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 .

Financial Advisor Associate

Ameriprise Financial · Seattle, Washington

About Our Company


We’re a diversified financial services leader with more than $1.5 trillion in assets under management, administration and advisement as of year-end 2024. Our team of 22,000 people across 19 countries, serves more than 3.5 million individual, small business and institutional clients. We are a longstanding leader in financial planning and advice, a global asset manager and an insurer. Our unwavering focus on our clients and strong financial foundation connects each of our unique businesses – Ameriprise Financial, Columbia Threadneedle Investments and RiverSource Insurance and Annuities. Here, we foster meaningful careers, invest in the future, and make a difference for clients, institutions and communities around the world.

Job Description

Work with an experienced advisor to build a personal book of business and help shape clients' financial future, by developing an ongoing financial planning relationship focused on accomplishing clients goals. Build a pipeline, complete with personal and professional contacts and new leads.

Key Responsibilities
  • Obtain your required licenses/credentials within 150 days of hire:
- FINRA Series 7
- Active State Securities Agent Registration (S63 or S66)
- Active IAR Registration (S65 or S66)  and
-State Life, Health Insurance and Variable Products lines.
  • Attend and engage in licensing coaching, as required. Be accountable for making progress within the program’s licensing and appointment preparation timelines.
  • Assist seasoned financial advisor(s) in working with clients to them achieve their financial goals.
  • Serve as a key team practice member, creating and delivering a unique client experience that differentiates the practice.
  • Provide support to clients and prospects by serving them holistically and/or specializing in products or services. Specialized responsibilities may include:
-Develop and execute a robust marketing plan to achieve the practice’s client acquisition goals.
-Identify clients to engage or re-engage in financial planning relationships.
-Gather and analyze data and develop financial planning recommendations.
-Help prepare and/or deliver financial plans. Foster ongoing financial planning relationships with clients.
-Become a product expert. Serve clients and prospects in this capacity, run illustrations and develop product-centric recommendations.
-Manage specific parts of the business, e.g., manage operations, recommend process improvements, own staff meeting agendas, monitor budgets/expenses, etc.
-Manage the practice’s client service model and consistent execution.
  • Follow high standards of business and professional ethics and legal and regulatory requirements when serving client and prospects and performing all work-related activities.


Required Qualifications
  • Join Ameriprise in a team practice and support a seasoned financial advisor or advisors.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Four-year college degree from an accredited institution.
  • High level of confidence, perseverance and a strong desire to succeed in a goal-oriented environment. 
  • Show accountability to your results.
  • Outstanding verbal, written and listening communication skills.
  • Willingness and desire to learn from seasoned financial advisor(s) and be part of a collaborative, team-centric environment.

Base Pay Salary

$53,000 - $80,000

Full-Time/Part-Time

Full time

Exempt/Non-Exempt

Non-Exempt

Job Family Group

Sales

Line of Business  

AAG Ameriprise Advisor Group

Ameriprise Financial is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, military status, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, disability status, marital status, family status or any other basis prohibited by law.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, speak to your recruiter to discuss how we can support you.

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