Help & User Guide

Creating Your Account

Join Cyanotypes in just a few minutes:

1. Click "Register" on the home page
2. Enter your email and create a strong password
3. Verify your email by clicking the link we send you
4. Complete your basic profile with your name and location
5. Accept the terms to activate your account

Platform Overview

Here's what you can do on Cyanotypes:

Your First Steps

Editing Your Profile

Keep your profile up-to-date to improve matching accuracy:

• Go to Profile from your account menu
• Update your photo, bio, location, and contact information
• Add or modify your career goals and interests
• Click Save to update your profile

Understanding Skills & Proficiency Levels

Your skills profile is the foundation of everything on Cyanotypes. Here's how it works:

• Awareness: You understand the fundamentals and can discuss the topic. You've completed basic training or have introductory experience.
• Proficiency: You can apply the skill in real work situations. You've used this skill successfully in projects or jobs.
• Expertise: You can teach others or lead projects using this skill. You have significant experience and deep knowledge.

AI Skill Extraction

Our intelligent system automatically extracts skills from your profile:

• Add Skills: Review AI suggestions and click "Add" to accept them
• Edit Skills: Modify proficiency levels or skill names as needed
• Delete Skills: Remove skills that don't apply to you
• Manual Entry: Add skills our AI might have missed

Growth Recommendations

Get personalized advice on which skills to develop next:

• Recommendations are based on market demand and your goals
• Each recommendation includes suggested learning resources
• Track your progress toward recommended skill development
• Recommendations update as you grow and market needs change

Finding Opportunities

Discover opportunities matched to your unique profile:

1. Navigate to Matching → Opportunities in the top menu
2. Browse Recommended Opportunities (matched to your skills)
3. Use Filters to search by type, location, or specific skills
4. Click on an opportunity to view full details

Understanding Opportunity Listings

Each opportunity shows you:

• Title & Organization: The role and hiring organization
• Description: Detailed information about the opportunity
• Required Skills: Skills our system extracted from the listing
• Your Match Score: How well the opportunity aligns with your profile
• Duration & Timeline: Project length and application deadline
• Contact Information: How to reach the organization

Applying for Opportunities

1. Open the opportunity detail page
2. Review the requirements and description carefully
3. Click the Apply button
4. Answer any questions or provide additional information
5. Submit your application

Tracking Your Applications

Monitor all your applications in one place:

• Visit your Profile to see application history
• Status indicators show if an application is:
• Submitted: Under review by the organization
• Shortlisted: Selected for further consideration
• Interview: Invited for an interview or assessment
• Offer: You've received an offer
• Declined: The organization has declined your application

For Organizations: Posting Opportunities

If you represent an organization:

1. Log in with your Entity account
2. Navigate to Post Opportunity
3. Fill in the opportunity details and requirements
4. Add skills your ideal candidate should have
5. Set the application deadline
6. Publish your opportunity

Our system will automatically match qualified candidates to your posting!

Accessing Learning Resources

Improve your skills with curated resources:

1. Click Upskilling in the top navigation
2. Browse resources organized by skill cluster
3. Each resource shows:
• Title and description
• Provider (course platform, institution, etc.)
• Estimated duration
• Resource type (course, article, video, etc.)
• External link to access the resource

Personalized Learning Paths

Get customized recommendations based on your profile:

• Our AI recommends skills to develop next
• For each recommended skill, we suggest relevant resources
• Resources are matched to your current proficiency level
• You can save resources to your personal learning list

Saving & Managing Resources

Build your personal learning collection:

• Click the bookmark icon on any resource to save it
• Access your saved resources from your profile
• Organize resources by skill or topic
• Track which resources you've completed

AI-Powered Growth Advisor

Get personalized guidance for your career development:

• Access the Growth Advisor from your profile
• Receive recommendations tailored to your:
• Current skills and experience level
• Career goals and aspirations
• Market demand in your field
• Learning pace and preferences
• Advisor updates periodically as market and your profile evolve

Building Your Network

Connect with professionals and grow your community:

1. Go to Networking in the top menu
2. Browse professionals with similar or complementary skills
3. Click Connect to send a connection request
4. Add a personal message to increase acceptance likelihood
5. Manage pending and active connections from your profile

Finding the Right Connections

Use filters to find professionals you want to connect with:

• Skills: Filter by specific competencies
• Experience Level: Find peers or mentors
• Location: Connect locally or globally
• Interests: Filter by shared interests

Finding Mentors

Get guidance from experienced professionals:

• Look for professionals with Expertise level in skills you want to develop
• Review their profiles and experience
• Send a thoughtful connection request explaining your interest in mentorship
• Once connected, message them to discuss mentoring opportunities

Messaging & Collaboration

Communicate with your network:

• Send messages to your connections
• Discuss opportunities, insights, and ideas
• Collaborate on projects
• Share resources and knowledge

Network Privacy & Management

Control how your network is displayed:

• Your network list is visible only to you by default
• You can adjust privacy settings in your profile
• Remove connections if you want to disconnect
• Connection requests are never forced—both parties must agree

Account & Login Issues

I forgot my password

• Click "Forgot Password" on the login page
• Enter your email address
• Check your email for a password reset link
• Click the link and create a new password

I'm not receiving verification emails

• Check your spam or junk folder
• Verify you entered the correct email address
• Try requesting a new verification email
• Contact support if the issue persists

My account seems locked

• Wait 24 hours—security locks are temporary
• Try resetting your password
• Contact support for immediate assistance

Skills & Profile Issues

AI skills extraction didn't capture my skills

• Review your bio—more detailed information helps AI
• Add missing skills manually using "Add Skill"
• Edit the skill description to help AI understand better

I want to update my skills

• Go to your Profile
• Find the skill you want to modify
• Edit the proficiency level, name, or description
• Click Save

A skill is not showing up in my profile

• Refresh the page to ensure the latest data loads
• Check if the skill has been added to your profile
• Verify you're looking at your own profile (not someone else's)

Opportunity Application Issues

I can't apply for an opportunity

• Check if the application deadline has passed
• Ensure you're logged in to your account
• Verify your profile is complete (at least 70% filled)
• Try a different browser or device

My application disappeared or won't send

• Check your application history to see if it was submitted
• Refresh the page and try again
• Contact support if the issue continues

I applied but don't see the opportunity in my history

• Wait a few moments for the page to refresh
• Go to Profile → My Applications to see all submissions
• Filter by application status to find your application

Networking Issues

I can't find someone to connect with

• Try different search filters (skills, location, interests)
• Browse the suggested connections list
• Come back later—more professionals join regularly

Someone isn't responding to my connection request

• Professionals receive many requests—they may take time to review
• Once connected, feel free to send them a message
• Consider sending a follow-up message after 2 weeks

I want to remove a connection

• Go to your Network section
• Find the connection you want to remove
• Click the three dots (...) menu and select "Remove"
• The connection will be removed from both sides

Technical Issues

The page is loading slowly

• Clear your browser cache and cookies
• Try a different browser
• Check your internet connection speed
• Try on a device with better connectivity

Features aren't working properly

• Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
• Clear your browser cache
• Try in an incognito/private browser window
• Try a different browser

I see an error message

• Note the exact error message
• Try the action again
• If it persists, contact support with the error message

Getting Additional Support

Still having issues? We're here to help:

• Check back here: We update FAQs regularly with common issues
• Use the Guided Tour: Available on the Home page for step-by-step guidance
• Read platform tooltips: Hover over icons and buttons for hints
• Contact support: Coming soon—email support will be available