OCR

Term from Information Services industry explained for recruiters

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that converts different types of documents, such as scanned paper documents, PDF files, or images of text, into data that a computer can edit and search. Think of it as a technology that can "read" printed or handwritten text and turn it into digital text, much like a human typing the contents of a paper document into a computer. This is widely used in businesses to digitize old papers, process forms, or handle incoming mail and documents.

Examples in Resumes

Implemented OCR solution that reduced manual data entry time by 75%

Managed document processing system using Optical Character Recognition technology

Led team in developing automated OCR workflow for invoice processing

Typical job title: "OCR Specialists"

Also try searching for:

Document Processing Specialist Data Capture Specialist Information Management Specialist Document Solutions Engineer Digital Transformation Specialist Content Processing Specialist

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you implement OCR in a large-scale document processing system?

Expected Answer: Should discuss experience with managing large document volumes, implementing quality control processes, handling different document types, and ensuring accuracy. Should mention solutions for handling exceptions and error cases.

Q: How do you ensure accuracy in OCR results for different types of documents?

Expected Answer: Should explain methods for document preparation, quality checking, handling different languages and fonts, and implementing verification workflows. Should mention experience with improving recognition rates.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What challenges have you faced when processing documents with poor quality?

Expected Answer: Should discuss experience with image preprocessing, handling different document qualities, and methods to improve recognition results for unclear or damaged documents.

Q: How do you validate and clean up OCR output?

Expected Answer: Should explain methods for checking OCR accuracy, common cleanup tasks, and how to handle special characters or formatting issues in the extracted text.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is OCR and what are its basic applications?

Expected Answer: Should be able to explain OCR in simple terms and list common business uses like digitizing documents, automating data entry, and processing forms.

Q: What factors affect OCR accuracy?

Expected Answer: Should mention basic factors like document quality, font clarity, image resolution, and proper document alignment that affect how well OCR can read text.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic document scanning and processing
  • Understanding of OCR software operation
  • Simple data validation and correction
  • Basic document preparation

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Advanced document processing workflows
  • Multiple OCR software platforms
  • Quality control processes
  • Document classification systems

Senior (5+ years)

  • Large-scale OCR implementation
  • Process optimization and automation
  • Team management and training
  • Complex workflow design

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No experience with document processing or scanning technologies
  • Lack of attention to detail in data accuracy
  • No understanding of different document types and formats
  • Poor problem-solving skills for handling recognition errors