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Subject:Resume Scanners From:QMS Account <Robert -dot- Morrisette -at- EBAY -dot- SUN -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 19 Jan 1995 12:50:45 +0800
There was another discussion of resumes last September. I reminded
everyone to be aware of Resumix, the resume scanning system that
many companies now use. I recommended that you have a resume to
mail for the scanner and one for the interview. I hope no one
cares if I repost the following reply:
Bob Morrisette
control -at- EBay -dot- Sun -dot- COM
In article <199409072223 -dot- AA13693 -at- interlock -dot- jci -dot- com>,
Arlen P. Walker <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- core -dot- corp -dot- jci -dot- com> wrote:
>Please tell me you're not serious! (BTW, our HR department claims not to
>have heard of Resumix -- "Is that some kind of Trail Mix?")
Deadly serious. Resumix actually consists of three parts:
* An OCR scanning system.
* A resume text and image database.
* An expert system query engine.
The last part is critical to Resumix's success, and the main reason they
are tromping their competitors. The expert system contains
approximately 80,000 rules (last I heard); for example, it can tell the
difference between uses of "ATM" based on context (Automated Teller
Machine vs. Asynchronous Transfer Mode).
In addition, Resumix's OCR system can resolve boldface type, while their
competitors cannot. Nobody can resolve underlines or italics -- or
faxes. Most will readily accept e-mail, though.
These days, Resumix shops are springing up, providing the benefits of a
resume database even to small companies. Particularly in the Silicon
Valley, there's a good chance that any company you apply to will use
some form of resume database.
Yes, I actually do believe that Resumix and its siblings are a benefit.
Given a thousand resumes, you want to pull 10-20 for interviews. The
old way cost a minimum of 10 seconds per unwanted resume, leaving little
time for the 50 or so second-tier choices.
If you were headed for the circular file anyway, you're in no different
position, but these systems allow the hiring manager to spend more time
on the "marginal" candidates. Yes, there is the potential for buzzword
abuse, but the penalty for lying on a resume is still the same as it is
now.
--
--- Aahz (@netcom.com)
