Questions and answers

How do I use Resume Rhino?

Drop your resume PDF on the page and I start reading it. Most resumes take two passes.

On the first pass I mark the things you fix in your resume editor on a picture of your page, and I list them beside it. Make those changes in your editor, save a new PDF and drop it on the same page. I tell you how many you fixed.

On the second pass I show the things I can fix. One button fixes them all and checks the result against your file. Then you save the clean copy. If there is nothing for you to change, I go straight to the second pass and say so.

What do you mean by robots?

By robots I mean applicant tracking systems (ATS). An applicant tracking system is the software an employer uses to collect applications. It pulls the text out of each resume so that people can search and sort candidates. If it pulls out the wrong text, a person may never see what you wrote.

Why do I have to make “my fixes” first?

When you change your resume in your editor, you save a new PDF, and that new file replaces the one I would have fixed. Any fixes I made to the first file would be lost. So I wait for the PDF you're going to send and fix that one.

If you can't change your resume in an editor, pick “Second pass: my changes” at the top of the page. I'll fix what I can and save the clean copy. The things on your first-pass list stay in your resume, so they will still be in the clean copy. You can save and use that one knowing it's structurally clean.

What do the numbers and colors on my page mean?

Each number on your page matches a numbered item in the list. When I find the same problem in several places, each place gets a letter after the number, such as 2a and 2b, so you can find every one.

A yellow mark is something for you to change in your editor. An orange mark is a bigger problem, and the list puts it first and tells you to fix it first. A green mark is something I fix on the second pass.

Why does an item in the list have no mark?

Some items are about your whole resume, such as its length, so there is no one place to point to. Others are in the file's details (its metadata), which don't show on the page. The item says which it is. Now and then I can't find the words on the page, and the item says that too.

Why are only the first 4 pages marked?

Each picture of a page adds to what the server sends back and to the time a check takes, and most resumes are shorter than 4 pages. On a longer file the list still covers every page.

Does the page remember my resume between passes?

The page holds my first report while the tab is open, so that I can compare your new PDF with it. Closing the tab or pressing Start over clears it. The privacy page says what happens to your file.

Does it work for cover letters?

Yes. When your file reads as a cover letter, I skip the checks that only apply to resumes.

What does the rhino look at?

I read the text layer of your PDF, which is the text a program gets when it copies the words out of the file. I also read the file's structure. I look for problems such as hidden characters, text a program reads in the wrong order, missing section headings, dates written in different styles, and file details that look unfinished.

What doesn't the rhino look at?

I don't check most grammar, spelling or word choice. I flag a few that are about formatting, such as abbreviations, or a phrase written two different ways (go-to-market and go to market, for example).

If my resume passes, will every robot (ATS) read it correctly?

I can't promise that. I don't run any vendor's software, and most vendors don't publish what trips up their systems. I look for problems that are known to cause trouble for programs that read resumes in general, and a particular system can still behave differently.

What can the rhino fix for me?

Each fix I can make for your file is listed under “Things I can fix”, and the second pass makes them all at once. I can:

• remove hidden characters that come along when you paste formatted text
• turn a no-break space into an ordinary space (a no-break space looks like a space but keeps the words on either side on one line, and some programs don't read it as a space)
• redraw text that is stored upside down
• make joined letters read as plain letters (a ligature draws two letters, such as f and i, as one shape)
• make list bullets read as an ordinary bullet (•) when the font stores them as private-use characters, which are codes that only that font knows how to draw
• repair errors in the file's internal structure that saving the file again clears, such as an internal entry listed twice
• remove a stray character
• set or clear the document's title, author and other details (its metadata)

Why can't you fix everything?

Wording and layout can't be changed reliably inside a PDF while keeping the page looking the way you meant it to. I list those under “Things you fix in your resume editor”, with the change to make. Save a new PDF afterwards and bring it back to the same page.

Will a fixed file look different?

It looks the same. The rhino's changes are usually invisible, except when it's charging down stray characters you tell it to remove.

If the rhino sets a new title for the file, you'll see it on the browser tab when you open the PDF in a browser.

Is the clean version checked too?

Yes. Before a clean PDF is offered, the rhino confirms that the text is the same apart from the expected changes, and that every page renders identically to that expectation. If you see something weird, drop me a note at atscheck@pixillusion.com and tell me.

Which files can I upload?

A PDF of up to 5 MB and 10 pages that isn't password-protected or encrypted (locked against changes). If your resume isn't a PDF yet, save it as a PDF from your editor first.

What happens to my file?

Absolutely nothing more than what you asked for. Your information is safe. See our privacy disclosure for details.

Does it cost anything?

No. Michael keeps it free for as long as he can.

Why does a check take a moment to start?

Before each check, your browser works on a small calculation. The calculation makes automated floods of requests expensive, so I stay available for people. It takes longer when the service is busy or your device is slower.

Why does it say to try again later?

Currently the service limits requests per minute and per day so that it can stay free. Each person can check up to 30 documents a day, and a visit with two passes uses two of them. If you see this, wait a minute, or come back tomorrow if a daily limit has been reached.