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 .

Maintenance Supervisor

Boston Materials · Billerica, MA

Boston Materials produces advanced materials with enhanced energy transfer properties using its patented Z-axis Carbon Fiber technology. The Company's products solve critical performance bottlenecks in applications spanning thermal, electrical, and structural use cases. Its breakthrough Liquid Metal ZRT thermal interface material is designed for the most demanding AI Infrastructure. Boston Materials is committed to expanding high-volume manufacturing in the United States. For more information, visit https://www.bomaterials.com/   ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY Not often in one’s career do we get the chance to— Get close to the mission. Getting a real sense of what the business does and how our work directly affects the outcome. Where everyone is involved with the company’s success. No layers, no silos, no bureaucracy. Just the opportunity to make the greatest impact with the most responsibility.   Move faster. Adapting to changes in the market at record speed. No multi-layer signoffs and approvals. Instead, the latitude needed to get a new idea, product, or process off the ground quickly. Where we can experiment and test new ideas— and are encouraged to do so. We create solutions to problems that our customers truly care about, and we understand that customers won’t wait for us to figure them out.   Branch beyond the role. We’re not defined by past experiences or confined by our current job description. Every day offers opportunities to have influence and be challenged with new projects and tasks. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the top talent in the industry, we’re able to showcase our talents, expand our knowledge, develop new skills, and take ownership and act. All while contributing to the overall success of the organization.   Create critical solutions. Join us to solve the most critical challenges facing the Advanced Semiconductor, AI Infrastructure, and Advanced Materials industries.   Opportunity knocks at Boston Materials. Will you answer the call? Your Role We are seeking a skilled and proactive Maintenance Supervisor with a strong commitment to Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) standards. This role is crucial for maintaining the high reliability and efficiency of our specialized composite processing and manufacturing equipment while ensuring compliance with all safety and environmental regulations. You will oversee installation, preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair of manufacturing systems supporting high-volume production goals, while helping drive a culture of safety and sustainability.
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