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 .

Director, Legal – Commercial Transactions

Barkley · Kansas City, MO or Chicago, IL or New York, NY or Austin, TX or Denver, CO

As Director, Legal – Commercial Transactions, you will join our growing legal team with a primary focus on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating technology and commercial agreements in support of our evolving and growing advertising agency. The ideal candidate will bring strong commercial contracting experience, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to support business teams in complex, fast-paced transactions.

In this role, you will:

· Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of technology and commercial contracts, including subscription agreements, master service agreements, professional services agreements, reseller/distribution arrangements, and confidentiality agreements and data protection agreement.

· Partner with internal stakeholders to facilitate transactions while managing legal risk.

· Provide advice on contract interpretation and dispute resolution, ensuring compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

· Develop and improve contract templates, playbooks, and negotiation guidelines to streamline the contracting process.

 

What We’re Looking For:

· Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and admitted in MO or IL.

· Minimum of 7-10 years relevant experience, including at least 3 years directly focused on drafting and negotiating technology and commercial agreements.

· Strong knowledge and familiarity with contract law and commercial transactions, intellectual property issues in technology licensing and services agreements.

· Experience supporting enterprise technology or digital transformation initiatives.

· Familiarity with AI governance frameworks, privacy and data protection.

· Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to balance legal and business considerations.

· Detail-oriented, organized, and able to manage multiple projects with competing priorities.

 

 

Who you are:

· You have a genuine interest in learning about the ever-evolving world of advertising.

· You thrive in a fast-paced environment, are a self-starter, able to prioritize effectively and work both independently and as part of a growing team.

· You possess a willingness to be flexible and proactive in solving complex challenges, with a proven track record of understanding business needs and finding creative solutions.

· Contribute to the legal team’s ongoing efforts to build, improve and operationalize internal processes, workflows, best practices, and commercial templates.

BarkleyOKRP’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging

  • At BarkleyOKRP, DEI+B drives work that matters. We believe people and creativity are made of the same substance, and when every perspective is valued, the impact is stronger. We build belonging as a business strategy, power inclusive creativity that delivers measurable results, and hold ourselves accountable as a B Corp committed to progress over performative intent. When people are valued, the work carries greater impact.
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