# Job matching algorithms

A job matching algorithm scores how well a candidate fits a specific job, or how well a job fits a candidate, using factors like skills, experience level, and location, to rank results instead of returning one flat list.

It's the system that decides which job to show first on a personalized job board or which candidate to surface first in a search.

**Job matching algorithm** — A job matching algorithm scores the fit between a candidate and a job using a set of weighted factors, commonly including skills, years of experience, seniority level, location, and how closely a candidate's stated background lines up with a job's requirements. The output is a ranked score rather than a binary yes-or-no, which lets a system order a list of jobs by how well each one fits a specific candidate, or order a list of candidates by fit for a specific opening. More advanced matching goes beyond exact keyword overlap, using semantic comparison to recognize that "led a team of five engineers" and "managed an engineering team" describe similar experience even though the wording differs. The quality of a matching algorithm depends heavily on how well its underlying data, like a parsed resume or a structured job posting, actually captures what matters for the fit.

Job matching shows up on both sides of a hiring platform: helping a candidate see relevant openings first instead of scrolling through everything, and helping an employer or recruiter surface the strongest applicants in a large pool without reviewing every application manually. Because the algorithm's output directly shapes what a candidate sees or which candidates an employer reviews first, how the underlying factors are weighted matters; over-weighting a proxy like years of experience, for instance, can push out a candidate whose actual skills are a strong fit despite a shorter resume.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does a job matching algorithm guarantee a candidate is qualified?

No. It produces a fit score based on the data available, which is a useful ranking signal but not a substitute for actually evaluating a candidate through screening or an interview.

### What factors typically go into a job match score?

Common factors include skills overlap, years and level of experience, location, and how closely a candidate's background matches a job's stated requirements, often compared using semantic rather than exact keyword matching.

### How is job matching different from resume parsing?

Resume parsing extracts structured data from a resume document. Job matching is a separate step that uses that extracted data, along with a job's requirements, to calculate a fit score between the two.

## Related pages

- [Semantic search](/glossary/semantic-search)
- [Resume parsing](/glossary/resume-parsing)
- [Browse open roles](/jobs)

## See jobs ranked by real fit, then back it with an interview

Intervieux's job board runs personalized match sort and resume-vs-posting scoring, then lets a candidate apply straight into a real AI screening interview.

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