Key Takeaways

  • 75% of U.S. employers use automated applicant tracking systems to screen resumes before a human reviews them (Harvard Business School & Accenture, 2021)
  • The most common ATS failures are missing keywords, incompatible formatting, and incorrect file types
  • ResumeGeni scores your resume across 8 parsing layers — modeled on the same steps enterprise ATS platforms like Workday, Greenhouse, and Taleo use to evaluate candidates

How ATS Resume Scoring Works

Applicant tracking systems parse your resume into structured data — extracting your name, contact info, work history, skills, and education — then score how well that data matches the job requirements. Many ATS rejections happen because the parser couldn't extract critical fields, not because the candidate wasn't qualified.

LayerWhat It ChecksWhy It Matters
Document extractionFile format, encoding, readabilityCorrupted or image-only PDFs fail immediately
Layout analysisTables, columns, headers, footersMulti-column layouts break field extraction
Section detectionExperience, education, skills headingsNon-standard headings cause sections to be missed
Field mappingName, email, phone, dates, titlesMissing contact info is a common cause of immediate rejection
Keyword matchingJob-specific terms, skills, certificationsKeyword overlap affects recruiter search visibility and ATS scoring
Chronology checkDate ordering, gap detectionReverse-chronological order is expected by most ATS
QuantificationMetrics, numbers, measurable outcomesQuantified achievements help human reviewers and some scoring models
Confidence scoringOverall parse quality and completenessLow-confidence parses get deprioritized in results

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ResumeGeni free?
Yes. ResumeGeni is currently in beta — ATS analysis, scoring, and initial improvement suggestions are free with no signup required. Full guidance and saved reports may require a free account.
What file formats are supported?
PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, RTF, ODT, and Apple Pages. PDF and DOCX are recommended for best ATS compatibility.
How is the ATS score calculated?
Your resume is processed through an 8-layer parsing pipeline that extracts structured data the same way enterprise ATS platforms do. The score reflects how completely and accurately your resume can be parsed, plus how well your content matches common ATS ranking criteria.
Can ATS read PDF resumes?
Yes, but not all PDFs are equal. Text-based PDFs parse well. Image-only PDFs (scanned documents) and PDFs with complex tables or multi-column layouts often fail ATS parsing. Our analyzer will flag these issues.
How do I improve my ATS score?
Focus on three areas: use a clean single-column format, include keywords from the job description naturally in your experience bullets, and ensure all sections (contact, experience, education, skills) use standard headings.

ATS Guides & Resources

Built by engineers with 12 years of experience building enterprise hiring technology at ZipRecruiter. Last updated .

Cost Engineer

ASSYSTEM · London, England, gb

The Cost Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring effective cost management and financial control across a major nuclear project. Operating within a highly regulated and safety-critical environment, the role supports robust planning, forecasting, and reporting to ensure project delivery within approved budgets while maintaining compliance with strict governance, regulatory, and quality standards.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop, implement, and maintain cost control frameworks aligned with nuclear industry standards and regulatory requirements.
  • Prepare detailed project budgets, cost forecasts, and cash flow projections across multiple work packages.
  • Monitor actual costs against approved baselines, identifying trends, variances, and potential risks to cost performance.
  • Deliver accurate, timely, and transparent cost reports to senior stakeholders and governance bodies.
  • Support change control processes, including evaluation of cost impacts associated with design changes, regulatory requirements, and scope evolution.
  • Collaborate closely with planning, engineering, procurement, and commercial teams to ensure alignment between cost, schedule, and technical scope.
  • Perform cost risk and uncertainty analysis, including scenario modelling and contingency assessments.
  • Review contractor estimates, compensation events, and applications for payment in line with contract requirements.
  • Ensure adherence to nuclear quality assurance standards, audit requirements, and financial governance processes.
  • Contribute to value engineering and cost optimisation initiatives while maintaining safety and compliance as top priorities.

Key Skills & Experience

  • Demonstrable experience in cost engineering or project controls within nuclear, energy, or other highly regulated infrastructure sectors.
  • Strong understanding of cost management techniques, including budgeting, forecasting, and earned value management (EVM).
  • Familiarity with nuclear project lifecycle phases, including design, licensing, construction, and commissioning.
  • Experience working within regulated environments with strict change control and quality assurance processes.
  • Proficiency in cost management systems and tools (e.g., Excel, SAP, Primavera P6, or equivalent).
  • Strong analytical capability with high attention to detail and data accuracy.
  • Ability to communicate complex cost information clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES ON RECRUITMENT FRAUD - We are committed to safeguarding candidates from fraudulent activity associated with our recruitment process. Please note that we will never offer specialist CV writing services, request payment or ask for sensitive personal information during the recruitment process.

We are committed to equal treatment of candidates and promote, as well as foster all forms of diversity within our company. We believe that bringing together people with different backgrounds and perspectives is essential for creating innovative and impactful solutions. Skills, talent, and our people’s ability to dare are the only things that matter !. Bring your unique contributions and help us shape the future.

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