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 .

Associate Director of Sales, Client Partnerships

Axios · Washington, DC Metro Area or NYC Metro Area

The big picture: Axios is a media company dedicated to providing trustworthy, award-winning news content in an audience-first format. We are hiring an Associate Director, Client Partnerships to join our growing advertising team in New York and will report to the Head of Strategic Partnerships!

Why it matters: In this role, you will work with new and existing partners to build Axios’ revenue through successful client partnerships. 

Go deeper: Ideal candidates will embody an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for Axios’ mission. This is a high-energy role with a hunting mentality that requires superior communication skills, ruthless prioritization, an ability to understand partner business priorities and develop creative solutions, and a proven ability to generate leads.

Worthy of your time: Ideal candidates will embody an entrepreneurial spirit and passion for Axios’ mission. This position requires the following:

  • 5+ years’ experience in sales, specifically in the digital media/news industry 
  • Established relationships with key agencies and brands
  • Experience in an outbound sales environment 
  • Understanding of digital media, online marketing technology, and Axios’ competitive landscape
  • Exceptionally collaborative, both within your own team and cross-functionally 
  • Willingness to travel and attend social events and engagements
  • Growth mindset with hunger to constantly learn and improve your craft 
  • Comfortable with a mix of outbound sales strategy as well as the nurturing of inbound leads and existing client relationships

Starting salary for this role is in the range of $67,000 - $90,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This range does not include other compensation and benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote-optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

Note that the total compensation offered for this role includes incremental variable compensation based on sales territory, which is contingent upon the successful achievement of predetermined sales targets.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

  • 401(k) with employer match
  • Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
  • Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
  • Dental and vision coverage
  • Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
  • Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
  • One mental health day per quarter
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
  • Tele-mental health services through Headspace
  • OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
  • Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate 
  • Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
  • Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies 
  • Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers 
  • Virtual company-sponsored social events
  • A strong and positive work environment
  • A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

 Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.

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