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 .

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Arcaea · Boston, MA

WHO WE ARE

Arcaea is a biology-first beauty company building a new ingredient toolset for the beauty and personal care industry. We are creating pioneering ingredients, products, and stories accessible uniquely through biology. 

WHAT WE DO:

We’re working with the powerful biological engineering platform at Ginkgo Bioworks, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. Ginkgo and Arcaea care about how this platform and the products created are used. Having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology in every industry.

WE FEEL COMPELLED TO SAY

We feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in both the scientific fields and beauty industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. We are deeply committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion in all its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.  

WE WELCOME ALL

Arcaea strives to be a place to which people can bring the ultimate expression of themselves and their potential—starting with our hiring process. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We foster an inclusive environment that values people for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. That’s why we hope you’ll apply even if you don’t check every box listed in the job description. We want to know what only you can bring to Arcaea.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Agency and Third Party Recruiter Notice: Agencies that submit a resume to Arcaea must have a current executed Arcaea Agency Agreement executed by the Director, People Operations. In addition Agencies may only submit candidates to positions for which they have been invited to do so by an Arcaea Recruiter. All resumes must be sent to the Arcaea Recruiter under these terms or they will not be considered.

If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, or you require religious accommodation, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at our company, please contact [email protected].

Arcaea participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility.

We are committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion in all its practices. It is the policy of Arcaea to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants.

Agency and Third Party Recruiter Notice: Agencies that submit a resume to Arcaea must have a current executed Arcaea Agency Agreement executed by the Director, People Operations. In addition Agencies may only submit candidates to positions for which they have been invited to do so by an Arcaea Recruiter. All resumes must be sent to the Arcaea Recruiter under these terms or they will not be considered.

If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, or you require religious accommodation, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at our company, please contact [email protected].

Arcaea participates in E-verify to determine employment eligibility.

Disclaimer: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee.

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