Resume scan: job match + format check
Sent dozens of applications and heard nothing back? Usually it's not that you're underqualified — it's that the resume wasn't aimed at the role. Drop your resume in, paste the target job description, and PolishCat computes — right in your browser, in about 10 seconds — your keyword match to that JD, the keywords the JD asks for that you didn't include, and formatting that trips up parsers. One honest thing: it measures match and readability, not the debunked “ATS auto-rejects 75% of resumes” myth. Your resume is parsed locally and never uploaded or stored.
Run the tool
No uploadOptional: without a JD you still get a readability/format check, but match needs a JD.
Targeting a specific ATS? Read the noindex ATS parser rules watchlist for public source notes before you upload.
Once it checks out and you're ready to apply, if your exported resume PDF is too heavy, CompressCat can compress it down to the portal's exact size limit so the upload doesn't get rejected.
How to resume scan
- 1
Drop your resume into the upload area (PDF / DOCX / TXT, a single file).
- 2
Paste the full target job description (JD) into the text box.
- 3
Click “Scan resume” — results are computed locally in your browser.
- 4
Use the missing-keywords list to add experience you genuinely have, in the employer's wording.
Why use PolishCat's Resume Scan?
- Honest, not fear-mongering: we don't scare you about “beating the bots.” Most modern hiring systems don't auto-reject on formatting — what gets a reply is whether you fit the role. The score only measures match and readability.
- Your resume never leaves your machine: parsing and scoring run entirely in your browser — never uploaded, never stored in a database, never used to train a model. That matters when your resume has your salary and address on it.
- Crystal-clear on gaps: every keyword the JD wants but your resume misses is listed, with hard skills flagged. Add the ones you genuinely have — don't keyword-stuff.
Frequently asked questions
There's no pass line. The score measures keyword overlap with this specific JD — a low score usually means you have relevant experience you didn't phrase in the employer's words. Add the missing items you genuinely have, using the JD's wording, and it rises. Don't stuff keywords you can't back up.
No. The scan runs locally in your browser: reading the file, extracting text and scoring all happen on your device. Nothing is uploaded, stored or used for training. You can disconnect from the internet and it still works.
No. That figure traces back to a sales pitch from a company founded in 2012 that folded in 2013, with no methodology behind it. Most modern hiring systems don't auto-reject resumes over formatting. So PolishCat doesn't sell that fear — it just helps you aim real experience at the role and clean up the format.
You can upload it, but if it's an image with no text layer, parsers (including many hiring systems) can't read it — the scan will tell you to export a text-based PDF or DOCX first.
Almost never. Modern hiring systems (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever) are mainly parsing and search tools, not auto-reject bots — they generally don't auto-reject on formatting, and most resumes are seen by a human. The real risk is the parser failing to read your content: image-based text, complex multi-column layouts, or key info buried in tables can get scrambled or skipped. That's why the scan focuses on 'can it be read correctly + is it relevant to the role,' not on scaring you about beating a bot.
The most common cause isn't a machine filtering you out — it's that the resume wasn't aimed at the role: you have the relevant experience but didn't phrase it in the recruiter's and the JD's words, so you read as a weaker fit than you are. Second is diluted impact (weak verbs, no numbers, long sentences). The scan pinpoints both — which JD keywords you're missing and where readability suffers — then you add the experience you genuinely have in the employer's wording. It won't promise replies, but it removes the avoidable losses of looking unfit when you actually fit.
One guided job-search flow
PolishCat's tools are one suite, not scattered widgets — run them in order on the same resume and JD, and your whole search stays consistent. Everything is honest and private by design.
- 1Scan
See your match to the role and the gaps first· you're here
- 2Tailor
Rewrite real experience in the role's words
- 3Cover letter
Draft a tailored letter from the same material
- 4Interview prep
Predict questions from the same JD
- 5LinkedIn headline
Align your profile to the same search
Updated / PolishCat team
Sources, review and limits
Last verified
2026-07-08
Author
PolishCat editorial desk
Reviewer
Writing workflow review
Primary sources
- Your own resume and target job description — local tools parse and score them in your browser; nothing is stored on our servers
- PolishCat's role keyword dataset and formatting checklists, maintained and updated by the site
- AI writing tools run on no-retention edge inference: only the snippet you submit is processed, then discarded
Polished copy is a draft aid. Review facts, claims, tone, privacy and employer/customer-specific rules before sending.