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 .

Digital Network Exploitation Analyst #716

Allenintegratedsolutions · Annapolis Junction, Maryland, United States

Seeking a motivated, career and customer-oriented Digital Network Exploitation Analyst to join our team in Annapolis Junction, MD.  This is a full time position with 5 days onsite. 

 

Active TS/SCI security clearance with a current polygraph is required

 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Conduct active and passive reconnaissance to identify network devices, services, and protocols.
  • Map network topologies and infrastructure. Identify critical network assets and data repositories. Document network architecture and configurations.
  • Identify and analyze network-based vulnerabilities, including software flaws, misconfigurations, and insecure protocols. Assess the risk and impact of identified vulnerabilities.
  • Research and analyze exploit techniques for known vulnerabilities.
  • Provide recommendations based on various exploitation frameworks and tools. Assist with the implementation of exploitation techniques.

Required Qualifications:

  • Professional experience supporting a military and /or government cryptologic mission.  Professional experience may include mission support as a military of government language or signals analyst as it relates to acquiring, identifying, processing and reporting on electromagnetic emission.
  • Experience with evaluating target opportunities using all source data to understand and map target networks and to assist in developing detailed exploitation and operations plans.
  • Experience analyzing SIGINT and cybersecurity data at multiple levels within the OSI network stack.
  • Experience working with the US Navy or US Cyber Command.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Degree in a technical field (e.g., Telecommunications, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Computer Forensics, Cyber Security, IT, or Information Systems, Networking and Telecommunications, etc.) preferred.

Clearance Requirements:

  • Active TS/SCI security clearance with a current polygraph is required

Physical Requirements:

  • The person in this position must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. Occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, or to communicate with co-workers, management, and customers, via email, phone, and or virtual communication, which may involve delivering presentations.
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