you can see yourself improve from one session to the next.

What is the STAR method?+

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result: the structure interviewers expect for behavioral questions (“tell me about a time when…”). It turns a rambling answer into a clear story that ends with proof. Smuker scores each of the four parts when you practice for a specific job.

Does Smuker work for non-tech roles?+

Yes. Behavioral interviews happen in nursing, sales, education, government, finance, retail management and almost everywhere else. The question bank covers many roles, and the Entry Level track has questions for 27 college majors.

Can Smuker tell me how I sound, not just what I said?+

Yes. Answer by voice and Smuker measures your delivery from the recording itself: your pace in words per minute, an exact count of filler words like “um” and “like”, long pauses, false starts and hedging. You get delivery coaching alongside the score for what you said. In a mock interview these roll up into one composure score across Fluency, Steadiness, Decisiveness, Concision and Ownership.

What's the difference between gap analysis and ATS Boost?+

Gap analysis shows where your resume already proves the competencies a role wants, and where it falls short. ATS Boost goes a step further with keyword-level edits that raise your match score and help you get past automated resume filters before a person reads it.

Can Smuker write my resume and cover letter?+

Yes, on Premium. The AI resume tool produces a full rewrite tuned to the job description, downloadable as a Word file, and the cover letter generator drafts a tailored letter in your voice. Both are built from your real experience, not generic templates.

What's in the Interview Pack?+

One PDF with your competency-mapped Story Bank, gap analysis, tailored resume, cover letter, practice answers and questions to ask. It's available on Premium and the one-time Interview Sprint, and it's yours to keep.

Isn't there a free Google tool for this?+

There was. Google retired Interview Warmup in April 2026. It gave you a handful of generic questions but never graded your answers or built anything from your resume. Smuker's Free plan picks up where it left off: a large question bank with scored answers, practice aimed at a real job description, and no card required.

Billing & plans

What's the difference between Free, Pro, and Premium?+
  1. 1Free lets you upload 1 resume, save 2 job descriptions, and run 5 role practice questions a day, 2 of them fully scored part by part with voice delivery feedback. Practice by Topic adds 5 questions a day from the bank, 2 of them fully scored on the 5-point rubric. You can view your last 7 days of practice history. You also get a preview of your STAR stories (the first 2 in full) and of the gap analysis for a saved job (your role fit and the first few requirements in full).
  2. 2Pro ($9.99/mo) unlocks unlimited practice and job descriptions, scoring on every answer, topic follow-up questions, the spoken Mock Interview, the full gap analysis and Story Bank, resume tailoring, the Application Tracker, the communication toolkit, and resume templates.
  3. 3Premium ($24.99/mo or $249/yr) adds ATS Boost, AI resume generation, cover letters, application answers, company briefs, the pay benchmark, the self-introduction, interviewer questions, the cheat sheet, the LinkedIn Optimizer, and the full Interview Pack export.
  4. 4The Interview Sprint ($29.99 one-time) gives you 30 days of full Premium access without a subscription.
How do I change or upgrade my plan?+
  1. 1Open your dashboard and go to your Account page.
  2. 2If you're already subscribed, use “Manage billing” in the Billing section to switch plans in our secure payment portal. If you're on Free, use the “Upgrade →” button.
  3. 3Upgrades take effect right away; downgrades apply at your next renewal date.
What happens to my data if I downgrade?+
  1. 1Nothing is deleted — your resumes, stories, job descriptions, and history all stay in your account.
  2. 2Features above your new plan simply become locked, and any content they produced is hidden rather than erased.
  3. 3Re-upgrade at any time and everything is exactly where you left it.
How do I cancel my subscription?+
  1. 1Go to your Account page and find the Billing section.
  2. 2Use the cancel option there and confirm.
  3. 3You keep full access until the end of your current billing period — there are no further charges after that.
How do I update my card or get a receipt?+
  1. 1Open the Billing section on your Account page and click “Manage billing.”
  2. 2In the Stripe billing portal you can update your card, view your billing history, and download invoices for any past charge.
What's the one-time Interview Sprint?+
  1. 1The Sprint is a single $29.99 purchase, not a subscription.
  2. 2It unlocks 30 days of full Premium access, including the Interview Pack export.
  3. 3Nothing renews — when the 30 days end, your account simply returns to Free.

Using Smuker

Getting started

How do I upload my resume and get my STAR stories?+
  1. 1Open the Resume workspace from the sidebar.
  2. 2Drag in a PDF or Word file (under 5MB), or click to browse.
  3. 3We read your resume and pull out your work history, skills, and your strongest STAR stories automatically — no metrics are invented; everything comes from what's already on your resume.
  4. 4Free includes 1 resume, Pro up to 5, and Premium up to 10.
How do I add my own STAR story by hand?+
  1. 1In the Resume workspace, scroll to “Your STAR stories” and click “Add your own story.”
  2. 2Describe an experience in 4–6 sentences — what the situation was, what was asked of you, what you did, and the result.
  3. 3Click “Structure my story” and we'll shape it into clean STAR format alongside your resume-extracted stories.
How do I switch between resumes?+
  1. 1Open the Resume workspace.
  2. 2Pick any resume from the list on the left to view it, or upload a new one.
  3. 3Each job description is analyzed against a specific resume, so switching which resume a role uses is done per-role from the Overview tab inside that job description.

Resume workspace

How do I use resume templates?+
  1. 1Open the Resume workspace and select your resume.
  2. 2Click the “Templates” tab at the top of the resume panel.
  3. 3Choose an ATS-safe template to reformat your parsed resume, then download it. (Templates are a Pro feature.)
How do I run the LinkedIn Optimizer?+
  1. 1Open the Resume workspace and select your resume.
  2. 2Click the “LinkedIn Optimizer” tab in the resume panel.
  3. 3We generate an optimized headline, About section, and suggestions you can paste straight into your profile. (This is a Premium feature.)

Job descriptions

How do I add a job description?+
  1. 1Open the Job descriptions workspace and click “+ Add job description.”
  2. 2Paste the job posting and pick which resume to analyze it against, then save.
  3. 3Your new role appears in the list on the left with its own set of tabs. Free includes 2 job descriptions; Pro and above are unlimited.
How do I run a gap analysis?+
  1. 1Open a saved role and click the “Gap Analysis” tab.
  2. 2Click “Run gap analysis.” We compare your linked resume against the JD and show your strengths, gaps, and an ATS match score.
  3. 3Once it's done, the Resume, Cover Letter, and other tabs unlock the features that build on it. (Gap analysis is a Pro feature.)
How do I tailor my resume to a role?+
  1. 1Run the gap analysis for that role first.
  2. 2Click the “Resume” tab inside the job description — the first card is Resume Tailoring.
  3. 3Generate it to get specific, line-level edits that make your resume match this posting. (Tailoring is a Pro feature.)
How do I use ATS Boost?+
  1. 1Open the role and click the “Resume” tab.
  2. 2Scroll to the ATS Boost card and generate it.
  3. 3You'll get keyword optimization, a skills rewrite, and an ATS checklist to push your match score above 80%. (ATS Boost is a Premium feature.)
How do I generate an AI resume?+
  1. 1Inside the role's “Resume” tab, run Tailoring and ATS Boost first for the best result.
  2. 2Scroll to the AI Resume card and generate it.
  3. 3We produce a fully rewritten resume that folds in all the tailoring and ATS recommendations, ready to download. (AI Resume is a Premium feature.)
How do I write a cover letter?+
  1. 1Open the role and click the “Cover Letter” tab.
  2. 2Add your name and any notes you want included, then generate.
  3. 3You'll get a tailored letter in your own voice, based on your resume and this JD. (Cover letters are a Premium feature.)
How do I get a company research brief?+
  1. 1Open the role and click the “Company” tab.
  2. 2Generate the brief to get AI-researched news, culture insights, leadership profiles, and tailored interview tips.
  3. 3Briefs are cached and reused across similar roles at the same company. (Company briefs are a Premium feature.)
How do I get questions to ask my interviewer?+
  1. 1Open the role and click the “Questions” tab, then generate.
  2. 2You'll get 10 sharp, role-specific questions to ask — the kind that signal you've done your homework. (Interviewer questions are a Premium feature.)
How do I create the interview cheat sheet?+
  1. 1Open the role and click the “Cheat Sheet” tab.
  2. 2Generate it, then use “Export” to download a 2-page, panel-ready PDF — opener, keywords, story hooks, likely questions, and questions to ask.
  3. 3It draws on your gap analysis, cover letter, and practice history for the sharpest result. (The cheat sheet is a Premium feature.)
How do I export my full Interview Pack?+
  1. 1Open any role and click “↓ Export pack” in the header (top right).
  2. 2We bundle your Story Bank, tailored resume, cover letter, and cheat sheet into one PDF.
  3. 3Export is available on Premium and the Sprint plan.

Communication toolkit

How do I write thank-you notes, follow-ups, and outreach?+
  1. 1Open a role and click the “Toolkit” tab.
  2. 2Pick what you need — a post-interview thank-you note, a follow-up email, recruiter outreach, or a LinkedIn connection message.
  3. 3Each one is generated tailored to that specific role and your resume. (The toolkit is a Pro feature.)

Practice

How do I run a practice session?+
  1. 1Save a job description, open that job, click “Interview practice” in its sidebar, then pick “STAR practice”. (From the main sidebar, “Interview practice” → “STAR practice” asks which job.)
  2. 2Type or dictate your answers, or pick Voice to answer out loud on the interview screen: the interviewer reads each question, and you can pause, repeat the question or end at any time. Spoken answers also get delivery feedback and a composure score.
  3. 3Each answer is scored against that job on Situation, Task, Action and Result, so you can see which part of your story needs work. Free includes 5 questions a day, 2 of them fully scored; Pro and Premium score every answer.
How do I practice by topic (no resume or job description)?+
  1. 1In the dashboard sidebar, click “Interview practice” (under Interview) and pick Behavioral, Recruiter screen or Entry level — no resume upload or saved job description required.
  2. 2Browse or filter our library of real behavioral and recruiter-screen questions (or hit “Practice a random question”), and answer by typing, dictation, or Voice — the same interview screen as the mock, with your choice of interviewer voice and style. Star any question to save it, and switch to the “Answered” filter to revisit ones you've done.
  3. 3Each answer is scored on 5 dimensions — Relevance, Clarity, Evidence, Impact, and Differentiation — and you can reveal a model answer any time. Free includes 5 topic questions a day (2 fully coached); Pro and Premium unlock unlimited scored practice plus interviewer follow-up questions that push on your answer and re-score it.
How do I run a mock interview?+
  1. 1In the dashboard sidebar, click “Interview practice” (under Interview) and pick “General mock interview” for questions from the bank. To practice for a specific role, open that job, click “Interview practice” and pick “Mock interview”: the questions come from the role's own requirements.
  2. 2On the setup card, pick a female or male interviewer voice and a style (Warm, Neutral, Executive, Challenging or Surprise me). Each style listens for something different — an Executive wants the headline, the big numbers and the business impact; Challenging wants every claim defended; Neutral wants exactly the question answered; Warm checks you stay on message when it feels relaxed — and the debrief gives you a separate Fit score for how you landed with that interviewer. From the bank you also choose behavioral, recruiter-screen or a mix. Pick 1–4 questions; adaptive follow-ups are on by default but you can turn them off (Challenging always asks them).
  3. 3The interviewer reads each question aloud; answer by voice. It may ask a live follow-up before moving on. At the end you get a scored debrief the interviewer reads aloud, a composure score for your delivery, and “Answer this again” on any question. (Mock Interview is available on Pro and above.)

Tracker & dashboard

What is the Application Tracker?+
  1. 1The Tracker is a Kanban board of your applications, with columns for Saved, Applied, Interviewing, Offer, and Closed.
  2. 2Add a role two ways: use “Quick add” at the top of the board, or click “+ Track this role” from a job description's header — linked roles show a “Prep linked” badge.
  3. 3Drag cards between columns as things progress, and click any card to add interview dates, a next action, and notes. (The Tracker is available on Pro and above.)
How do the tracker reminders work?+
  1. 1When a card has a next action with a date, it surfaces in the Action Center on your dashboard, with chip colors showing urgency.
  2. 2Snooze, reschedule, or mark actions done from there; a badge in the sidebar shows how many need attention.
  3. 3If you've opted in, a periodic email digest summarizes what's due — toggle it off any time in the Notifications section of your Account page.
What does the dashboard show?+
  1. 1The top tiles show your Resumes, Active roles, Average match score, and practice sessions in the last 7 days.
  2. 2The Action Center surfaces your most time-sensitive follow-ups, and a “Next best action” card points you to the most valuable next step.
  3. 3“Your roles” lists each job description with its 6-step prep progress, so you can jump straight back in.

Your data & account

How do I reset my password?+
  1. 1Go to your Account page; in the Account section, click “Reset password.”
  2. 2We'll email you a secure link to set a new one.
  3. 3If you signed in with Google, there's no password to reset — you'll see “Signed in with Google” instead.
How do I manage the tracker digest emails?+
  1. 1Open your Account page and find the Notifications section.
  2. 2Use the tracker digest toggle to turn the reminder emails off, or use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any digest.
  3. 3This only affects reminder emails — important account and billing emails still come through.
How do I delete my account and data?+
  1. 1Go to your Account page and use “Delete account” in the Danger zone section.
  2. 2This permanently removes your resumes, stories, job descriptions, and practice history.
  3. 3Billing records are retained by our payment provider for legal and tax reasons, but all of your personal content is wiped.
Is my resume data private?+
  1. 1Your data stays yours. We never sell it or use it to train public AI models.
  2. 2You can export or permanently delete everything from your account at any time.

Still stuck?

Email us at support@smuker.com and we’ll get back to you, or send a note through the contact page.