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 .

Senior Engineering Project Manager

Aperiatechnologies · San Mateo, CA

Aperia is unlocking a new era of efficiency and sustainability for commercial vehicle fleets, by developing innovative hardware and data analytics solutions. Inventors of the award- winning and disruptive Halotm Automatic Tire Inflator, and the cloud delivered Halo Connect tire analytics platform. Aperia saves fleets thousands of hours of down-time every week, reduces the carbon footprint and environmental impact of the freight industry. Join us as we expand our product offering and take the next steps on our journey toward bringing the "backbone of our economy" into the automation age.

Your Role

We are unable to sponsor H-1B, F-1 OPT, and STEM OPT extension at this time.

This is an opportunity for an experienced Sr. Engineering Project Manager to play a pivotal role in the launch of new designs and products into our manufacturing plant. From concept through full-scale production, you will lead cross-functional teams to ensure flawless execution, on-time delivery, and operational excellence. Your expertise in project management, process engineering, and manufacturing readiness will directly contribute to the success of our product launches and the growth of our business. As we are rapidly expanding our products and market coverage, this role has the potential to scale into managing several medium size projects and/or products based on business needs.

In a dynamic, hands-on environment, you will collaborate closely with design and manufacturing engineering, supply chain, quality, and operations teams. You will be a trusted leader who drives alignment, solves complex problems, and ensures that every new product launch meets cost, quality, and schedule targets. This is an onsite role.

Your Responsibilities

  • Lead end-to-end project management for new product introduction (NPI) projects, ensuring readiness of production processes, equipment, tooling, and documentation.
  • Develop and maintain detailed project plans and timelines; identify and mitigate risks proactively to meet launch milestones.
  • Facilitate clear communication and alignment across design, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and external suppliers to resolve technical and operational challenges.
  • Spearhead the planning and execution of key design activities, including the development of drawings, DFMEAs, and DVP&R documentation, in alignment with project requirements.
  • Drive design for manufacturability (DFM) and process capability improvements to ensure robust, cost-effective, and scalable production processes.
  • Monitor pilot builds, process validation, and ramp-up activities; report on production performance and implement corrective actions as needed.
  • Coordinate with the manufacturing engineering team to ensure that work instructions and quality standards are in place before launch.
  • Serve as the point of contact for stakeholders and management, providing regular updates on project status, risks, and performance metrics.
  • Continuously identify and implement process improvements to optimize future launches and reduce time to market.

Skills and Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
  • Minimum 7–10 years of experience in project management, design, and/or manufacturing engineering, with a strong focus on new product launches in a plant environment.
  • Proven success managing complex projects involving cross-functional teams, tight deadlines, and multiple stakeholders.
  • In-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes, equipment commissioning, process validation, and production ramp-up.
  • Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.
  • Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills; ability to make data-driven decisions under pressure.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to lead teams and influence across all levels of the organization.
  • Self-motivated, proactive, and adaptable to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Pay Range: $150,000 - $180,000

*Base salary only. Salary is dependent on multiple factors including, but not limited to, experience and location.

**Additional compensation may include equity, bonuses, stipends, medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and long-term disability insurance.