Jobscan
Compare a resume with a user-supplied job description using transparent term and structure checks
The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Jobscan, compare a resume with a user-supplied job description using transparent term and structure checks. The hard boundary is proprietary ats research, benchmarks, linkedin tools, and job-search workflow, plus data, distribution, and coaching.
Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability
What you give up
- proprietary ATS research, benchmarks, LinkedIn tools, and job-search workflow
- proprietary recruiter data
- job-board distribution
- human coaching
- automated application networks
Why people still pay
People still pay for Jobscan because people pay for convenience, curated guidance, and distribution; the personal tracking and drafting loop is highly buildable. The recurring cost buys document parsing, truthful claim handling, job-source changes, browser automation rules, privacy, model drift, and user review, not just the visible interface.
Your build guide
The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.
Before you start
- A supported Node release, a writable local data directory and a separate backup location. Bind to localhost; remote use requires authentication and HTTPS first.
- Implementation components: Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules. SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker.
- Scope boundary: Proprietary ATS behavior and hiring predictions are not available.
Use these project rules and optional skill references alongside the prompt. Review each skill before adding it to your agent; the AGENTS.md export includes the same guidance.
Optional external skill: web-design-guidelines — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: sharp-edges — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: pdf — Process PDFs through extraction, generation, page operations, form filling and OCR workflows. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: docx — Generate or edit Word documents, document XML, tracked changes and comments. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: resume source files, extracted sections, job descriptions, explicit term matches and reviewed revisions
Project rule — preserve this invariant: The tool reports its own transparent checks, never an employer's private ATS score or guaranteed interview probability.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: A two-column resume with uncertain parsing displays extracted text for correction; a missing skill cannot be added as a claimed qualification automatically.
Implementation plan
Phase 1
Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Compare a resume against a supplied job description, show matched and missing terms with exact locations and suggest edits grounded in the user's experience. Export a readable revision only after review. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Proprietary ATS behavior and hiring predictions are not available.
Phase 2
Durable model. Model resume source files, extracted sections, job descriptions, explicit term matches and reviewed revisions Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: The tool reports its own transparent checks, never an employer's private ATS score or guaranteed interview probability.
Phase 3
Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them.
Phase 4
Permissions and integration failure. Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
Phase 5
Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
Phase 6
Acceptance scenarios. A two-column resume with uncertain parsing displays extracted text for correction; a missing skill cannot be added as a claimed qualification automatically. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.
WORKING SLICE Compare a resume against a supplied job description, show matched and missing terms with exact locations and suggest edits grounded in the user's experience. Export a readable revision only after review. Build this scoped Jobscan-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states. Architecture - Node.js, TypeScript and Express with server-rendered HTML and small browser modules. - SQLite through better-sqlite3 with migrations, prepared statements and a single background worker. Prerequisites and limits A supported Node release, a writable local data directory and a separate backup location. Bind to localhost; remote use requires authentication and HTTPS first. Outside this release: Proprietary ATS behavior and hiring predictions are not available. Data model and correctness resume source files, extracted sections, job descriptions, explicit term matches and reviewed revisions Invariant: The tool reports its own transparent checks, never an employer's private ATS score or guaranteed interview probability. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them. Security and privacy Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Recovery and export Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Implementation order 1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Compare a resume against a supplied job description, show matched and missing terms with exact locations and suggest edits grounded in the user's experience. Export a readable revision only after review. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: Proprietary ATS behavior and hiring predictions are not available. 2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model resume source files, extracted sections, job descriptions, explicit term matches and reviewed revisions Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: The tool reports its own transparent checks, never an employer's private ATS score or guaranteed interview probability. 3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Use short SQLite transactions and persist job state before starting work. Give retries stable operation IDs; report incomplete or unknown results instead of silently repeating them. 4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Reject unexpected origins and unbounded request bodies even on localhost. Keep credentials outside the database export and redact sensitive text from logs. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results. 5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Use a consistent SQLite backup and an attachment manifest. Export portable JSON/CSV, then restore to a new directory without overwriting the original data. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README. 6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. A two-column resume with uncertain parsing displays extracted text for correction; a missing skill cannot be added as a claimed qualification automatically. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder. Acceptance A two-column resume with uncertain parsing displays extracted text for correction; a missing skill cannot be added as a claimed qualification automatically. Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees. Optional agent guidance Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [sharp-edges](https://github.com/trailofbits/skills/blob/main/plugins/sharp-edges/skills/sharp-edges/SKILL.md) — Review security-sensitive APIs and configuration for dangerous defaults and easy-to-misuse interfaces. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [pdf](https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/pdf/SKILL.md) — Process PDFs through extraction, generation, page operations, form filling and OCR workflows. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Optional external skill: [docx](https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/docx/SKILL.md) — Generate or edit Word documents, document XML, tracked changes and comments. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission. Project rule — data model: resume source files, extracted sections, job descriptions, explicit term matches and reviewed revisions Project rule — preserve this invariant: The tool reports its own transparent checks, never an employer's private ATS score or guaranteed interview probability. Project rule — acceptance evidence: A two-column resume with uncertain parsing displays extracted text for correction; a missing skill cannot be added as a claimed qualification automatically.
$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md
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Jobscan pricing
| plan | monthly | annual (per mo) | what you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| free | $0/user | $0/user | 5 resume scans per month; unlimited resume-builder downloads.Jobscan also advertises 2 Auto Apply beta trials while that beta remains available. |
| premium monthly | $49.95/user | — | Unlimited resume scans and the full Premium optimization toolkit. |
| premium quarterly | $29.98/user | — | Unlimited resume scans and the full Premium optimization toolkit.Billed $89.95 every 3 months; includes a 7-day trial. |
free tier5 resume scans per month and unlimited resume-builder downloads
billingmonthly + quarterly; no annual plan; auto-renewing
hidden costsThe $29.98/month headline is a quarterly equivalent requiring $89.95 upfront; the monthly plan is $49.95 and does not carry the same 7-day trial disclosure.
pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗
Questions about Jobscan
Can you build your own Jobscan with AI?
Partly. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Jobscan, compare a resume with a user-supplied job description using transparent term and structure checks. The hard boundary is proprietary ats research, benchmarks, linkedin tools, and job-search workflow, plus data, distribution, and coaching.
What does the Jobscan build prompt cover?
The prompt starts with this scope: Compare a resume against a supplied job description, show matched and missing terms with exact locations and suggest edits grounded in the user's experience. Export a readable revision only after review. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: proprietary ATS research, benchmarks, LinkedIn tools, and job-search workflow; proprietary recruiter data; job-board distribution. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.
How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?
Start with the Jobscan prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.
How long will this Jobscan project take?
The catalogue estimate is one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.
What would I give up by replacing Jobscan?
proprietary ATS research, benchmarks, LinkedIn tools, and job-search workflow; proprietary recruiter data; job-board distribution; human coaching; automated application networks. People still pay for Jobscan because people pay for convenience, curated guidance, and distribution; the personal tracking and drafting loop is highly buildable. The recurring cost buys document parsing, truthful claim handling, job-source changes, browser automation rules, privacy, model drift, and user review, not just the visible interface.
What price is this guide comparing against?
The recorded Premium plan is $49.95/mo (monthly), checked 2026-07-31. Check the linked pricing source before buying. Building your own also has hosting, API and maintenance costs; the recorded amount is not a guaranteed saving.
What can I use instead of building Jobscan?
Resume Matcher: Paste a job description, inspect the keyword and section gaps, then generate a truthful tailored copy. Jobalytics ATS Checker: A genuinely unlimited checker for matched and missing terms, without making you create an account first. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.