Method and system for matching data sets of non-standard formats

Abstract

A computer-based system and method is described for converting non-standardized resumes and job listings into standardized profiles that can be easily searched, compared and referenced. Attributes are identified within the resumes and job listings, and are evaluated for various features. Each resume or job listing is broken down into its component parts and analyzed based on a logic-based routine to identify and package meaningful content.

1 . A computer-driven method for automatically assessing the similarity between a subject non-standardized data set and at least a first target non-standardized data set, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a first subject data file containing the subject non-standardized data set;   using a computer processor programmed to manipulate non-standardized data sets, electronically generating a second subject data file containing a standardized subject profile, wherein the standardized subject profile is comprised of a plurality of subject attributes that are collectively representative of the information contained within the first subject data file;   receiving to the computer processor a first target data file containing the first target non-standardized data set;   using the computer processor programmed to manipulate non-standardized data sets, electronically generating a second target data file containing a standardized first target profile, wherein the standardized first target profile is comprised of a plurality of target attributes that are collectively representative of the information contained within the first target data file;   rank ordering each individual attribute from the plurality of subject attributes against the remaining subject attributes based on how well the individual attribute is representative of the entire subject non-standardized data set;   rank ordering each individual attribute from the plurality of target attributes against the remaining target attributes based on how well the individual attribute is representative of the entire first target non-standardized data set;   identifying all first target matching attributes, wherein each first target matching attribute is comprised of a subject attribute from the plurality of subject attributes and an identical target attribute from the plurality of target attributes comprising the first target profile;   assigning first target points to the subject profile based on the rank order of all subject attributes from the plurality of subject attributes that are components of a first target matching attribute;   assigning first target points to the first target profile based on the rank order of all target attributes from the plurality of target attributes comprising the first target profile that are components of a first target matching attribute; and   adding the first target points assigned to the subject profile and the first target profile to determine a first target total matching score representative of the similarity between the subject non-standardized data set and the first target non-standardized data set.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the criterion indicative of the relative ability of each individual attribute from among the plurality of subject attributes to accurately characterize the subject non-standardized data set is the location within the subject non-standardized data set at which the information represented by the attribute from among the plurality of subject attributes to be rank ordered first appears. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the criterion indicative of the relative ability of each individual attribute from the plurality of subject attributes to accurately characterize the subject non-standardized data set is the number of times that the information represented by an attribute to be rank ordered is repeated within the subject non-standardized data set. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject non-standardized data set represents a job description and the first target non-standardized data set represents a resume of a job applicant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the subject non-standardized data set represents a resume of a job applicant and the first target non-standardized data set represents a job description. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first target non-standardized data set represents a listing type from the set of listing types consisting of: real estate listings, classified advertisement listings, used car listings, and dating service listings. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a third target data file containing a second target non-standardized data set;   using the computer processor programmed to manipulate non-standardized data sets, electronically generating a fourth target data file containing a standardized second target profile, wherein the standardized second target profile is comprised of a plurality of target attributes that are collectively representative of the information contained within the third target data file;   rank ordering the plurality of target attributes comprising the second target profile based on at least a criterion indicative of the relative ability of each individual attribute from the plurality of target attributes comprising the second target profile to accurately characterize the second target non-standardized data set;   determining all second target matching attributes, wherein each second target matching attribute is comprised of a subject attribute from the plurality of subject attributes and an identical target attribute from the plurality of target attributes comprising the second target profile;   assigning second target points to the subject profile based on the rank order of any subject attribute from among the plurality of subject attributes that is a component of a second target matching attribute;   assigning second target points to the second target profile based on the rank order of any target attribute from the plurality of target attributes comprising the second target profile that is a component of a second target matching attribute; and   adding the second target points assigned to the subject profile and the second target profile to determine a second target total matching score representative of the similarity between the subject non-standardized data set and the second target non-standardized data set.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising the step of recommending the first target non-standardized data set as a better match for the subject non-standardized data set than the second target non-standardized data set if the first target total matching score is greater than the second target total matching score. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of first target points assigned to the subject profile for a given subject attribute from among the plurality of subject attributes that is a component of a first target matching attribute is equivalent to the total number of subject attributes comprising the plurality of subject attributes minus the rank order of the given subject attribute. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of first target points assigned to the subject profile for a given subject attribute from among the plurality of subject attributes that is a component of a first target matching attribute is equivalent to the square of the total number of subject attributes comprising the plurality of subject attributes minus the rank order of the given subject attribute. 
     
     
         11 . A job applicant selection system for evaluating a resume of a job applicant based on a score that is indicative of the job applicant's fit for a job having a non-standardized job description, said job applicant selection system comprising:
 a profile generation module to:
 convert the resume into a target profile comprised of a plurality of target attributes ranked in order of importance to the resume, each of the plurality of target attributes having a target rank order based at least partially upon a relationship between each one of the target attributes with respect to each of the other target attributes, and 
 convert the non-standardized job description into a subject profile comprised of a plurality of subject attributes ranked in order of importance to the job, each of the plurality of subject attributes having a subject rank order based at least partially upon a relationship between each one of the subject attributes with respect to each of the other subject attributes; 
   a comparison module to compare the target profile to the subject profile to identify matched attributes; and   a scoring module to:
 assign numbers to each matched attribute in the target profile based on the target rank order of the matched attribute within the target profile and, separately, to each matched attribute in the subject profile based on the subject rank order of the matched attribute within the subject profile; and 
 sum the numbers assigned to all matched attributes in both the target profile and the subject profile to arrive at a total matching score. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the scoring module is to:
 compare the total matching score to a minimum threshold matching score; and   in response to the total matching score being less than the minimum threshold matching score, discard the resume.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the scoring module is to:
 normalize the total matching score;   compare the normalized total matching score to a minimum threshold matching score; and   in response to the normalized total matching score being less than the minimum threshold matching score, discard the resume.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein to normalize the total matching score, the scoring module is to divide the total matching score by a objective total matching score, the objective total matching score being the total matching score that would be calculated if the resume were to exactly matched the non-standardized job description. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the number assigned to each matched attribute in the target profile is equivalent to the total number of target attributes comprising the plurality of target attributes minus the rank order of the given target attribute. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the number assigned to each matched attribute in the target profile is equivalent to the square of the total number of target attributes comprising the plurality of target attributes minus the rank order of the given target attribute. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the profile generation module is to convert a second resume into a second target profile comprised of a plurality of second target attributes ranked in order of importance to the second resume, each of the plurality of second target attributes having the target rank order based at least partially upon a relationship between each one of the second target attributes with respect to each of the other second target attributes;   the comparison module is to compare the second target profile to the subject profile to identify matched attributes; and   the scoring module is to:
 assign second numbers to each matched attribute in the second target profile based on the target rank order of the matched attribute within the second target profile and, separately, to each matched attribute in the subject profile based on the subject rank order of the matched attribute within the subject profile; and 
 sum the second numbers assigned to all matched attributes in both the second target profile and the subject profile to arrive at a second total matching score. 
   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the scoring module is to assign ranked orders to the resume and the second resume based on the relative difference between the total matching score and the second total matching score. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the scoring module is to normalize the total matching score and the second total matching score based on a objective total matching score, the objective total matching score being the total matching score that would be calculated if the resume were to exactly matched the non-standardized job description. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the scoring module is to:
 assign ranked orders to the resume and the second resume based on the relative difference between the normalized total matching score and the normalized second total matching score; and   recommend one of the resume or the second resume based on which one of the resume and the second resume that has a higher ranked order.