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 .

Careers

Bio-Rad Laboratories

Kiosk mode
Clothing, Coat, Lab Coat, Adult, Male, Man, Person, Glasses, Face, Head

Empowered by purpose.

Search by job title, location, department, category, etc.
Search Jobs near me

Our Mission

We advance science and
save lives, together.

At Bio-Rad, our mission saves lives. 

We are a global leader in developing innovative products for the life science research and clinical diagnostics markets. Together, we share a commitment to pushing the boundaries of science and helping people live longer, healthier lives. Come build a career filled with purpose and grow as part of a diverse, global team that is committed to propelling Bio-Rad – and healthcare itself – into the future.

Our Values

 


Focused

We put customer success and strategy at the center of what we do. ​

 


Sustainable

We are building a company that will stand the test of time. ​

 

 

 


Accountable

We honor commitments to customers, colleagues, and ourselves. ​

 


Together

We respect one another as individuals, and we win together as a team.

Why Work at Bio-Rad?

150,000
Customers
Bio-Rad serves more than 150,000 customers, empowering scientists and researchers worldwide.

37
Countries
With offices in 37 countries, we provide dedicated support and innovative solutions globally.

7,700
Employees
We have over 7,700 employees worldwide, united by a passion for innovation and a commitment to excellence.