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 .

Performance Architect

Cadence Design Systems · AUSTIN

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Performance Architect

Location

Austin, TX

Role Overview

We are seeking a Performance Architect to drive system‑level performance architecture for ARM‑based SoCs and chiplet platforms. In this role, you will define, analyze, and optimize performance across CPUs, interconnect, memory subsystems, and accelerators, working closely with system architects, IP teams, design, and software.

This is a senior technical role requiring deep expertise in ARM architectures, memory systems, and end‑to‑end performance modeling, with the ability to influence architecture decisions early and guide teams through implementation and validation.

Key Responsibilities

System & SoC Performance Architecture

  • Define performance requirements, KPIs, and budgets across CPU, interconnect, memory, and I/O subsystems.
  • Drive architectural trade‑offs involving latency, bandwidth, throughput, power, and area.
  • Evaluate and optimize performance for heterogeneous workloads (NPU/AI, ISP, VISION, I/O).

Interconnect & Chiplet Performance

  • Evaluate and optimize NoC / fabric architectures (latency, bandwidth, congestion, QoS).
  • Analyze performance impacts of chiplet partitioning, die‑to‑die interconnects (e.g., UCIe‑class links), and protocol overheads.
  • Identify bottlenecks across chiplet boundaries and propose architectural mitigations.

Performance Modeling & Analysis

  • Build and maintain system‑level performance models (transaction‑level, analytical, or cycle‑approximate).
  • Perform workload‑driven studies using synthetic traffic, benchmarks, and real software traces.
  • Correlate model results with RTL, emulation, or silicon data as designs mature.
  • Clearly communicate performance findings and recommendations to cross‑functional teams.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

  • Work closely with system architects, IP architects, design, verification, and software teams.
  • Provide technical leadership and mentorship on performance topics.
  • Influence architectural decisions through data‑driven analysis and clear technical communication.

Required Qualifications

Experience

  • 10+ years of experience in SoC, system, or performance architecture (staff‑level expectations).
  • Proven experience working on ARM‑based systems in data center, automotive, mobile, or embedded domains.

Technical Expertise

  • Deep understanding of computer architecture:
    • Memory hierarchy and bandwidth/latency trade‑offs
  • Strong knowledge of ARM architecture and ecosystem:
    • ARMv8/ARMv9 CPUs
    • Performance monitoring (PMU/AMU)
    • System memory management concepts (SMMU, TLBs, page tables)
  • Solid understanding of interconnects and fabrics (NoC, coherency protocols, QoS).
  • Experience with performance modeling and analysis techniques

We’re doing work that matters. Help us solve what others can’t.

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